If FSU lands Taggart, 'Noles would send shockwaves in recruiting

As Florida State's football program sits in limbo between former head coach Jimbo Fisher and the naming of his replacement, the fallout on the recruiting trail is hitting epic proportions.

The Seminoles have lost seven commitments from the Class of 2018 and now see their once-promising class ranked No. 40 in Rivals' national rankings.

Rivals national recruiting director Mike Farrell said no one should be surprised that the Seminoles are taking a hit in recruiting. That happens nearly every time a major college program goes through a coaching change.

This big of a hit, however, is extraordinary. Other than during a major scandal, Farrell said he couldn't remember a program like FSU losing nearly half of its class in one fell swoop.

"It’s common to lose a recruit or two, but this rash of de-commitments is a bit rare," Farrell said. "I think it comes down to the uncertainty surrounding Jimbo’s status as head coach and the added week to a dismal season where he could leave everyone hanging a bit longer than usual. ...

“I haven’t seen a drop like that in a while, if at all. That’s a free fall of sorts, and usually only happens when there is some sort of scandal involved. I think Penn State fell pretty far when they got hammered [in the Jerry Sandusky scandal], but that would be the only sort of free fall I could compare this to."

Depending on what happens in the next few days, however, all might not be lost for Florida State.

If the Seminoles are able to land leading candidate Willie Taggart, who is believed to be in negotiations with FSU officials, high school coaches in the state say the 'Noles will be able to make up ground quickly.

Taggart, who is finishing his first season as head coach at Oregon, is a Florida native who has recruited the state for years. He also could bring with him assistant coaches who have deep ties to the state, including Mario Cristobal and Jim Leavitt.

"I think he would be an incredible hire," said Yusuf Shakir, who is a former head coach at Tallahassee's Lincoln High School and the current head coach at Bradenton Manatee, Taggart's alma mater. "It would be groundbreaking when you consider how much the kids love him in this state. I can only speak for me, but I know all my kids really love the guy because he's genuine, straightforward. He's not trying to sell you a dream. He's a guy you always want to be around."

Shakir said he has had experience with Taggart through every stop along Taggart's career, including stints at Western Kentucky, Stanford, USF and Oregon.

"He's the same guy no matter where you go," Shakir said. "Kids connect with him because of how genuine he is. They all love that about Willie."

Landing Taggart could be especially fruitful this year, considering he went head-to-head with the Seminoles on several top prospects.

Four-star defensive back Isaiah Bolden and four-star receiver Warren Thompson are both committed to Oregon, but they originally listed FSU as their "dream school." Oregon currently has the nation's No. 6-ranked class with 24 commitments, compared to 11 for Florida State.

If Taggart were to switch, the Seminoles also could make a push for Oregon linebacker commit Andrew Johnson, who is a cousin of FSU defensive end Jalen Wilkerson. Johnson was an FSU fan growing up and is a three-star recruit, but the Seminoles didn't push for him early in the recruiting process.

Even without those connections, high school coaches say Taggart would be a home run hire when it comes to recruiting and developing talent.