July is nearly upon us, Florida State Seminoles fans, and that means fireworks on the recruiting trail. Mike Norvell and his staff have put a premium on the month of July for landing verbal commitments and this year should be no different. Following a June that was popping with official visitors, we now enter a month where additions to #Tribe25 will be popping.
Last year I wrote about the significance of June and July on the trail under Mike Norvell. To add to that data: in 2023, FSU earned nine commitments in those two months. That raises the average number of commitments in June and July to 8.75 heading into this year. FSU has already received two verbal commitments from defensive tackle Kevin Wynn and wide receiver CJ Wiley in late June, and I think they will once again meet or exceed the average with July nearly upon us.
Let’s take a look at the Seminoles’ targets who are scheduled to announce in the next month (or could announce at any time) and give some thoughts on where FSU stands for each one of them.
Some — like offensive lineman Josh Petty, receiver Kaliq Lockett, defensive back Jordan Young and running back Ousmane Kromah — have said that they’ll commit in August or later in the season, so those guys won’t factor in to this article.
I’m also not including guys like defensive back Ladarian Clardy, wide receiver Malik Clark or defensive back Jaboree Antoine who have given no public indication whatsoever on a decision and we haven’t heard any private intel otherwise.
Defensive back Gregory Zae Thomas - June 30
Thomas will make his choice between FSU and Clemson, who have both done excellent jobs recruiting him. As I wrote in my June 21 defensive visitors preview article though, I believe Thomas is destined to play for FSU
The choice: FSU
Linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale- July 1
Rainey-Sale nearly became a member of #Tribe25 towards the end of last year but instead committed to Washington. He reopened things when Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama. This will all come down to Rainey-Sale’s mother. If she is comfortable with him going across the country, Rainey-Sale will be a ‘Nole. If not, I think Washington will narrowly edge out FSU and UCLA. Mama tends to win out in cases like this, but I am hoping she has given her blessing. I’ve gone back and forth on this one more than any other- I think it’s literally 50/50.
The choice: Washington
Linebacker Tavion Wallace - July 2
Wallace has long been atop FSU’s wish list at linebacker and the Seminoles, specifically Randy Shannon, have worked wonders in this recruitment. Georgia and Florida made things interesting, but as I wrote in my preview article for the June 21 defensive visitors, Tavion Wallace is going to look great in Garnet and Gold.
The choice: FSU
Offensive lineman Peyton Joseph - July 4
Joseph will set off fireworks for his next destination on Independence Day, and the beneficiary will either be FSU or Memphis. Memphis is a real threat here, as Joseph’s teammate, quarterback Antwann Hill, spurned UF to commit to the Tigers. The two have stated they’d like to play together at the next level. However, Alex Atkins and crew have made too compelling a case for FSU to let him slip away.
The choice: FSU
Defensive back Jadon Blair - July 5
I said in my July 18 visitor preview article that I felt FSU bringing in Blair for an OV was a waste of resources, and nothing I’ve heard since then has made me budge off that stance.
The choice: Notre Dame
There are other targets who haven’t given a set timeline to announce their decisions, but I want to include them here because they could pop in July.
Wide receiver Daylan McCutcheon
My favorite receiver in the 2025 cycle, McCutcheon will be choosing between FSU, USC, and Texas. He intends to make a decision in early-mid July. This hasn’t been a slam-dunk recruitment but FSU has long been a perceived favorite, and I think Dugans gets it done again.
The choice: FSU
Tight end Hollis Davidson
Davidson mentioned sometime in July as when he hopes to commit, and it seems like the final three are Auburn, Florida, and FSU. I think FSU has been the leader for him since his initial decommitment from Auburn and while the Tigers made up ground on his visit there, I don’t think it was enough.
The choice: FSU
Running back Byron Louis
Louis and Ousmane Kromah are tied together in the minds of many recruiting folks with the thought that Georgia will land one while FSU will land the other. If they both happen to end up at the same school, it would be FSU in my opinion. Miami and the Dawgs made this one a tough recruitment, but I expect Louis to land in #Tribe25. We’ll have to see what happens with Kromah as he’s expected to take his recruitment into the season.
The choice: FSU
Offensive lineman Ty Haywood
Haywood enjoyed his visit to FSU over the June 21 weekend and Alex Atkins made a big impression on him. That said, Oklahoma and Alabama are the two heavyweights FSU is fighting against. I think the Crimson Tide will be too tough to overcome in this one.
The choice: Alabama
Wide receiver Vernell Brown III
This has really turned into a battle between Florida (where Brown is a legacy) and FSU, with Ohio State (once the favorite) on the outside looking in. FSU has given Brown a great deal to think about (shout out to Keiwan Ratliff for some great work here) and Tramell Jones even has a hashtag for it, but it’s hard for me to go against the legacy factor. That said, this is a name to watch when Cajun Willie gets canned this season...
The choice: Florida
Tight end Chase Loftin
I haven’t put much stock into FSU landing Loftin, a Nebraska legacy who is also very high on Texas A&M. FSU really did a great job with him though, and it seems that the Aggies and Seminoles are the two favorites for him. I still have a hard time seeing him leave the Midwest, though.
The choice: Texas A&M
Defensive tackle Myron Charles
Charles is a quiet kid when it comes to media (can’t blame him one bit) and doesn’t tip his hand too much in his recruitment. FSU has long been the perceived favorite but Texas and Miami have nearly pulled even with him. I am most concerned with Texas- if he chooses the Longhorns, it will very likely be due to a NIL package that FSU can’t compete with. This is a must-win recruitment for Odell Haggins- if FSU misses on Charles, there is no sugarcoating that loss. I’ll roll with longevity of relationships and a NIL package that’s nothing to sneeze at, but I’m not nearly as confident in this choice as I was a month ago. At this stage, I would not be surprised to see him choose either FSU or Texas.
The choice: FSU
Defensive back Max Redmon
We haven’t heard much from Redmon since his official visit to FSU in early June, but this is a name we’ve been monitoring for some time. Assuming Redmon has the green light to commit to FSU, I would expect him to do it sooner than later in the summer to secure a spot in what will likely be a smaller DB class. He hasn’t said anything about a timeline but if he waits too long, he may find himself on the outside looking in with FSU.
The choice: FSU
Florida State Recruiting Class of 2025
- QUARTERBACK: 4 star Tramell Jones Jr (FL)
- WIDE RECEIVER: 4 star CJ Wiley (GA)
- OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 5 star Solomon Thomas (FL)
- DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Javion Hilson (FL)
- DEFENSIVE TACKLE: 4 star Kevin Wynn (GA)
- LINEBACKER: 4 star Ethan Pritchard (FL)
