Michael Johnson, a defensive back recruit from Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington High school, has committed to Florida State, sources confirmed today. Johnson is unrated as of yet by any of the major services, which is unsurprising given that it is 11 months until next signing day.

Johnson stands 5'10" and weighs 170 pounds. He'll need to keep growing to play safety at the next level, but Johnson definitely has room to do so. Johnson's best attribute is probably his instincts. His highlight film is one clip after another of him making plays (see inside). Johnson doesn't appear to be an elite, but he certainly isn't a scrub, either. There's definitely space on the roster for a defensive back with excellent instincts and good tackling ability. He'll likely be rated as a high three-star recruit. It's also worth noting that if Johnson doesn't win a starting job, he could fill the role of a fifth defensive back.

Tomahawk Nation currently projects that Florida State will take at least five defensive backs in this class. The 'Noles currently have two in Johnson and cornerback Sojourn Shelton.

Johnson is also a teammate of stud linebacker recruit Matthew Thomas and offensive line recruit Denver Kirkland, both of whom are considering the 'Noles.

Here is a recap of Florida State's class:

OFFENSIVE LINE Austin Golson (Tackle)
DEFENSIVE LINE Maquedius Bain (Tackle)
DEFENSIVE LINE Deadrin Senat (Tackle)
DEFENSIVE BACK Sojourn Shelton (Cornerback)
DEFENSIVE BACK Michael Johnson (Corner/Safety)

(h/t: Noles 247)

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Florida State football recruiting just finished a fantastic 2012 recruiting class, but its coaches have been hard at work on the 2013 class for months. It's time to take a look at FSU's recruiting needs for the class of 2013. These are minimum needs. The rest is up to the discretion of the coaches. Things like quality of talent in a given year as compared to the following year (article coming soon on this) are considered by the coaches and are often the explanation for taking more than the needed minimum.

This page will be dynamic to reflect changes in the plan, including position switches. Please remember that this is a very early estimation. It will become more accurate as the time passes.

"Attrition" consists of, but is not limited to: early departures for the NFL, failing out of school, transferring to another school for more playing time, career-ending injuries, disciplinary departures and players electing to end their eligibility to pursue a career in something other than sports. There will be a lot of it this year, as Florida State saw very little following the 2012 class. For a ridiculously exhaustive list of all the potential attrition and position switches, refer to this post.

Quarterback: Jimbo Fisher wants to take a quarterback in every class, and has done so every year since 2008. There is no reason to expect a change here. FSU could technically return five quarterbacks, but realistically, expect attrition of at least one, and perhaps two. Taking a quarterback is a near certainty.

Skill (RB/WR/TE): The minimum here is generally considered to be 20. FSU will technically return 19 here and expect additional attrition of at least four. Thus, a minimum of five skill recruits should be brought on. But within this, a look at specific positions is also needed. FSU need to have at least six running backs, three tight ends and ten receivers. That's something to keep an eye on.

Offensive Line: 15 is the minimum here under most circumstances. FSU will technically return 14, and attrition of three can be expected. Thus, FSU needs to bring in a minimum of four offensive linemen. Also, to balance under and upperclassmen, three of these should be high school recruits.

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Deadrin Senat, a top defensive tackle recruit, has committed to Florida State according to a report from the Naples News. Senat plays for Immokalee (Fla.) High. Senat also holds offers from Georgia Tech, Miami, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. Senat was thought to be a major lean to the Miami Hurricanes, and this is another win for Florida State over Miami.

The 6'1", 311 pound Senat was very impressive at the recent Under Armour combine in Orlando that took place before the Under Armour All-American Game. Senat was unblockable and took home the award given to the top lineman. He also did the same at the U.S. Army All-American combine in San Antonio.

Florida State doesn't offer many players who are outside the mold of what they look for from a height and weight standpoint. But Senat can simply play. He is built a lot like a fire hydrant -- short, squatty, stout, wide and difficult to move. Because of his height, Senat's potential is a bit limited. He's never going to be a five-star recruit or a top-ten pick. But he has all the tools to be an excellent defensive tackle at the college level -- a wide both, good leverage and a lot of strength.

Senat does plan to take visits and explore all of his options. This should be considered a "soft" commitment until further notice.

Senat is also the teammate of top cornerback recruit Mackensie Alexander, who recently committed to Tennessee. Having Senat in the fold will not hurt FSU's chances of landing Alexander.

Senat is Florida State's fourth commitment of the 2013 cycle, joining offensive tackle Austin Golson, defensive tackle Maquedius Bain and cornerback Sojourn Shelton. FSU also has carryover 2012 kicker commitment Roberto Aguayo, who will enroll fully in January.

Inside, find film of Senat and an interview in which he discusses overcoming his mother's death, father's illness, and how he found God with the help of community members.

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FSU wound up with a top recruiting class out of the 2012 cycle. They're ranked as high as 2nd by ESPN and 247Sports, 6th by CBSSports, 8th by Rivals, and 10th by Scout. The large variation here is most likely due to quantity of recruits taken and a team's calculated "score;" the basic formula is the sum total of the quality of each recruit. ESPN and 247 attempt to balance the quality/quantity divide a bit. Needless to say, unless you're the crank hater down the hall who isn't satisfied until FSU gets 5* recruits every cycle at every position -- you've got to be thrilled with the continued elite recruiting performances with CJF at the helm, with 2012 being no exception.

Bama is touted by those sites as having the #1 class (#2 by Scout), and rightfully so. No team besides Texas amassed both quality and quantity this past recruiting cycle. With limited scholarships available, FSU had to reign in the total number of committable offers. Clearly, Alabama - coming off a record 14th national championship - had the upper-hand in recruiting gravitas.

Or did they?

See after the jump how FSU and Alabama went head-to-head in pursuing recruits offered by both schools.

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From Tomahawk Nation's Birmingham contributor Jordan Wilbanks

With all the cameras and autographs and smiles, you could tell Jameis Winston was one of the most highly recruited football players in the country. But you wouldn't have known it by the way he walked in the room to sign his letter of intent to Florida State, or by the way he carried himself throughout the event. He was gracious toward all the people who had obviously meant so much to him, and stopped to embrace each one and give them his appreciation. Behind Winston, the event organizers had hung the jerseys from his all-star games.

By the way his trainer and coach spoke about him, you could tell he had had a significant impact on both of them. Jameis Winston is no dumb jock, and he made that evident today. His coach at Hueytown High School, Matt Scott, spoke to the attendees and said that Jameis was "the most vicious player and the most unselfish player on Fridays I've ever been around."

Scott also said that Jameis never once complained to him about wanting to boost his stats. Hueytown had two running backs that averaged over 6 yards a carry and Jameis was content to spread the ball around or hand it off. Scott beamed with pride as he introduced Jameis to the cameras to put down on paper where he would be playing college football and college baseball.

First, and never taking himself too seriously, Winston thanked everyone, saying "This is one of the biggest days of my life...except for deciding who I'm going to marry."

He did not make a big show of stating very clearly that he would be signing to go to Florida State University, as expected. Putting on the FSU hat, that was handed to him, his infectious smile reflected his statement that he was "ready to get this whole process over".

Winston claimed that he had known he was going to Florida State for a while. When asked about the possibilities of attending Stanford or Alabama, Jameis had this to say

"Alabama is where my whole family wanted me to go, besides my parents. When I went to Alabama, I thought, 'this is where everybody from the state of Alabama goes.' But when I went to Florida State, I knew it was where I belong."

He said that Stanford was tempting, once he got accepted. Now that they are a BCS-contending school in football, and because they have such a good baseball program, he was definitely honored to be accepted. But FSU had been in his heart the whole time.

Concerning FSU, I asked him what goes through his head when he thinks about the future teammates in this signing class.

Shaking his head, he just replied, "Wow! We have a great defense, good running backs, offensive linemen that are very young." Then he almost reminded himself though that he's got to "get in the books and earn his spot". A little taste of humility...perhaps rare for someone his age thrust into the national spotlight.

He was also excited about the friendship between Coach Fisher and Coach Mike Martin, Jr. Because the two coaches and their families are so close, he knows he'll have the opportunity to work out doing both baseball and football at FSU. But the elephant in the room was the looming MLB draft. He laughed and declined to answer a reporter's question about what he'll do if he's taken in the first round.

Winston talked about how Florida State was his girlfriend, and how he had to stay committed to the commitment he made.

"Anywhere I went, I was recruiting"..."God blessed me to come this far, He's gonna bless me to go all the way," said Winston.

I spoke with Matt Scott afterward, and asked him how impressed he was with Fisher and his staff's job recruiting. "Very impressed," he replied. "I told these schools and the coaches coming in, I told them 'You can't come in here with the car salesman deal with this guy." Scott commented on Jameis being "very sharp" and "media savvy", noting how well Winston carries himself.

Jimbo Fisher on QB Jameis Winston: "He brings a lot of things to the table. We think he's one of the great ones out there." "Jameis is a true impact guy."

"He is a better person than he is a player and that's saying a lot." -FSU baseball coach Mike Martin

Winston signs an autograph for a young 'Nole fan.

Florida State signed the top recruit in the country, jumbo (6'4" 290) defensive end Mario Edwards Jr., out of Texas. Here's the Seminole legacy talking about what we've said forever re: the size of defensive ends Jimbo Fisher and Florida State are looking for. "Florida State told me they want big defensive ends. They want me at about 280," said Edwards Jr.

And there's this. MARIO EDWARDS JR. DID A BACKFLIP AT 290 POUNDS. I just saw this kid at Under Armour All-America Game in early January. He had a lot of bad Christmas weight and weighed in at 297 pounds. I can buy that he is now down to 290. Everyone remembers the backflip video at ~265 pounds from 2010, which was just awesome. But Texas fans were quick to claim that he is much bigger now (true), had lost a lot of athleticism (untrue) and would have to move from end to tackle (also, untrue). Does this kid look like he has lost athleticism? Jimbo compared him to NFL Hall-Of-Famer Reggie White, which is the same comparison many of us have made here. So here it is, FSU's new defensive end, without warming up, in street clothes, backflipping at 6'4" and 290 pounds!

Know what I want to see? Edwards get a unsportsmanlike excessive celebration penalty for doing a backflip after a sack. It would be the most awesome penalty since Dexter Carter put the flag on the Miami player's head. This needs to happen. Not in a big game, of course, but I bet the entire coaching staff would love it as well.

Important Note: I put this here because I knew a lot of people would see this article and pass it along to their friends. Diane Andrews, the wife of FSU's legendary defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews, has been diagnosed with stomach cancer. This is terrible news. You don't often hear about the wife of an assistant coach unless they are causing trouble. That was exactly the opposite with Diane Andrews, however, as anyone who has ever met Mrs. Andrews will go out of their way to say that she is a woman of great kindness and class. The Andrews are great 'Noles and even better people. They don't deserve this. Let's get those prayers sent their way.

Florida State took linebacker Reggie Nothrup from Miami on signing day. Here are two videos of/about the commitment. His announcement was creative and fun, but not disrespectful to other schools. I like that. Northrup is a sharp kid, and really handled himself well with the media. I love how he is a champion wrestler, as well, and his highlight film shows it with his great balance:

Northrup talks about his commitment:

Chris Casher showing off his spin move. This kid absolutely loves Florida State. And you know what's scary? He played receiver/tight end in 2009. He started playing defensive end in 2010. He had to sit out 2011 due to Alabama's HS transfer rules. And yet, with just one year at defensive end, he is rated as one of the top 25 prospects in the country. Tall, super long, already 250 and chiseled. Ready to work.

Eddie Goldman talking about his experience at Under Armour.

Jameis Winston talking about, well, himself. He signs today, by the way. It should be FSU barring a huge shocker.

FSU's coaches reacting to some signings:

Higlights of one of the most underrated kids in this class, P.J. Williams

Florida State football recruiting turned in a spectacular effort on National Signing Day. Thanks to Jimbo Fisher and an amazing recruiting staff of coaches, FSU's 2012 recruiting class is one of the best in the entire country, despite only taking 19 players. How did the Seminoles rank so highly despite a lack of scholarships? By not sacrificing on quality even a little bit. the 'Noles targeted the best of the best and won the battles that come with the territory. This class is loaded to the gills with studs, and in all the right places.

Recruiting is all about needs. And we break down the needs by position. So that's how we'll break this down. Please do click on the commitment stories. They offer much more detail than the small blurbs I've set out in this piece.

Defensive Line

Florida State has a dominant defensive line. But with seven seniors, the 'Noles staff knew that if it was going to keep a good thing going in 2013 and 2014, it would need to bring in a great haul of defensive linemen. Mission accomplished.

Florida State secured commitments from four elite defensive linemen. Mario Edwards Jr. is the #1 defensive end in the country, out of Texas, and the son of former Seminole great Mario Edwards. He has incredible athleticism, and today coach Fisher compared him to Reggie White.

Not only were the 'Noles number one at defensive end, but defensive tackle we well, where Florida State signed the top tackle in America, five-star Eddie Goldman. Goldman is extremely strong, and when he plays hard, he is un-blockable. Florida State defensive tackle coach Odell Haggins will sleep well tonight knowing Goldman is in the fold.

It takes an amazing class of defensive linemen to overshadow a four/five-star commitment like Chris Casher, but it seems he is one of the forgotten players in this class. That would be a mistake. Casher is raw, but at 6'5" and 250 pounds with an incredible wingspan, he has All-America written all over him. Most consider Casher to be one of the best five defensive ends in the country.

Oh, and for good measure, FSU went back into Alabama and took nose guard Justin Shanks, another athletic (for his considerble size of 315 pounds) defensive tackle. Shanks is one of the 12 best defensive tackles in the country.

Four gigantic, elite athletes. Amazing.

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Ronald Darby, one of the top cornerback recruits in the country, has committed to the Florida State Seminoles. Darby stars for Potomac (Oxon Hill, Md.) and is one of the top players in the state. He is rated four-stars by most major recruiting services. After decommitting from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the 5'11, 174-pound Darby proceeded to take visits to Florida State and Clemson. Darby has previously visited Notre Dame, Auburn and Maryland. Those four schools, minus Maryland, comprised his final four.

Darby is perhaps the second fastest recruit in this recruiting cycle. The fastest, of course, is Florida State's Marvin Bracy; an Olympic hopeful. Bracy heavily recrutied Darby during the Under Armour All-America Game, and persuaded him to visit Florida State. Florida State's track program is thought to be a major attraction to Darby. None of his other three finalists have an elite track program.

Darby is raw as a corner, but has a lot of ability. He'll be expected to contribute immediately in the return game, as well.

Darby discussed Florida State's track program and the Seminoles' history of success with two-sport athletes.