I always like to look back at players that we were high on that Florida State did not land. We will look at the reasons why. Did FSU recruit the player, did they overlook a prospect or was it a complete miss on the evaluation? We will break down players in the ACC from the state of Florida that decided to sign with another school.

OL Will Putnam (Tampa Plant, 6-4, 315) – Putnam was a big battle between FSU and Clemson all the way to NSD. Putnam came from the midwest and transferred to Tampa Plant HS. He was a big-time offensive line recruit. I was not as high as the networks with Putnam. He did have a background as a high school wrestler, which was a strength. Putnam was a bigger loss from a perception standpoint at the time because he was considered a lock to FSU. On NSD he surprised many by choosing Clemson. He heads into his final year. Putnam is a two-year starter but his career has been inconsistent.

OL Marcus Tate (Miami Tru Prep Academy, 6-5, 330) – Tate was a prospect I first saw at University School in the eighth grade and he was already one of the best players coming through the program. Tate was a high four-star prospect. He has started since his freshman season. He showed some interest towards Miami but more to the top programs out of state. He has lived up to his hype so far and will be a multi-year starter for the Tigers.

DT Tyler Davis (Wekiva, 6-2, 300): Never understood the hype for Davis. Many of the experts acted like he was Timmy Jernigan. He was a good player in high school who was an undersized tackle. He has had a good career at Clemson with 95 tackles and 10 sacks in his career (28 starts) but he has not made the impact many felt he would. FSU was in this race early but they seemed to fade while Clemson ended up with his commitment.

DT Cory Durden (Newberry, 6-5, 315): Durden started out at FSU before leaving two years ago for NC State. He was a productive but inconsistent player for the Seminoles. Durden will flash some great plays only to disappear on the next few plays. He has great size and is a pretty good athlete. He was a first-team All-ACC selection in 2021 for the Wolfpack (when he recorded 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks) and may end up being a player who gets drafted in 2023.

CB Tanner Ingle (Orlando Dr. Phillips, 5-10, 175): Ingle was not real big or fast coming out of high school. He was a very good football player. He is one of those guys who just plays the game hard. He has good football instincts and is a good coverage corner. Ingle had 82 tackles last fall and could end up a first-team All-ACC player this season.

WR Zay Flowers (University School, 5-10, 175): I put Boston College onto Flowers. One of their coaches at the time, Brian White, would come down to South Florida and would always be looking for the right fit for BC. Flowers was that guy. He was underrated in high school and may also be in college. Flowers is one of the true playmakers in the ACC (he caught 44 passes for 746 yards and five touchdowns in 2021). He was never recruited by the Florida schools. If he is at FSU right now, Flowers would be their best all-around player on offense.

TE George Takacs (Naples Gulf Coast, 6-6, 260): George signed with Notre Dame. It does not help when they have multiple NFL prospects in front of him. He transferred to Boston College, which loves to use the tight end in the passing game. He has great size and George can run.

WR Dee Wiggins (Miami Killian/Southridge, 6-3, 200) Wiggins always had talent. He has had some very good games. Wiggins has some inconsistency with his hands. He has moments where he will drop a pass that could lead to a first down. He has good size. Wiggins can also run pretty well. Reports are he will start at Louisville this season. FSU never recruited Wiggins that hard. They now have to play against him in week 3.

OL Adonis Boone (Daytona Beach Mainland, 6-5, 280): Boone has started and been a productive player at Louisville. To think of all the players FSU has had in the rotation along the offensive line, Boone would be a starter right now. He brings some toughness to the offensive line room. He also brings plenty of reps. We expect him to be one of Louisville’s best linemen this year.

OT Renato Brown (Palm Beach Central, 6-4, 350): Brown came to my big man camp his final year of high school. He was big and could move. Miami showed interest early but FSU and UF never went after him. He lost weight, which is something everyone knew he needed to do. Brown was part of Louisville’s 2019 class and he is a starter. You can’t teach size and athletic ability. FSU should have pursued Brown, especially when they did not have much quality on their bench.

WR Damian Alford (Miami Edison, 6-5, 210): Alford will end up one of the better players on Syracuse offense. He has size and runs well. He is able to get separation from defensive backs. You will see him go up and get the ball. He had talent in high school but lacked the consistency to be an every-down starter.

DE Francois Nolton (Miami Edison, 6-4, 240): Nolton has been listed as a starter by some publications. He committed early to UF. The Seminoles never considered him. I feel this one will go down as a mistake. I have known Nolton since he was going to Hurricanes youth camps. Nolton has size and length. He has the ability to get off the ball and sack a quarterback. He reminds me of Gregory Rousseau.

RB Jaylan Knighton (Deerfield Beach, 5-10, 175): The Rooster was once committed to FSU. After Willie Taggart was fired, Knighton did not give the new staff the time of day. He has flashed being special at Miami (561 rushing yards, eight touchdowns in 2021). Now he needs to be more consistent. He also needs to get bigger and stronger. He is not only a good running back but there are not many better out of the backfield.

S Al Blades (Saint Thomas Aquinas, 5-11, 180): Many thought Blades was always a Hurricane. Truth be told Jimbo Fisher personally recruited the kid and was seriously considering FSU. He ended up choosing the hometown Hurricanes. The biggest issue is Blades has not been consistent. He has length to really help out in the passing game. He has all the other physical tools.

WR AT Perry (Lake Worth Park Vista, 6-5, 205): Perry has the physical tools and enjoyed a breakout 2021 with 71 receptions for 1,293 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is one of the bigger receivers in the ACC and Perry is a potential first-team All-ACC receiver. He comes from a program (Park Vista) that also produced Tre Mason (Auburn). There is no question that Perry will now have a shot at the NFL.

DT Calijah Kancey (Miami Northwestern, 6-1, 265): It is not often that a player from Northwestern is considered underrated. That is the case with Calijah. He was never a highly rated player. He was never heavily recruited. All he has done is go to Pitt and become a very good player in the ACC (33 tackles, seven sacks in 2021). Pitt defensive line coach Charlie Partridge has done a great job developing Kancey.

WR Antoine Green (Rockledge, 6-2, 210): Green was a target for FSU’s staff. They went after him hard but did not really push for a commitment. He has been banged up most of his career at UNC but has also been productive. We expect him to have a good season in 2022.

TE Kamari Morales (Tallahassee Lincoln, 6-2, 240): I am not going to lie, Morales was not a very impressive-looking prospect. He did not have many traits that made you think he can become elite. Crazy thing is he may end up one of the top tight ends in the ACC. With a young quarterback there is nothing better than a tight end that can catch. Morales had 24 catches for 240 yards and five touchdowns in 2021.

QB Jeff Sims (Jacksonville Sandalwood, 6-3, 210): Sims was raw coming out of high school but also very talented. He performed very well when I went and watched him live. I still think FSU would be in good shape offensively if Sims had become a Seminole. You look at his skillset and he can run like Travis. He has a better arm. He needed a good quarterback coach and has not had one (yet). Chip Long is the new offensive coordinator and it would not surprise me to see him take a step forward in 2022.

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