Recruiting Retrospective: FSU Football Signing Class of 2002

Football recruiting is the lifeblood for any successful college program, and this has definitely been the case for Florida State. The Seminoles have brought in more than their share of elite prospects and finished with several top-five recruiting classes over the years.

The current iteration of Rivals.com began rating recruits and calculating team recruiting rankings going back to 2002. For the next several weeks, we will take a look back at these classes, explore which ones exceeded expectations or fell short, and dig deep into how these signees' careers played out at Florida State and into the pros.

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Class Ranking: No. 2 / Number of signees: 22
Four-year win-loss record: 36-16 / ACC Championships: 2
First-Team All-Americans*: 2

* Includes first-team All-Americans listed by major outlets (ESPN, AP, Camp, FWAA, AFCA)

The 2002 recruiting class was loaded, featuring six five-star prospects, including Lorenzo Booker, the No. 3 overall player in the first Rivals100. Several members made significant contributions during their FSU careers, including Kamerion Wimbley, Buster Davis, A.J. Nicholson, Brodrick Bunkley and Leon Washington.

Despite all of the star power, the class took a major hit with five players failing to meet the NCAA's initial academic requirements. Wide receiver DiShon Platt, defensive end Lonnie Davis, wide receiver John Harris, and defensive tackles Chris Turner and Chris Bradwell all failed to qualify. Four from this group never made it to FSU, while Bradwell enrolled the following year but was kicked off the team early in 2005 after appearing in just five games.

California running back Lorenzo Booker was the first ever recruit to announce his decision on national television. That broadcast of a commitment on ESPN set the stage for what has since become commonplace on National Signing Day.

Booker had a solid but unspectacular career at Florida State. He finished his college years with 17 starts, rushed for 2,389 yards and 15 touchdowns, and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. Ironically, his best game came the final time he suited up for the Seminoles. In his home state of California against UCLA in the Emerald Bowl, he finished with 208 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, earning MVP honors (see video below).

The former five-star recruit was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of 2007 NFL draft. Booker bounced around between the NFL and CFL but retired after being released by the Chicago Bears in 2012.

As with Booker, Watkins had a solid career at Florida State but fell short of his five-star ranking coming out of Tallahassee's Lincoln High School.

The lanky safety started 23 games at FSU, finishing with 125 tackles, 10 interceptions and 23 pass break-ups. His highest honor was earning All-ACC honorable mention honors in 2004 and 2005. The highlight of his career might have been a scoop-and-score versus the Florida Gators in 2003, which tied the game late in the third quarter (53:45 mark below). The Seminoles would go on to defeat the Gators in Gainesville 38-34.

Watkins was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft. After starting nine games in his rookie season, injuries began to derail his pro career. His playing days wrapped up in Canada playing for the Edmonton Eskimos in 2014-15.

Davis was one of three Florida State signees ranked to rank in the top 10 nationally, according to Rivals.com for the 2002 class. In high school, the All-USA Today first-team selection was an unstoppable quarterback for St. Petersburg Catholic High School (see video below), but was signed to play receiver for Florida State.

The shifty athlete tore his ACL shortly before his arrival to FSU in 2002 and redshirted that year. Davis started 25 games over the next four seasons, recording 137 catches for 1,842 yards and 12 touchdowns. He earned ACC Honorable Mention honors for his senior season in 2006.

Davis was a fourth-round selection by the Tennessee Titans in 2007. After a couple of seasons with the Titans, he played three year in the CFL, finishing up with the Montreal Alouettes in 2012.

Despite being ranked No. 9 overall for the class of 2002, Washington was somewhat overshadowed by Lorenzo Booker coming out of high school. However, the speedy athlete had a more successful college and pro career.

The standout from Andrew Jackson High in Jacksonville earned the prestigious Mr. Football award given to the top high school player in the state of Florida. That honor came as a result of the gaudy numbers he posted in his senior season, which included 2,437 rushing yards, 28 touchdowns and several scores on kick and punt returns. He was also a standout cornerback, and was rated as such by Rivals.com. However, Bobby Bowden promised the Jacksonville star that he would play running back in college, despite having two other high-profile backs in the same class (Booker and Thomas Clayton).

It didn't take long for Washington to make his mark at Florida State. At the end of his freshman season, the talented back rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown against the rival Gators. He added another 82 return yards in that game, finishing with 216 all-purpose yards in FSU's 31-14 win. However, his most impressive outing came against West Virginia in the 2005 Gator Bowl, where he ran for 193 yards and boasted a gaudy 16.1 yards-per-carry average.

Despite splitting time with Booker, Washington racked up over 2,000 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns in four seasons. He also posted over 1,300 return yards, giving him 3,866 all-purpose yards during his career. In 2004, Washington earned second-team All-ACC honors.

The New York Jets selected Washington in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He would go on to be named to two Pro Bowls as a kick returner, in 2008 and 2012. For his NFL career, Washington finished with 7,553 kickoff return yards -- with eight returns going for touchdowns, which is tied for the all-time mark in the league. He finished up his career with the Tennessee Titans in 2014. He is currently coaching with the Detroit Lions.

Stovall intended to sign with Florida State out of high school in 2000 but didn't have the necessary grades. After earning a two-year degree from Hinds Community College in Mississippi, he was finally able to sign with with the Seminoles in 2002. He came in as a five-star recruit and SuperPrep's No. 1 overall junior college prospect.

Following a lackluster first season, Stovall was a significant contributor in 2004, starting 12 games with 780 receiving yards and six touchdowns. His efforts earned him second-team All-ACC honors that season. He finished his college career with a bang, racking up 181 receiving yards and a touchdown in FSU's 2004 regular-season finale versus rival Florida.

Stovall was not selected in the 2005 NFL draft but signed a free-agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. He did not make the team.

Platt was probably the most curious member of the Seminoles' 2002 recruiting class, since he was extremely highly rated but just disappeared from the public eye after failing to qualify academically. Coming out of Charlotte High School, the speedy athlete was rated the No. 2 receiver in the country by Rivals.com. During his junior and senior seasons, he amassed over 2,400 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns.

The talented receiver not only failed to make it to FSU, but never played a down of college football.

Outside of Leon Washington, a strong case could be made that the most successful members of the class were all on the defensive side of the football. Those players included Brodrick Bunkley, Buster Davis, Kamerion Wimbley and A.J. Nicholson.

Bunkley was generally regarded as the No. 2-rated defensive lineman in the state of Florida for the 2002 class. The four-star prospect recorded 18.5 sacks for Tampa Chamberlain during his senior season. He signed with the Seminoles over Florida and Miami.

After battling injuries during his first three seasons, Bunkley was a monster for FSU as a senior in 2005, racking up 25 tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hurries and nine sacks. His efforts earned him first-team All-America honors from multiple outlets, including the Football Writers Association of America.

Bunkley was the No. 14 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft, taken by the Philadelphia Eagles. He would go on to have a productive nine-year NFL career, where he played in 130 games.

Davis was a highly regarded linebacker prospect coming out of Daytona Beach Mainland High School. He was on numerous first-team All-America lists, including USA Today. However, his recruitment and early career was filled with drama. Rivals' No. 5-rated inside linebacker waited until 12 days after National Signing day Defore finally deciding on FSU and sending in his Letter of Intent. Then shortly after the 2002 season kicked off, Davis asked for his release in order to transfer to another school.

He eventually settled in to become a productive member of Mickey Andrews' defense, starting 36 games during his four-year career and amassing 265 total tackles.

Davis had his breakout season in 2006, when he finished with 109 tackles and earned first-team All-American (AFCA) and first-team all-ACC honors.

The stocky linebacker was a third-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2007. However, he only made it through a couple of years in the NFL before going on to play two more in the CFL. Davis has since turned to coaching and is currently the defensive coordinator and director of football operations at Willamette University.

Wimbley was a physical freak who quickly climbed up the recruiting rankings. The four-star defensive end committed to Florida State early in the process and enrolled in the spring.

The Kansas native improved steadily throughout his college career. As a senior in 2005, he started 10 games, had 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. His efforts earned him second-team All-ACC honors.

Wimbley really made his mark in the NFL after being drafted No. 13 overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2006. He played in the NFL for nine seasons, accumulating 442 tackles and an impressive 53.5 sacks. Since then, the former Seminole has been successful in the business world.

It was a hot battle between FSU, Tennessee and North Carolina for the nation's No. 3-rated inside linebacker. He eventually decided on the Seminoles just prior to signing day.

Nicholson had a productive college career, starting 27 games and racking up 266 stops with 25.5 for loss. He ended up earning second-team All-ACC honors.

The North Carolina native was drafted in the fifth round by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2006. He played just two games in the NFL before being cut.

It was almost a foregone conclusion that Thomas "Hollywood" Clayton would end up transferring. In addition to joining five-star running backs Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington in the 2002 class, Greg Jones and Nick Maddox were already established in the backfield when he arrived on campus. Clayton appeared in just four games as a freshman before deciding to transfer to Kansas State.

Clayton would end up having a respectable career for the Wildcats, rushing for over 1,000 yards in three seasons. He ended up being a sixth-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2007. However, the former Seminole and Wildcat never saw any significant playing time after bouncing around the league for a few years.

The younger brother of Seminole standout receiver P.K. Sam, Lorne signed with Florida State hoping to play quarterback but was quickly moved to wide receiver. After redshirting in 2002, he barely saw the field and ended up transferring to UTEP before the 2005 season.

Sam was a practice squad member in the NFL for a couple of seasons before playing some in the CFL and arena leagues.

Also, four-star linebacker Nate Hardage, a junior college transfer, and three-star defensive end Darrell Burston made little impact during their FSU careers.

Perhaps the strangest story from the 2002 class was the career of quarterback Wyatt Sexton. The Tallahassee native, and son of running backs coach Billy Sexton, became the starter in 2004 after replacing a struggling Chris Rix. After starting eight games with some solid performances, Sexton was projected to be the starter for the next season.

That all changed in the summer of 2005 when he was found in the streets acting strangely and ended up being hospitalized. His bizarre behavior was eventually attributed to Lyme disease, and he would end up quitting football.

If there was an overachiever from the group, it had to be safety Roger Williams. The Warner Robbins, Ga., native was not among the original signees but was a late addition to the class. The unrated prospect from Northside High School started 29 games at FSU and finished his career with 110 tackles and seven interceptions.

The Seminoles not only took home ACC championships in 2002 and 2003, they finished first in the Atlantic Division in 2005. The strength of this class, and the team overall, was on the defensive side of the ball. This was in large part due to excellent recruiting as Florida State finished with three top-20 defenses between 2002-06.

On the other hand, this class and others around this time fell short on offense. A case can be made that outside of Leon Washington, no other offensive signee from this class made a significant impact in college. And signing just one offensive lineman (Cory Niblock) was a major gaffe by the coaching staff. The Seminoles' offensive shortcomings showed up statistically, with FSU failing to finish in the top 30 in total offense between 2002-06.

Eight players from the 2002 class ended up being taken in the NFL draft, including two first-round selections -- Kamerion Wimbley and Brodrick Bunkley -- in 2006.

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