Florida State just landed the kind of commitment that can change the feel of a recruiting class.
Four-star safety Ta'Shawn Poole pledged to the Seminoles for the Class of 2027, giving Mike Norvell’s program its biggest recruiting win of the cycle so far. Poole, who plays at Howard in Macon, Georgia, picked FSU over Georgia and Tennessee and arrives as the highest-ranked commitment in the class.
The numbers back up the hype. Poole is rated as a top-100 national prospect by 247Sports, where he checks in as the No. 85 player in the country and the No. 4 safety overall. At 6-foot-2, he put together a junior season at Howard that included 45 tackles and four interceptions.
The commitment also gave Florida State’s class a noticeable lift in the rankings. According to 247Sports, the Seminoles moved from the mid-50s into the 40th spot nationally after Poole came aboard.
That still leaves plenty of room for the class to climb, but this is the kind of addition that can start building real momentum. FSU also missed on offensive line target DaJohn Yarborough, who chose Cal, though the board is far from empty.
One name to keep an eye on is class of 2028 four-star Meshi Dobson. The EDGE rusher from Miami is reportedly considering a move into the 2027 class, and 247Sports suggests Florida State could be in position to land him if that happens.
If that comes together, Dobson would join another reclassified four-star already in the fold: Za'Kari Johnson, who committed earlier in July. Late-summer momentum has helped the Seminoles stack up commitments, but the bigger answer for where this class ultimately finishes will still come from what happens on the field.
Florida State’s 2027 class now includes Poole, Sean Green, Za'Kari Johnson, Sam LeJeune, Jayden Miles, Jernard Albright, Majay Thompson, CJ Ohuabunwa, Jaxon Holly, Olrick Johnson III, Eric Vaulx, Anthony Cavallaro, Jemari Forman, Logan Flaherty and Connor Winn.
In Other News...
Mike Norvell Just Changed How Florida State Is Building Its Roster
Florida State is taking a different tack with its 2027 recruiting class, and Mike Norvell says the change is by design. The Seminoles already have 16 commitments in the cycle, a noticeably smaller group than in recent years, as the program adjusts to the NCAAs new five-for-five eligibility ruling and the ripple effects it has on roster planning.
Norvell framed the shift as part of a broader effort to build the roster more precisely, balancing recruiting with retention and the financial realities that come with it. In his view, this is less about chasing a bigger high school class and more about fitting the pieces together in a way that makes sense for what Florida State expects its roster to look like in the years ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Kam Martin Is Already Making Noise In FSU's Next RB Battle
Florida States new running backs coach is barely into his first season in Tallahassee, but Kam Martin is already helping shape what the next wave of backfield recruiting could look like. The Seminoles have a talented group on hand with Quintrevion Wisner, Ousmane Kromah and Samuel Singleton Jr., and Martins early work has started to extend beyond the current room as the staff keeps building for the future.
One of the latest names to enter the picture is 2028 back Marquece Sharpe Jr., a productive sophomore at Woodbridge High School who has already drawn interest from a long list of programs and spent time visiting several schools this offseason. Florida States scholarship offer adds another major contender to the mix, and it is a sign that Martin is wasting little time making his presence felt in a crowded national race for young running backs. [Read more 🡒]