Florida State’s push to build momentum in the #Tribe27 class hit a rough patch on Saturday, and this one stings because of where the Seminoles are already thin.
The Noles have picked up real steam since the middle of May, landing a run of blue-chip talent that includes four-star defensive lineman Sam LeJeune, four-star wide receiver Sean Green, four-star running back Jayden Miles, and four-star linebacker Jernard Albright. But even with that surge, one glaring problem keeps hanging over the class: Florida State still hasn’t landed an offensive lineman.
That matters. The Seminoles have struggled in the trenches for more than a decade, and Herb Hand’s success last season came with five transfers in the starting lineup.
That kind of fix can work for a year. It’s not a long-term answer, which is why bringing in developmental offensive linemen is so important.
Instead, Florida State watched one of its top targets go elsewhere.
Four-star interior offensive lineman DaJohn Yarborough announced Saturday that he is headed to Cal, picking the Golden Bears over Florida State, Washington, and Mississippi State. Going into the weekend, Florida State and Cal were viewed as the two main contenders, but Yarborough chose to stay on the West Coast.
That loss is especially frustrating for the Seminoles because Yarborough was one of their best shots up front - and really the only offensive lineman they had any meaningful traction with. Florida State also hosted just one offensive lineman for an official visit this summer, and that player is now committed to Cal as well.
Hand made a real run at Yarborough. Florida State offered him more than a year ago, Hand traveled to Arizona in May to spend time with him, and Yarborough visited campus multiple times. None of it was enough to pull him away from the Golden Bears.
Yarborough checks in at 6-foot-5 and 340 pounds. According to the 247Sports Composite Ratings, he is the No. 426 overall prospect, the No. 25 IOL, and the No. 9 recruit in Arizona in the 2027 class.
Florida State has now lost another recruit to a California program this summer after three-star athlete Marquis Fennell chose Stanford over the Seminoles last month.
As things stand, it’s unclear where Florida State turns next. The Seminoles did offer international offensive tackle Oscar Webersink, who appears to be trending to Penn State.
Florida State currently has 13 verbal commitments in #Tribe27, a class that ranks No. 59 in the country.
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