Florida State football recruiting: FSU offensive snapshot before summer camp

Florida State currently holds commitments from six offensive players, and all are rated three stars by the 247sports composite, a blending of ratings from the four major services. Keep in mind that this early in the process, ratings are very dynamic. Depending on which players it can sign, and which can enroll early, we project Florida State will sign between 12-16 offensive players in this cycle.

QB

Florida State already holds a commitment from QB Deandre Johnson, and continues to pursue both Kai Locksley, of Maryland, and Deondre Francois, a recent transfer to the IMG Academy in Bradenton. I've seen all three players multiple times in person, and think they are three of the better prospects East of the Mississippi, though it should be noted that the QB crop in that area is extremely weak this year. Johnson is a very solid commitment, and FSU will likely land one of the remaining two, with my money on Francois. Francois has a cannon for an arm and a very clean, compact delivery. He's a bit undersized, and has good mobility. But he has had major struggles with accuracy, both in completing passes, and in throwing them so that the receiver can run with it after the catch. If Jimbo Fisher lands Francois, the coaching challenge will be to get Francois to use the right amount of velocity for each pass (not 100MPH all the time), and to try to get him to develop some touch via his fingers. Locksley is taller, with a bigger frame, and is much less refined. He is a project, but one with considerable tools. Fisher likes to evaluate his quarterbacks personally in camp, and that may go a long way in figuring out for which quarterback to press, because at this point it does not seem like FSU is trying to pressure either into committing.

RB

FSU continues to be in great shape at running back, as the Seminoles hold a strong position for four-stars Johnnie Frazier, of North Carolina, and Jacques Patrick, of Orlando. Both are considered top-ten running back recruits nationally. And FSU is still in the picture for four-star RB Jordan Scarlett, and may even get a return visit from Kentucky running back Damien Harris. FSU wants to take two running backs in the 2015 class.

WR

The picture is less clear at receiver. With the commitment of Deon Cain, of Tampa, to Clemson, FSU may be left reaching for another prospect, though it will certainly not give up on Cain. The loss of Cain has a lot of FSU fans frustrated or angry with the recruiting job receivers coach Lawrence Dawsey is doing in Tampa, and it's difficult to disagree with them given the results in the area. It is one thing to lose a player from UF's stronghold to the Gators, but getting beaten by Clemson is another story altogether. And Clemson brought in a group of receivers in the previous class of very similar quality and number to what the Seminoles signed, so early playing time could not reasonably be seen as the deciding factor. With FSU looking to take at least three receivers, and holding only one commitment from slot receiver Nyquan Morgan, the position will be closely watched in the coming camps. FSU may also begin to look more nationally.

TE

With the addition of three-star Georgian Jalen Wilkerson, FSU now has two tight end commitments if you include JUCO player Josh McNeil. I'm told that McNeil's commitment will be honored if his academic qualifications are in order. If they are not, I would expect Florida State to pursue a second tight end in the class if it finds one that is FSU quality.

OL

FSU appears to be in great shape recruiting on the offensive line, poised to follow up 2014's fantastic haul with another talented, sizeable group. I expect FSU to land two of a trio of four-star tackles in Christian Pellage, Abdul Bello and Jalen Merrick. With interior commitments from Cole Minshew and David Robbins, FSU will likely pursue only one more interior player, if any at all, assuming Minshew sticks and does not flip to Georgia. Minshew's teammate Wilkerson (see above) committing to Florida State should bolster FSU's chances of keeping the commitment.