Sting Factor: Gabriel Harris decommits from Florida State
When a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment, we assign a score from 1 to 10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
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THE STORYLINE
Gabriel Harris lives close to Tallahassee, he grew up a Florida State fan and in February the 2023 defensive end committed to the Seminoles.
It was a big early pledge for coach Mike Norvell and his coaching staff, but on Tuesday the four-star defensive end who had a big sophomore season backed off his pledge.
The Thomasville (Ga.) Thomas County Central standout said on social media that he will still consider Florida State (and that should be a good sign since he’s so closely followed the program), but that he’s open to all programs.
Florida State had a big early win in the 2023 recruiting class but he’s back on the market. The Seminoles are not out of Harris’ recruitment but they will need to work hard to get him back in the class.
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LOCAL REACTION
The Sting Factor here is as high as it is because of the talent Harris has as a pass rusher. There are going to be some big boys, like Ohio State, pushing for him. But on the other hand, he essentially lives in Tallahassee and even trains there. My feeling is he wants to see how the FSU product looks on the field, especially with so many teams getting involved. Still, it's tough news for FSU after what has seen like a positive week with how other visits have gone. - Michael Langston, Warchant.com
Sting Factor: 7
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NATIONAL REACTION
This one hurts because Harris grew up a big Florida State fan and he lives less than an hour from campus, so the Seminoles need to win these recruiting battles in their own backyard if they’re going to become national contenders again. But there is a good chance Harris still ends up in Florida State’s 2023 recruiting class. The big, talented defensive end already has more than a dozen offers, and it wouldn’t be surprising if many more come through the summer and the fall, but the Seminoles are still going to play a very big role in his recruitment. It would have been very nice if FSU locked him up and Harris did not look around, but that’s not going to be the reality in a recruiting cycle where every kid across the country is taking visits during the month of June after the COVID lockdown. Florida State was the dream school and if the Seminoles look like they’re going in the right direction this season that could be a major selling point in getting Harris back in the 2023 recruiting class. - Adam Gorney, Rivals National Recruiting Director
Sting Factor: 5