Macon (Ga.) Howard four-star safety Ta'Shawn Poole is ready to make his call Friday evening, with Florida State, Georgia and Tennessee in the mix for one of the Peach State’s top 2027 prospects.
Poole will announce his commitment live at 6 p.m. ET on the CBS Sports College Football YouTube Channel. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound defensive back is choosing from a finalist list that also included Clemson, after taking official visits to all four schools.
His visit run stretched across four weekends, beginning with Clemson and then moving to Tennessee, Florida State and Georgia from May 29th through June 19th.
Earlier this week, Poole discussed each of his finalists. Both 247Sports Crystal Ball picks currently point to Florida State.
The rankings paint the picture of just how highly regarded Poole is. 247Sports has him at No. 85 overall in the 2027 class, No. 4 among safeties and No. 6 in Georgia. The industry composite places him No. 64 nationally and No. 6 at his position.
Hudson Standish of 247Sports offered a strong evaluation of Poole earlier this month, calling him a “Three-phase impact playmaker set to become the first prospect from his high school (est. 2008) to sign at the Power Four level.”
Standish also described Poole as a “Rangy safety with ideal size hovering around 6-foot-1.5, 190 pounds with a +6 wingspan and ideal combine testing metrics.”
The evaluation highlighted his versatility, noting that he can line up over the slot, in the box or as a split-safety. It also pointed to his work in coverage, saying he handled himself well in one-on-one situations at the 2026 Under Armour All-America game and on the camp circuit, where he smothers receivers and tight ends in man coverage and shows the same playmaking instincts he flashed at wide receiver when the ball is in the air.
Standish added that Poole diagnoses plays quickly and closes ground fast to squeeze run lanes, though his aggressive style can sometimes lead to poor angles. He also said Poole still needs to keep improving his block evasion and block destruction when chasing the football.
In the deeper part of the field, Standish wrote that Poole has the range and anticipation to make plays as a split-safety. He noted that Poole reads the game well at the prep level and showed flashes in best-on-best settings, while also facing a significant jump in play speed at the next level.
The bottom line from that evaluation: Poole looks like a multi-year starter for a CFP contender with NFL Draft upside because of his mix of size, athleticism and coverage instincts.
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