Florida State’s push to add another tight end in the 2027 class took a hit on Thursday when Colton Johnson came off the board for Ole Miss.
Johnson, a three-star prospect, had been trending toward a decision for weeks before making it public. He chose the Rebels over Florida State, Alabama, Indiana, North Carolina and Purdue.
“After long talks and prayers with my family I am blessed to be able to make this decision. I’m excited to announce I’ll be committing to @OleMissFB !!!🦈🦈🦈🔴🔵 @CoachWoodiel @CoachGolding @ChadSimmons_ @TomLoy247 @kam_wicker @Hayesfawcett3 @BaxterFootball #agtg pic.twitter.com/7TzcI3FYLA”
For Florida State, the miss matters because Johnson was the one uncommitted tight end the staff had real traction with. The Seminoles had also looked at international prospect Elias Wilson last month after watching him work out, but no offer has been extended yet.
FSU made its move on Johnson early, jumping into the race in January when he was on campus for a junior day. He later took an official visit to Tallahassee on June 12 and also checked out the rest of his finalists.
Johnson’s junior season at Upperman High School produced 37 catches for 615 yards and four touchdowns. The 6-foot-4.5, 235-pound tight end is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 633 overall prospect, the No. 34 tight end and the No. 28 player in Tennessee in the 2027 class.
Florida State now has 13 verbal commitments in #Tribe27, a group that sits at No. 59 nationally. The Seminoles had been operating with the idea of signing two tight ends in this cycle, and that leaves Connor Winn - a three-star tight end who committed to FSU just over a year ago - as the lone pledge at the position for now.
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Mike Norvell Pressure At Florida State Just Hit A New Level
Mike Norvells run at Florida State still carries the memory of 2023, when he guided the Seminoles to a 13-1 record and an ACC championship, but that success now feels increasingly distant. The conversation around the program has shifted hard in the other direction, with the Seminoles recent slide putting a very different kind of spotlight on the coach who once looked like he had the whole thing pointed back up.
Florida States on-field struggles have been paired with recruiting concerns that only add to the unease, as the 2027 class sits at No. 59 nationally and does not yet look like the kind of group that can quickly reset the trajectory. Even among ACC coaches, Norvell is being viewed through a harsher lens now, and the longer the results lag behind the standard he set, the harder it becomes to ignore the pressure building around him. [Read more 🡒]
Can FSU Finally Trust Its Linebackers In Year Two Under Norvell
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Jones arrives with a strong track record from Southern Miss, while Gbayor brings familiarity with Tony White after previous stops and a productive year at Nebraska. LaVallees return from a leg injury should matter too, because Florida State needs bodies it can trust, not just names on the depth chart. The bigger question is whether all of those pieces can settle in quickly enough to make the linebacker spot a strength instead of a weekly concern, especially with so much riding on how the new-look group handles the demands of year two. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Hit A Familiar Roadblock With Elite In State QB
Florida State is back in the familiar position of trying to hold its ground with an in-state quarterback who has plenty of options. Hudson West, a 2028 target for the Seminoles, is drawing interest from Florida, North Carolina and Georgia Tech, and his recruitment already has the feel of a long one. For a program that still sells itself on staying home and winning big in Florida, landing a player like West would matter well beyond one class.
West has made relationships a major part of his decision-making, which gives Florida State a clear opening if it can keep building trust over time. The challenge is obvious, though: Mike Norvells uncertain tenure and the programs recent struggles to consistently secure top in-state talent hang over this pursuit, and those are the kinds of questions that can linger deep into a quarterback recruitment. [Read more 🡒]