Linebacker signee Leonard Warner can play every down for FSU

Linebacker has long been a position of need in Florida State’s 2017 recruiting class, amplified by the Seminoles recently parting ways with DeMarco Artis. As such, the commitment and subsequent signing of 2017 inside linebacker Leonard Warner of Snellville (Ga.) Brookwood on Wednesday morning is welcome news for FSU.

Warner, a consensus four-star prospect across all the major recruiting outlets, is the No. 8 inside linebacker, No. 17 player from the state of Georgia, and No. 177 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class, fitting in nicely size-wise at 6’4, 226 pounds.

FSU offered Warner a scholarship just over a year ago on January 16th of last year. He participated in Jimbo Fisher Camp last July and took an early official to FSU on September 10th for the Charleston Southern game. Warner may have been drifting away from Florida State over the course of the season, but the FSU staff made sure to keep the ‘Noles in the picture with Jay Graham and Bill Miller visiting Warner’s home on December 1st. Warner took an official visit to Georgia, his longtime favorite, the weekend of December 2nd, but a late charge by the Seminoles landed them the blue-chip linebacker.

Warner’s scholarship list is an impressive one as he has offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Stanford, Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Miami, and Notre Dame among his 23 total FBS offers.

Warner is Florida State’s third inside linebacker in its 2017 recruiting class along with early enrollee Adonis Thomas and legacy DeCalon Brooks.

Included below is our scouting report on Warner, from a high school coach on our staff.

The first thing I like about Warner is that he was a possibility for Stanford. He is a high-IQ football player who can get a defense lined up and process information quickly. Add in that he can run, hit, and cover and you have a pretty good football player. Warner diagnoses the play quickly and fills a hole with his shoulders squared up to stop ball carriers. This is a linebacker who can hold up in space against quicker players but thump running backs in A gap at the same time. Finding a true three down LB is not easy, but that is Warner’s game.

Look for Warner to be a mike linebacker at Florida State as he can easily be the captain of the defense. Warner compares well to Terrance Smith.