When Josh Ball, the No. 5 player in Virginia, committed to Florida State on June 5, 2015, he became the second top-five player from that state to forego offers from both VA ACC schools and opt for FSU (the other being Levonta Taylor, the state's top player). Ball had plenty of other opportunities as well, including offers from Miami, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Iowa, among others. NC State also pursued Ball heavily, and he took an official to Raleigh before reaffirming his commitment to the 'Noles following a trip to Tallahassee. Ball also visited Auburn, West Virginia, UVA, South Carolina, and Penn State.
Ball is a product of Fredericksburg's Stafford Senior High School and is a four-star prospect according to all four of the major recruiting services. He's the No. 19 offensive tackle prospect in the country, and at 6'7, 297 and 17 years old, will have the opportunity to add some good weight in FSU's strength and conditioning program after being recruited to the Seminoles by OL coach Rick Trickett.
Ball's best attribute is size. Ball can use his length to keep defenders away from his body and control them in the run game and pass game. When Ball gets his hands on an opponent, it's pretty much game over. What he has to work on is actually getting his hands on them, through work in the strength and conditioning program to improve his foot quickness and lateral agility. Some work on his stance could also result in a more explosive result at the point of attack.
Ball does not project as an immediate contributor, but it is possible that he could contribute and perhaps even start before he is an upperclassman, especially if left tackle Rod Johnson declares early for the NFL after the 2016 season.
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