Does Florida State have better shot at Leonard Warner than experts thought?

Florida State currently has the No. 5 recruiting class in the country. With 22 commitments, including three five-stars, the Seminoles are again doing the job of bringing in elite talent.

And the Seminoles could add to the haul this week, when four-star linebacker Leonard Warner announces. Out of Snellville (Ga.) Brookwood High School, Warner checks in at 6’4 and 230 pounds. He is rated as the No. 7 inside linebacker, and the No. 176 player nationally. Warner has room to grow, yet has shown good coverage skills in camp settings.

As you can tell from this interview (with highlights) that we did over the summer, Warner is also a bright kid. He wants to study engineering.

Florida State has been seen as a contender, but not the contender for Warner’s commitment. That would be Georgia. But the Bulldogs might be out of space at linebacker, prompting Georgia writer Rusty Mansell to predict him to Florida State. Since then, several experts (including myself) have dogpiled on Mansell’s prediction.

Georgia Tech and Stanford are also seen as contenders, due to their strong engineering programs. It is unknown if Warner has been admitted to Stanford. I do not have any good Stanford sources, but if Warner did indeed get in to Stanford, that would be a school to watch. Prospects rarely turn down Stanford if the Cardinal accepts them.

Florida State will visit Warner once more this week, and it is possible that he will make his decision this week as well. He took his official visit to Florida State on September 10.

FSU currently has two linebacker commitments in JUCO linebacker Adonis Thomas, who enrolled early, and Demarco Artis, a highly coveted three-star from Orlando.

Read more about FSU’s recruiting close here.

The Seminoles have just 22 commitments, with 10 ranked four or five-stars. As currently comprised, the class is very top heavy, with three five-stars in Mississippi running back Cam Akers, Florida defensive end Josh Kaindoh, and Florida cornerback Stanford Samuels.

FSU might be adding to that in a big way, though, with five or six spots left to fill.

The Seminoles are contenders for Marvin Wilson, the No. 1 defensive tackle in the country, out of Houston. They are Alabama’s main competition for Jarez Parks and Henry Ruggs. The Seminoles are also after receiver Devonta Smith. FSU could flip four-star Tennessee safety commitment Maleik Gray, or Georgia four-star defensive end commitment Robert Beal. Florida State is also a strong contender to hold off Florida and Texas A&M for four-star Texas linebacker Levi Jones. The Seminoles are also trying to land Mississippi four-star linebacker Willie Gay, and four-star Georgia linebacker Leonard Warner.