FSU, Jimbo Fisher best rivals in recruiting— again

Florida State football coach Jimbo Fisher has been a college and arena football player, a graduate assistant, a position coach, a coordinator, and, presently, a head coach. But despite that rich history, he’s truly inexperienced at one facet of the game: losing to his rivals. Since Fisher took over at FSU in 2010, he’s a staggering 13-1 against Florida and Miami. Fisher topping the Gators and ‘Canes in autumn has become a reliable routine— and it’s pretty much the standard in the middle of winter as well.

That’s because, for all his dominance on the football field, Fisher has also regularly routed Florida and Miami on the recruiting trail, too. Under Fisher’s leadership, the Seminoles have now topped both UF and UM in six of eight recruiting cycles, including the last four in a row. Here are the final composite class rankings, since Fisher’s debut:

Over the long haul, that breaks down to the following average ranks, nationally, in final recruiting classes:

• Florida State: 4.75
• Florida: 8.875
• Miami: 17.875

Yes, the ‘Noles have averaged a top-five class for what is approaching a decade under Fisher— and that’s not easy. After all, a big-name program like UF has scrambled to average a top-10 class, while Miami is approaching the outer bounds of the top-20.

How has Fisher pulled this off? Top-end talent.

Get this.

Since 2010, FSU has signed 25 five-star recruits. UF: barely half that, at 13. UM? Five. So, since Fisher has been in Tallahassee, he’s secured more elite talent than the Gators and ‘Canes combined. And he doesn’t appear to be letting up. The Seminoles just inked four five-stars in the 2017 class; you have to back to 2014 and combine both Florida and Miami to find that many five-star signees who played in Gainesville and Miami Gardens.

And typically, as goes recruiting, so go the results on the gridiron.