The 2023 recruiting cycle is already in full swing for the Florida State football team, as the Seminoles hosted a large number of recruits in January and many more during the month of March.
FSU has five commitments in place for the '23 class, and the Seminoles would love to make a push with many more during this spring and summer.
With that in mind, we wanted to take a closer look at 10 key targets that FSU needs to impress this spring -- prospects who could make a big difference if the Seminoles could win them over. Or in some cases, win them back over.
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10 TARGETS FSU NEEDS TO IMPRESS THIS SPRING
The Skinny on Baxter; Why FSU needs to impress
Florida State has certainly hosted some good prospects lately, including four-star running back Daylan Smothers. But if there is one back the Seminoles really need to get on campus this spring it would be Baxter. He's a former FSU commit who grew up a fan of the program. He also visited FSU three or four times a year ago but hasn't returned this year so far.
Baxter is a top national talent and arguably the best running back in the state of Florida. He has a great mix of speed and power and would be a huge recruiting battle win for the 'Noles. Baxter has visited Florida, UCF, Miami and Southern Cal, so it's quite imperative for the Seminoles to get him back on campus this spring or early summer to solidify their chances. Baxter hasn't named a leader yet, and my sources say the main reason he visited UM and UF was because he hadn't had a chance for detailed visits there yet.
Baxter did visit FSU for a game last year, and from what I've been told, he is very much sold on what Norvell is doing with the program. But the Seminoles clearly need to get him back on campus, and nothing has been scheduled yet.
The Skinny on Brown; Why FSU needs to impress
The ties between Jalen Brown and FSU are long and strong. He visited FSU at least three times a year ago, and he even gave indications that the 'Noles were the team with the momentum. I also hear FSU's coaches have him very high on their board. However, he hasn't visited the FSU campus this spring. The good news is I believe he will finally make a trip to Tallahassee this weekend, and Brown has indicated he's likely to return for the FSU spring game as well.
Miami seems to be the biggest competition so far, but I expect that to expand over to Georgia, Clemson and Alabama as the spring and summer go on. There is no leader yet in this recruitment. Another positive for FSU is that Brown is close friends with FSU commits Lamont Green Jr. and Chris Parson. WRs coach Ron Dugans has also been on Brown for a while, so having familiarity helps the cause.
