Closes classes strong was Bobby Bowden’s thing at Florida State. Jimbo Fisher did it, landing several of its top targets on National Signing Day to shoot up the rankings.
Florida State football recruiting 2013: National Signing Day recap
Florida State’s signing day and finish to recruiting pushed them up into the elite level of recruiting, as they landed a pair of five stars on top of what was already shaping up to be a decent group.
Mike Ehrmann
With their class now complete, Florida State is a universal top-15 class: they even slipped into the top ten in some rankings, with ESPN and 247 putting the Seminoles at No. 9. Rivals is a bit lower at No. 11, and Scout rounds out the rankings at No. 14.
SB Nation said that the ‘Noles needed a five-star to secure a “Bowden-esque” finish to the class, and sure enough, the Seminoles had an awesome National Signing Day to thank for their high rankings. Coming into Wednesday, they didn’t have any five-star players in their class. Now, they have two: Jalen Ramsey became one of many players to leave USC, and the Seminoles were the ones who took advantage, getting him to sign. And five-star linebacker Matthew Thomas was between the ‘Noles and Miami, but chose FSU.Throw in four-star defensive tackle Keith Bryant, and their class was suddenly elite.
Bud Elliott’s grade:
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Top three players:
With a reported 4.54 40 and a 40-inch vertical jump, Ramsey has the athleticism to be a great cover corner. In addition to his physical attributes, he also has great ball skills, is a hard hitter, and could be a playmaker for the Seminoles. He uses solid tackling form and looks to have been well-coached. Definitely a player that could step in and contribute right away for Florida State
One of the most sought after prospects in the entire nation in 2013...a consensus five-star recruit who is also a consensus top 15 national prospect...ESPN has Thomas No. 6 in the ESPN150, he is 14th in the Top247 and 15th in the Rivals 100... US Army All-American...
Green stands 5’10 and weighs in at 190 pounds. That’s significantly bigger than he was as a sophomore or junior, and having seen the bigger Green several times, I can verify that he moves quite well with the new muscle. It’s that movement that makes Green a special player. You’ll see it in the highlight film later in the article. He’s very fast, but what really makes him a special back is his acceleration. He has a good first step, but with his second step he created this phenomenal burst that you really have to see to believe. Green also doesn’t waste a lot of time dancing. He gets upfield in a hurry. Green is also a true weapon in the passing game.
Top three rival classes: Florida outdid themselves, beating the Seminoles in Florida for a top five class. Miami went up against Florida State for a bunch of recruits after taking away offensive coordinator James Coley, and won a few, but ended up with a less highly touted class. Clemson was the biggest worry in the ACC, but Florida State ended up slightly ahead in most rankings after a strong start for the Tigers turned into a weak finish.
Biggest National Signing Day drama: There were an awful lot of big names up for grabs on signing day, and FSU landed fearsome linebacker Matthew Thomas, USC decommit Jalen Ramsey, and four-star defensive tackle Kevin Bryant - watch how he committed in the .GIF in that video, trust us. They had a few losses, like Stacy Coley, but the good probably outweighs the bad.
Notes from SB Nation blogs:
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