Florida State football, recruiting news: Dalvin Cook kept off Heisman finalist list

Football

Ted Miller of ESPN places Florida State’s upcoming Orange Bowl matchup under an intriguing - and not entirely incorrect - superlative.

Recruiting Bitterness Bowl: One wonders how collegial things might be between Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher in the Capital One Orange Bowl. First, Fisher was one of the harshest critics of satellite camps over the summer, and Harbaugh loves him some satellite camps in ACC and SEC territories.

Further, Michigan beat Florida State for freshman linebacker Devin Bush Jr. in recruiting the past February, which is notable because Devin Bush Sr. was a former FSU star. Oh, then Harbaugh hired Senior to a position as a defensive analyst a couple weeks after signing day. It also might be worth noting that Senior was head coach at state power Flanagan (Florida) High School, where more than a handful of top recruiting targets play.

With the Heisman finalists announced on Monday evening, FSU RB Dalvin Cook will once again not be present in New York after an exceptional season. Our own Bud Elliott provided some possible reasons for Cook’s lack of an invite. Some ESPN personalities voiced their displeasure with the snub.

Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports dropped the Lee Corso “not so fast” in stating that Alabama should not be deemed the eventual College Football Playoff champs before the CFP has even begun.

Speaking of the CFP, ESPN’s Heather Dinich discusses the fact that, like it or not, the ever-changing committee’s desired attributes are constantly shifting, which in turn creates clarity.

In looking at the teams in this year’s playoff, there’s a common, non-coincidental thing tying three of the four together: their recruiting.

Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports put FSU/Michigan near the top of his ranking of all this year’s bowl matchups.

4. Orange Bowl -- No. 11 Florida State vs. No. 6 Michigan -- Dec. 30, 8 p.m.: I'm sure plenty of people envisioned this matchup as a possible CFP semifinal before the season began. While neither team made it that far, this is still a really exciting pairing. Two powerful programs looking to make a statement heading into 2017.

Recruiting

Corey Evans of Hoop Seen broke down a pair of FSU basketball commits he saw at the recent Kreul Showcase.

FLORIDA STATE HAS MISMATCH OPTIONS GALORE

If you’re a fan of the Florida State basketball program or tend to follow the college basketball side of things a bit, it hasn’t been too difficult to figure out what Leonard Hamilton has come to love in throwing out onto the playing floor. Down low, the Florida State head coach loves agile big man that can protect their own basket but have the lateral skills to guard a ball screen appropriately away from it. In the backcourt, it is more about guards that are strong and tough and bring more size to their position compared to the typical perimeter weapon. At the Kreul Showcase, two signees to the ACC program suited up, both displaying added size for their spot on the floor and ideal mismatch qualities.

Starting off the event, it was Anthony Polite, a 6-foot-6 guard, someone that can play all three spots out on the perimeter, which kicked things off nicely. He is an explosive guard that gets downhill with the basketball with ease and has become much more of a threat via the jumper, causing even more headaches for his opponents. He is blessed with a college ready body, toughness in the lane, is an excellent playmaking skills, all of which should makes the Swiss born guard an immediate producer in Tallahassee next year. Pair him with current Seminole freshmen CJ Walker and Trent Forrest and the trio should thrive under Hamilton’s watch.

To close out of the event, it was Rai’Quan Gray, one of the more interesting evaluations in all of high school basketball, who took to the floor. One look at him in street clothes and you’d think that the Sunshine State native was headed to FSU for football. While Gray is a super strong forward that pummels guys around the basket, it is his passing abilities and feel for the game that really stands out. Sure, the 6-foot-7 forward out of Dillard High will need to get in better shape but his IQ, playmaking skills, and physical agenda on the hardwood will be welcomed immediately next year. His learning curve may be a bit steeper than most on the defensive end but the mismatch that he presents on the floor is much more evident than others, too.

Add it up as Gray and Polite, along with tough-nosed off guard Bryan Trimble, versatile and shot making forward Wyatt Wilkes, and shot blocking connoisseur Ikey Obiagu, each bring valuable traits to the hardwood, giving the Noles a solid 2017 class graced with mismatch options aplenty.

Alumni

Former Seminole Mario Edwards Jr., who has been out since preseason training camp with a hip injury, has returned to practice for the Oakland Raiders.

Other Sports

As part of Tomahawk Nation’s intensive basketball coverage, David Visser and Michael Rogner provided observations and a box score breakdown of FSU’s dominant victory over George Washington.