Florida State football State of Recruiting: Guards and centers

Following the announcement that all sporting events have been suspended, the next big decision was that all recruiting activity was also placed on hold until April 15th (it’s now been extended until the end of May). We’ll use this newly enacted dead period to evaluate Florida State’s recruiting position by position. This isn’t meant to be an all-inclusive list; rather, it’s a snapshot of which players we believe are trending with FSU.

In this series, we’ve covered quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end. Today, we’ll take a look at the offensive lineman being recruited at center or guard. The Florida State Seminoles signed two interior offensive lineman last class in Zane Herring and Thomas Schrader. Mike Norvell and offensive line coach Alex Atkins are casting a wide net to help bolster depth. The expectation is that FSU will sign 3-4 interior offensive lineman, which could include a JUCO and/or transfer. TimScribble, CoachAB, and NoleThruandThru break down the interior prospects.

Current commit(s): None

Trending target(s):

Terrence Ferguson. 6’4 300 pound 4* from Peach County High School (Fort Valley, GA). Ferguson was offered last May by the previous staff. He made his way to Tallahassee last month. Ferguson’s big enough that he plays left tackle for his high school team, but he projects as a guard at the college level. Because he sees time at tackle, Ferguson’s footwork is solid. He takes quick steps and doesn’t cross over. He also anchors himself very well against rushing blockers and once he engages his block, the defenders rarely get away. Ferguson has a bit of a mean streak as well and can be a bully on the field. Georgia is seen as the leader by many, but FSU is in the mix:

Jared Wilson. 6’4 325 pound 3* out of West Forsyth High School (Clemmons, NC). Wilson followed up his January offer with a visit to Florida State in March. Wilson is another future college guard playing tackle in high school, primarily at right tackle. Wilson’s underrated as a 3* and would’ve had a chance at a ratings bump if the camp season hadn’t been postponed. Wilson relies primarily on his size/strength to out-leverage defenders. He shows good speed and angles when getting in the open field to block, but he becomes heavy-footed in the trenches at times, relying too much on his upper-body strength. Wilson has FSU in his top-8:

Laurence Seymore. 6’2 290 pound 4* from Miami Central High School (Miami, FL). Seymore was offered by Florida State in January, but has yet to make it on campus. The Miami commit is a bulldozer. When he pulls to clear out a blocking lane, it’s everything you want in a lineman. He’s quick, knows exactly who to block, and levels defenders. His hudl film is pancake block after pancake block. Seymore can hold the point of attack of a block, or pass off a double-team and get downfield for a second-level clear out. He’d make an excellent left guard at the college level. Seymore is likely to stick with Miami unless they struggle again, in which FSU could be poised to make a move:

Jake Slaughter. 6’4 300 pound 3* from Trinity Catholic High School (Ocala, FL). Slaughter was offered last July. He’s visited Tallahassee on four occasions and is considered extremely likely to be in FSU’s class by the recruiting team. Slaughter plays center and guard for his high school team. His snaps are solid and on-target, showing plenty of zip. His film shows he can quickly get out on screens. His highlights demonstrate his football IQ, as he engages the correct defenders on blocks and is aware of the proper space to occupy on pulls and screens. He’ll realistically need a year or two in Florida State’s program before making an impact:

Bryson Estes. 6’3 275 pound 3* from Eagles Landing High School (McDonough, GA). Estes visited FSU in March, but has yet to receive an offer. Estes currently plays guard and right tackle, although in his interview with Tomahawk Nation, he said FSU is specifically looking at him as a center. Estes is a strong run blocker, getting his hands in the proper position on most blocks. He understands the need to keep his hands inside the defender’s shoulder pads to help control his opponent. He drives with his legs and doesn’t rely only on his upper body strength. With an offer, FSU would ascend to his top group (if not the favorite):

Michael Myslinski. 6’3 285 pound 3* out of Bishop Kenny High School (Jacksonville, FL). Myslinksi hasn’t visited FSU, but he received an offer in the last week. Myslinksi plays center and guard in high school. He’s a bully on the playing field, blocking through the echo of the whistle. His legs are constantly driving on his run blocks, allowing him to get the win over defenders. When Myslinkski latches onto a defender, they rarely get free. He’ll need to learn when to release a defender to avoid unnecessary holding calls:

Some other names to keep an eye on for the interior offensive line are Edgar Amaya and Caleb Cook. This list is bound to change as the season progresses.