Florida State football closed its 2018 recruiting class on a high note. Which incoming freshmen could become starters for the Seminoles?
When Willie Taggart took the job with Florida State, the loss of Jimbo Fisher suddenly didn’t hurt as much. The former South Florida-turned-Oregon coach spent just one season with the Ducks before joining the Seminoles.
That lack of loyalty to Oregon would raise some eyebrows from Seminole fans if Florida State wasn’t openly dubbed as Taggart’s “dream job”.
Now that he has that dream job, he has to figure out which incoming freshmen from his solid 11th-ranked 2018 class could see the field early on and which will redshirt.
Which five incoming freshmen could start for Florida State in 2018?
Florida State might need some help at the outside linebacker spots as both Jacob Pugh and Matthew Thomas are graduating. That leaves two potentially wide open spots for some incoming guys to contend for and four-star Amari Gainer is one of them.
Gainer is an early enrollee, which gives him a leg up on the competition. The Tallahassee, Fla., native is ranked the No. 239 overall prospect and 18th-best outside linebacker in the class, per 247Sports. He lives up to that ranking and more if you watch his highlight reel.
Heck, even the first play of his highlights signifies that he’s going to be one heck of a player. He blitzed off the edge and took the opposing quarterback down hard on his blindside, knocking the helmet right off his head and forcing a fumble. It’s that type of aggressiveness and speed off the edge that makes the coaching staff drool.
Keep an eye on this kid in the spring game and throughout summer ball.
Former NFL defensive back Asante Samuel has one talented son who could grow up to be better than his father. Asante Samuel jr. is one of the top high school cornerbacks in the nation and although he’s not an early enrollee like some of his fellow 2018 class members, he has the talent to see the field early on.
With Tarvarus McFadden leaving, a spot has opened up for Samuel Jr. to earn some starting snaps, but he will have to contend with Stanford Samuels III — but he could actually be set up to play the Star role.
The Seminoles have been known for producing some elite defensive backs over the years and Samuel Jr. won’t be any different.
Although he’s a bit undersized at 5-foot-9.5 and 166 pounds, he’s speedy, has quick hips and can read opposing quarterbacks’ eyes well. He’s usually in the right place at the right time and don’t let his size fool you, this kid is a beast.
The Seminoles have a gem coming in with the 2018 class who is ranked the 60th-best recruit and No. 9 cornerback in the class.
When you’re looking for loyal recruits, look no further than four-star athlete Tre’Shaun Harrison. Yes, he was committed to Oregon before de-committing back in December, but he followed Willie Taggart from Eugene all the way to Tallahassee.
In fact, Harrison was committed to Taggart’s Ducks before de-committing when the head coach headed to the Seminoles. He then took his time to evaluate his options before deciding to make the trek thousands of miles from home to join Taggart’s new program in Tallahassee.
The Seattle, Wash., native is ranked the No. 114 overall player and 14th-best athlete in the class, per 247Sports. While he’s listed as an athlete, he likely translates more to a wide receiver than anything else with his 6-foot-2, 190-pound athletic frame.
According to 247Sports, he runs a sub-4.4 40-yard dash which makes him an explosive option at wide out. With Auden Tate gone, Harrison could come in and provide a home run threat in the receiving corps.
Yet another cornerback with the potential to play from day one. Like Asante Samuel Jr., Anthony Lytton is one of the best young defensive backs in the entire 2018 recruiting class and he’s also not an early enrollee. There might be an epic battle between Lytton and Samuel Jr. for early playing time this summer and leading into the fall.
The Upper Malboro, Md., native is ranked the No. 50 overall prospect in the class and the seventh-best cornerback. He is also slightly bigger than Samuel Jr., standing 5-foot-10 and weighing in at 175 pounds.
Taggart has a good problem on his hands and that’s deciding which blue-chip cornerback to play as a freshman. He could decide to burn the redshirts of both guys, which seems likely, in order to build a deep, experienced unit for the future.
Lytton played some wide receiver at the high school level as well, which shows he has necessary athleticism. However, he’s likely to stick to the defensive side of the ball as his play recognition mixed with his lockdown coverage and impressive hands make him a potentially elite defensive back.
Here we have the highest-rated signee in Florida State’s 2018 recruiting class, Jaiden Woodbey. The four-star safety is fringing on five-star status, but that doesn’t much matter because he looks like every bit of an elite player on film.
The four-star safety is one of three early enrollees which gives him a major leg up on the competition from his fellow 2018 class members.
Nate Andrews and Derwin James are both gone from the 2017 squad as one graduated and the other declared for the NFL draft, leaving two open spots at safety. It’s a fair assumption that Woodbey would come in instantly and have an impact at the position, but he will have to battle it out with A.J. Westbrook and Hamsah Nasirildeen.
Don’t be shocked if the nation’s No. 35 recruit was able to steal a starting spot from day one, though. He has the talent and the ball skills to be an elite safety in Tallahassee.
Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: First round post-NFL Combine
The Army All-American from Fontana, Calif., has a lot to live up to and potentially gigantic shoes to fill, but he could be a special player for the next 3-4 years.