ACC Football: Top 5 recruiting targets for National Signing Day
By Matt Oglesby
Lance LeGendre, Quarterback
Since the beginning of 2017, there has been a lot of conflict surrounding the quarterback position at Florida State—once considered a strength of the program during the heyday of the Jimbo Fisher era, with national championship- and Heisman-winning quarterback Jameis Winston going first overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, followed by a string of highly-rated recruits: DeAndre Johnson, John Franklin III, and Malik Henry.
All three of those quarterbacks ended up on Last Chance U. In addition to bad luck and attrition, there have been injuries. Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois, the 2016 ACC Rookie of the Year, sat the entire 2017 season following a leg injury in the Noles’ season opener against Alabama, leaving true freshman James Blackman, who the Noles didn’t expect to see the field for years—if ever.
Florida State head coach Willie Taggart did not sign a quarterback in the 2018 class. Sam Howell, the no. 3 pro-style quarterback out of North Carolina, was expected to be a member of the 2019 class, but ended up flipping to North Carolina during the Early Signing Period.
Which leaves the Noles where they were at the end of 2017: without the signature of a talented prospect. The Noles currently have their sights set on Lance LeGendre—a dual-threat quarterback out of New Orleans that Taggart and staff identified early. Since Florida State’s offer, LeGendre has seen his stock rise from the 900s to the top 300.
However, with attention comes competition. The Noles will have to fight in-state rival Miami for LeGendre’s signature. But the Noles have a decisive advantage: not only did Taggart and staff develop a relationship with LeGendre early, but Florida State can offer the possibility of real playing time, whereas the Hurricanes have a much more crowded quarterback room, especially with former Ohio State quarterback Tate Martell’s recent transfer.