Florida State football, recruiting news: Does FSU have top-five talent?

Recruiting:

With the ink still drying on the letters for the 2018 recruiting class, it is time for speculation about the team with the best chance to hoist the National Championship Trophy next January.

CBS Sports and 247 Sports ranked Florida State fourth in overall talent for 2018 based strictly on star ratings. The chart averaged 247 recruiting class rankings from 2014 through 2018.

During that five-year span, the Seminoles classes ranked 4, 3, 2, 6 and 11 respectively. The only teams ahead of the ’Noles are Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia.

Football:

The hype around Derwin James is building. The NFL Scouting Combine is just weeks away, and James’ athleticism may put him in the top five picks in this year’s draft, one executive told Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com.

Other Sports:

The FSU basketball team rallied from 18 down last night to upset No. 11 Clemson 81-79 in overtime at home. The win pushed the ’Noles back to .500 in ACC play (7-7) and put an end to their two-game skid. Read Michael Rogner’s recap here.

Looking ahead to the 2019 class, Florida State offered Terry Armstrong out of Scottsdale (Az.) Bella Vista Prep. Armstrong is a four-star 6’6” shooting guard and the No. 67 overall player in the nation.

Alumni:

After 18 years with the Oakland Raiders, former Florida State kicker Sebastian Janikowski will part ways with the team, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. During his time as a Seminole, Janikowski won the Lou Groza Award in 1998 and again in 1999 and was an All-Pro both years. And after being released by the New York Giants, former FSU offensive lineman Bobby Hart has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Other News:

Willie Taggart celebrated Valentine’s Day and his wife Taneshia’s birthday yesterday. After a fervent two months of recruiting, Taggart and his wife have certainly earned a day of celebration.