Recruiting Roundtable: Is Miami threatening FSU's reign as state's best?
There's very little question that Florida State has dominated the state of Florida in recent years -- both on the recruiting front and on the field. But after FSU's 1-2 start to the 2017 season and given Miami's hot start in recruiting, we assembled a panel of experts to discuss the importance of Saturday's rivalry game between the Seminoles and Hurricanes.
This Recruiting Roundtable is comprised of Rivals national recruiting director Mike Farrell, state of Florida recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy, and Warchant recruiting analyst Michael Langston. They are answering a series of questions about the game and the rival programs.
Q: Right now, Miami ranks No. 2 in the Rivals recruiting rankings, and FSU is at No. 7. How do you think FSU’s struggles on the field could impact recruiting if they continue. Also, what would an eighth straight win over Miami do for the Seminoles' recruiting efforts?
Mike Farrell: A win over Miami would "right the ship" so to speak, because it has been a disastrous start so far. Honestly, this team doesn’t look like it’s loaded with 4 and 5 stars, and they need a spark from somewhere. A big win over a hot Miami team would be huge for in-state recruiting and for recruiting overall. FSU will always have the interest from top recruits, but sometimes on-field success is the biggest difference-maker for a program, so they need to go from a cold team to a hot team with a win over Miami.
Rob Cassidy: A win over Miami is status quo, so I’m not sure that’s going to change much. I don’t think a slew of Miami commits will jump ship based on the results of one game. A loss, however, will help the Hurricanes continue their momentum in the state, which is obviously not great for FSU. That’s all to say that, when it comes to recruiting, FSU has more to lose in this game than the Hurricanes. A Miami win would be another step toward establishing itself as the state’s top recruiting power, which is a title it has not held in years.
Michael Langston: This is probably one of the first years I can remember that this is a must-win for the Seminoles and the one season where this is legitimate concern on winning this game. The Hurricanes are undefeated, and to be frank look better on the field so far this season. And when you add into that the fact that Miami has done very well on the recruiting front since the start of the year, it's clear in my opinion that the 'Noles need this win more than Miami. Now, if FSU gets that win, it would show that the 'Noles are still the dominant program in the state. This type of win would immediately give FSU a major spark and help the Seminoles immensely in South Florida recruiting.
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