2022 College Football Class Review: Florida State

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This is everything we got college recruiting wise for Florida State but don't take our word for it...be sure to click around the site to drive up our traffic. :).

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2022 College Recruiting - 18 Commits

OL Jaylen Early (Duncanville, TX) commits to Florida State  View Class

Early (6-4, 320) continues Florida State's push to improve its porous offensive line through recruiting. He is a big body who should fit in well as a guard at the next level. Early is a natural mauler who enjoys run blocking and brings a good level of nastiness while doing it. He has some athleticism and shows good consistency at getting to the second level. Early is strong at the point of contact as well. He plays high a little too often for my tastes, and his base and leverage suffer for it. A few tweaks here and there will make Early a top candidate for early playing time in Tallahassee.

Jaylen Early's Player Grade: B

OT Daughtry Richardson (Miami, FL) commits to Florida State  View Class

Richardson (6-5, 280) has the talent to play college football at a very high level, but he needs to gain more experience. I believe he could work out as an offensive tackle, but he might be better suited as a guard in the long run. He has good size, length, footwork and athletic ability, but he is very raw and needs to improve his technique. Richardson tends to come off the ball a little high and needs to work on his bend and overall flexibility. If Richardson is going to play tackle in college, his footwork must improve.

Daughtry Richardson's Player Grade: C+

DL Daniel Lyons (Homestead, FL) commits to Florida State  View Class

Lyons (6-4, 270) is a defensive lineman who can move around up front and has been very difficult to block along the interior or on the end in an odd-man front. He is so big, strong and athletic that most high school offensive linemen who compete against him tend to struggle to stay upright. Lyons is a ferocious pass rusher from the interior, and if he has a favorable matchup, he will spend the entire game hunting in the backfield. Lyons has great moves and uses several moves as part of his repertoire.

Daniel Lyons' Player Grade: B

TE Jerrale Powers (Duncanville, TX) commits to Florida State  View Class

Florida State continues to try to address the tight end position with numbers. Powers (6-4, 235) is the sixth tight end or athlete the Seminoles staff is converting to tight end over the past three classes. Powers looks great, possessing a tremendous physique and some physical tools. He has good hands and seems to do a good job in one-on-one situations that favor his skill set. Powers lacks explosion and long speed, which I believe will take away the ability to be a regular flex. My other concern is the lack of blocking film. Powers obviously has the size to be an inline player, but he's going to have to improve his blocking. He is a project with some upside.

Jerrale Powers' Player Grade: C

DL Bishop Thomas (Orlando, FL) commits to Florida State  View Class

Thomas (6-2, 300) played his first years of high school football in New Orleans, at St. Augustine High School, but he has moved to Orlando and will play for Bishop Moore High School as a senior. He has a quick first-step and is violent with his hands. Thomas has the ability to line up at defensive end and come around the corner or set the edge, but he'll likely spend the majority of his snaps on the inside. He is very active with a consistent motor. Thomas plays with effort and intensity. He is relentless in trying to get to the backfield and get to the ball-carrier.

Bishop Thomas' Player Grade: B+

OL Kanaya Charlton (Brunswick, GA) commits to Florida State  View Class

Charlton (6-3, 354) is a big, strong and physical offensive lineman. You can see him use his hands, and he is very violent for a big guy. He will hit a defender and move them backward. Charlton plays with a defined mean streak - he'll finish blocks and he'll get into the occasional shoving match after the whistle. Kanaya gets on a defender and fights with them to the sound of the whistle. He comes off the ball low and has pretty good leverage. He moves well for a big guy, but he's not a super athlete. His weight is a concern; he has dropped some from 365 pounds, and he'll have to continue to show commitment and get down to the 330-pound range.

Kanaya Charlton's Player Grade: C+

OT Qae'shon Sapp (Leesburg, GA) commits to Florida State  View Class

Sapp (6-5, 320) looks massive, and he's a natural right tackle at the next level. When he his mitts on the defender, he can quickly neutralize the rush and end the threat. Sapp is a big, wide-bodied offensive tackle with a good wingspan. He moves well, but he's not as athletic as some of the guys ranked ahead of him and doesn't fire off the snap like I would like to see. Sapp is a little stiff in the lower body. He is a good run blocker, but I would like Sapp to be more of a dominating presence at the point of attack. His footwork is good enough to handle speed rushers off the edge.

Qae'shon Sapp's Player Grade: B

DL Trevion Williams (Crystal Springs, MS) commits to Florida State  View Class

Williams (6-4, 250) was a late addition to the official visitors list at Florida State for that weekend and made a surprise commitment when most pundits had him pegged to go to one of his in-state programs. I've been pretty critical of Florida State's recruiting since Mike Norvell arrived, especially on the defensive front, but Williams looks like a prospect who the Seminoles used to recruit when they were competing for championships. Williams can run, is physical, plays with a purpose, and has the skill set that could eventually turn him into an elite type of player. He's a guy who could start as a freshman in Tallahassee, not just because there's a lack of quality depth, but because he'll be one of the best players on the field.

Trevion Williams' Player Grade: B+

OT Aliou Bah (Bradenton, FL) commits to Florida State  View Class

Florida State continues to try to re-tool its offensive line through both the transfer portal and recruiting. Bah (6-6, 325) is a big athlete who has dropped a lot of weight over the past few months. He has decent movement, but Bah is likely going to have more success at guard in college - at least early in his career. Bah is a little slow out of his stance, and that could lead to struggles against speed rushers. The more reps Bah receives at IMG Academy this season against its difficult schedule will show where the big man has made strides and where he needs more work. Bah came to IMG Academy from Memphis, Tennessee.

Aliou Bah's Player Grade: C+

QB A.J. Duffy (Bradenton, FL) commits to Florida State  View Class

Duffy (6-2, 207) is the second quarterback Florida State has taken in the class, joining Arizona prospect Nicco Marchiol. Marchiol is more of a fringe top-25 quarterback, but Duffy is a legitimate top-10 guy and a big get for Mike Norvell. Originally from California, Duffy will be playing at IMG Academy this season. He has a great deep ball and puts good juice on his passes to deliver them on the money. I would love to see more precision short-medium range passing from Duffy, but I don't know how much of that really fits Norvell's offense anyway.

Florida State's quarterback situation isn't ideal with Jordan Travis likely to be the only player with significant experience going into the 2022 season. I think Duffy is going to quickly overtake the other players at the position and be in a spot to contribute as a true freshman. This is a cornerstone recruit for the Seminoles.

A.J. Duffy's Player Grade: B+

ATH/TE Brian Courtney (Ashburn, VA) commits to Florida State  View Class

The Seminoles were really aggressive with Courtney (6-3, 227) back when he only had offers from Massachusetts, Old Dominion and a couple of FCS programs. I think Virginia came through with an offer since then, but Courtney is still very much an unknown. He plays quarterback in high school, and Florida State is recruiting him as a tight end. I think Courtney's best fit is probably at linebacker if his lateral movement is good. Courtney tests very well and looks strong and fast on film against subpar competition. He is hard to evaluate because he's never played tight end, so there's no suggestion about his hands, his ability to block, or his ability run routes. There is certainly some athleticism there, but many more questions.

Brian Courtney's Player Grade: C

RB/ATH Rodney Hill (Statesboro, GA) commits to Florida State  View Class

Hill (6-0, 187) was originally committed to Virginia. It appears that Florida State is recruiting him as a running back, but Hill holds value as a linebacker or a safety who can play in the box. He is a solid pass catcher, which works in Mike Norvell's diversified offense. Hill also brings some much-needed size and power into the backfield for the Seminoles. Hill has good straight-line speed, and although he is probably more fast than agile, but he shows some cutting ability on film. I don't project Hill as a true No. 1 running back, but he's a guy who can give you some quality snaps in a rotation and as a third-down back.

Rodney Hill's Player Grade: C+

WR Devaughn Mortimer (Fort Lauderdale, FL) commits to Florida State  View Class

Mortimer (5-10, 165) is a speed guy and, arguably, the fastest player in Florida during this recruiting cycle. It's hard to believe a program like Florida State lacks legitimate playmakers, but it does, and Mortimer is the type of player who can provide an immediate upgrade as a playmaker, whether he's playing wide receiver or as a returner on special teams. Mortimer has shown the ability to stretch a defense, and he can be tough to keep up with in one-on-one situations. I don't see him as a guy who can line up on the outside, and he'll have to get stronger to deal with defensive backs who will be physical with him. Florida State seems to have a lot of the slot/gadget types right now, but Mortimer is a better playmaker than the ones currently on the roster.

Devaughn Mortimer's Player Grade: B-

ATH Sam McCall (Lakeland, FL) commits to Florida State  View Class

Florida State has to hit it out the park with its 2022 class, and so far Mike Norvell and his staff are doing an amazing job. McCall (6-2, 185) is one of the major gems in the 2022 class and a top-five player nationally at safety. An amazing athlete, McCall can play safety, cornerback, wide receiver, running back and even quarterback if needed. He wants to be a wide receiver in college, and the Seminoles might be looking at him playing on both sides of the ball at some point in his career.

Most of the programs recruiting McCall had been doing it at defensive back. He committed to Florida last fall, but backed away from his commitment around the start of 2021. As a wide receiver, I think he has the size and athleticism to play on the outside, but he seems to be comfortable in the slot. I wouldn't rule out a return to defense either. McCall is one of the rare players who I believe can contribute on both sides of the ball at the next level. He is an elite player in the 2022 class.

Sam McCall's Player Grade: A

DE Aaron Hester (Neptune Beach, FL) commits to Florida State  View Class

Florida State has an opportunity at a top-10-15 class because of some legacy commitments who will improve the roster and help Mike Norvell's staff with in-state recruiting. Hester is the son of former Seminole Ron Hester, who played for the program in the early '80s.

The younger Hester is a hammer on the edge and has the skills of a natural pass rusher. He is a quick-twitch athlete with good bend who can get around the tackle. Hester has a nose for the sack and is the type of player who will be the focus of an offensive line on third downs. I think he's more suited for stand-up edge rushing than putting his hand in the ground.

Aaron Hester's Player Grade: B

QB Nicco Marchiol (Chandler, AZ) commits to Florida State  View Class

As expected, many of the top-50 quarterback prospects will be coming off the board in the next 30 days. Marchiol (6-2, 210) is the second quarterback prospect from Arizona to commit to Florida State in three seasons, joining Chubba Purdy, who was in the Seminoles' 2020 class.

Marchiol has some interesting natural skills. He gets the ball out of his hands quickly and seems to have a good feel for the pocket. He can move, but I'm not sure if his big runs in high school will translate to college. Marchiol can throw on the run, but he also gets himself in trouble there. He'd be better off sitting for a couple of years, but Florida State's quarterback situation might not allow it.

Nicco Marchiol's Player Grade: B-

Has Decommitted - now committed to Arkansas
WR Quincey McAdoo (Clarendon, AR) commits to Florida State  View Class

Florida State needs a strong recruiting class after finishing 3-6 and landing an unspectacular class in the middle of the ACC. More importantly, head coach Mike Norvell needs to prove he can recruit with the top programs if Florida State is going to really turn things around.

McAdoo (6-3, 175) isn't a top-end receiver in the Class of 2022, but he could be near the back end of the top 25 at the position. He has good size and raw athletic skills, plus he does a good job to adjust to balls in the air. McAdoo doesn't show much beyond being a high-ball tracker right now, but I think he can develop his route running and other technical aspects once he gets into a college program.

Quincey McAdoo's Player Grade: B

QB Chad Mascoe Jr. (Thomasville, GA) commits to Florida State  View Class
Florida State was the first to offer to Mascoe, and the sophomore didn't want to waste much time with his "dream offer". There's an interesting tie here as Mascoe's father, Chad Sr., committed to play at Florida State under Bobby Bowden in the '90s, but did not qualify out of high school and ended up at Central Florida after going through junior college. Chad Jr. is from Thomasville, Georgia but recently transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton. Mascoe is the second commitment for Florida State in the Class of 2022. Chad Mascoe Jr.'s Player Grade: A-

All Commitments - 18

• 8/10 - Jaylen Early OL
• 7/29 - Daughtry Richardson OT
• 7/29 - Daniel Lyons DL
• 7/2 - Jerrale Powers TE
• 6/26 - Bishop Thomas DL
• 6/26 - Kanaya Charlton OL
• 6/26 - Qae'shon Sapp OT
• 6/25 - Trevion Williams DL
• 5/7 - Aliou Bah OT
• 4/28 - A.J. Duffy QB
• 4/15 - Brian Courtney ATH
• 4/10 - Rodney Hill RB
• 3/13 - Devaughn Mortimer WR
• 3/5 - Sam McCall ATH
• 1/31 - Nicco Marchiol QB
• 1/28 - Aaron Hester DE
• 1/10 - Quincey McAdoo WR  -decommitted
• 8/31 - Chad Mascoe Jr. QB

Last Season's Roster:

• Seniors: 0
• Juniors: 0
• Sophmores: 0
• Freshmen: 0

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