All recruiting activity has been placed on hold until April 15th. We’ll use this newly enacted dead period to evaluate Florida State’s recruiting position by position. This is not meant to be an all inclusive list, but a snapshot of which players are trending with FSU.
In this series, we have already covered quarterback and running back. Today, we’ll focus on the wide receiver position. For the 2020 class, Florida State signed Bryan Robinson and Kentron Poitier. In addition, Ja’Khi Douglas and Corey Wren will split time between running back and wide receiver. Coach Norvell has roots as a WR coach and takes a strong role with Coach Dugans in setting the WR board and recruiting receivers. Florida State will look to bring in at least three receivers for the 2021 class. NoleThruandThru and TimScribble break it down for you here:
Current commit(s): None
Trending target(s):
Destyn “Fatt” Pazon. 6’0 170 pound 4-star out of Edna Karr High School (New Orleans, LA). Pazon was offered by the Florida State Seminoles in January. He visited FSU for the first time in January and followed up with another visit on March 7th. “Fatt” is a beast at receiver and is nearly impossible to cover on the outside. He is deceptively quick and has a natural feel for getting into open pockets. He has a tendency to use his body a bit too much for catches and isn’t the most athletic, but his strengths far exceed his areas of growth. He will likely be the most polished WR on FSU’s board and safest to project as a very productive player, and would immediately challenge for serious reps in the rotation. He’s a future NFL player:
Joshua Burrell. 6’2 208 pound 3-star from Blythewood High School (Blythewood, SC). Burrell received an offer from Florida State in February. He visited Tallahassee on March 7th. Burrell is a big and bulky receiver and uses that to his advantage on the field, bullying defenders and using his body to shield. He also routinely leaves defenders in his tracks with his speed. The first word that comes to mind when watching Burrell is “dynamic,” and it’s easy to see why he’s one of the top players in the Carolinas. He’s currently underrated and should move up in the rankings:
James BlackStrain. 6’2 180 pound 4-star from Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy (Cocoa, FL). BlackStrain was offered under the previous staff. He visited in March and recently named FSU in his top-10. BlackStrain has great hands and very good body control. He knows how to high-point the catch, using his wing-span (6’5”) and timing to be a true threat in jump-ball situations. He’s an excellent route-runner (a bit reminiscent of Rashad Greene), which frequently allows him to put defenders out of position:
Keon Coleman. 6’4 185 pound 4-star out of Opelousas Catholic School (Opelousas, LA). He recently received an offer from FSU. Coleman is also a star on the hardwood and track, and he uses that athleticism to make an impact on both sides of the ball. He has an ideal frame for WR, standing a legit 6’4” with the ability to add another 25-30 pounds of muscle without losing his athleticism. He can stretch the field and is deceptively fast with his long-striding style. Coleman likely has the highest ceiling of the WR recruits FSU is pursuing, but is raw in some technical areas. He has a tendency to rely too much on his athleticism against weaker competition. However, get this—Coleman caught 35 balls last year, and a staggering 22 went for touchdowns. If he puts it all together, he’ll be in the NFL:
Chauncey Magwood. 6’0 185 pound 3-star from Lee County High School (Leesburg, GA). Magwood received an offer from the Seminoles in February and attended FSU’s March Junior Day. Magwood displays steady hands and above average route-running skills. He profiles as a slot WR and has good burst off the line. He isn’t afraid to get physical or go across the middle for the tough catch:
Ra’heim “Rocket” Sanders. 6’2 210 pound 3-star from Rockledge High School (Rockledge, FL). He received an offer from Florida State in January and visited the ’Noles in March. Sanders is nicknamed “Rocket” for a reason—his highlights show that once he has a step on his defender, they’ll have an excellent view of the back of his jersey, as he pulls away, making them look foolish. While the previous prospects all profile solely as receivers, Sanders is versatile enough to see time in the backfield, as well:
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Coach Norvell and crew did an outstanding job getting these prospects to campus in March, ensuring the garnet and gold was on each of their minds before the recruiting freeze. Top prospects from Louisiana are exceptionally difficult to pull from the LSU Tigers, but Pazon has been a priority for this staff and recently named the Seminoles his top school. FSU will look to land him and a few others from this list, while also looking for other emerging players for the ’21 class.