As first reported by NoleInsider.com (Florida State's ESPN Affiliate and current home of BushidoNole), Tavaris Barnes committed to Florida State.  

via CollegeFootballNews.com

Who?  Barnes stands 6' 4.5" and weighs in at 250-260 lbs (depending on who you ask).  He ran a 4.70 40 yard dash at the Jacksonville Camp in January.  Barnes also registered a 4.31 Shuttle run and a 7.53 three cone drill (impressive numbers for a man his size).  He really wowed the scouts with his athleticism at the camp with a 32" vertical leap.  Those scores were the best of the defensive linemen group, which included elite prospects Tavadis Glenn and Louis Nix.

Barnes also looked unstoppable during the one-on-one drills, using a variety of moves to blow past offensive linemen. He displayed advanced use of his hands, good footwork and strength. More good news about Barnes: He has a frame to get bigger than he already is, which should give him some versatility at the college level.  Source:  

ESPN

Despite his great combine work, Barnes is considered a very raw prospect and at this point is much more an athlete than football player.   He will benefit from the excellent defensive line coaching provided by FSU Defensive Tackle's coach O'Dell Haggins.  Haggins' specialty is taking athletic defensive tackles and turning them into NFL Millionaires.

Our resident football coach Oline01075 had this to say after watching Barnes  "He plays high as S***, and gets no extension with his arms.  Squeezes well when play is away or against a down block.  Jesus, he has an elite 1st step.  Wow.  When he plays low he really flashes." 

Barnes comes from Jacksonville First Coast High School, where current 'Noles Jermaine Thomas, Avis Commack, and Nigel Carr also played for Buccaneer's coach Marty Carr.  Florida State WIde Receiver's coach Lawrence Dawsey has a great connection with the school.  First Coast should continue to produce quality prospects for some time and FSU is in good position with the Bucs.  It's also important to note that none of the three current First Coast 'Noles had any discipline problems.  No doubt his friends played a role in his choice.

Barnes was heavily pursued by North Carolina (a school that knows defensive linemen under Butch Davis and Jon Blake) as well as Florida.  He actually tried to commit to UF in early May, but they refused his commitment because they wanted to see him play more on the field.  Barnes subsequently dropped the Gators.  

Continue reading for more on Tavaris! 

Barnes is unrated by ESPN.COM and Rivals.com.  That should change soon, however, as both services revise their rankings.  Barnes will probably be a high 3* or low 4* prospect based off his film.

Intelligence:  Banres sports a 3.3 GPA and could probably complete his SAT with a crayon and still qualify.  

Versatility:  Barnes will likely be able to play multiple positions for the 'Noles, bouncing between defensive tackle and end.  

You can see Barnes at FSU's Seminole Showtime camp, July 18th in Tallahassee!  Be there to see the former, current, and future 'Nole greats!

Make sure to check the TomahawkNation.com Recruiting Board to stay current with all the 'Nole's current targets!

GO NOLES!!

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