Florida State loses coveted recruit to rival Florida Gators

The Florida State Seminoles are embroiled in multiple recruiting battles in the early stages of June. Over 50 recruits will be in Tallahassee for official visits throughout the month as the coaching staff tries to add more talent to #Tribe26.
With that being said, FSU isn't going to be able to land everyone on its wish list.
READ MORE: Florida State unveils jersey numbers, measurements for summer newcomers
On Tuesday, four-star safety Kaiden Hall announced he was committing to Florida over Florida State, Alabama, and Oklahoma, among others.
Hall is coming off an official visit to Gainesville last weekend. He was expected to be in town starting on Friday but that trip appears to be unlikely to occur following this development.
The Florida native was one of FSU's top targets in the defensive backfield. He's been a frequent visitor, making five treks to campus since last year. That includes two visits since the calendar flipped to 2025 as Hall was at a junior day in January and returned to watch a spring practice in April.
Now, Hall has gone off the board to one of Florida State's top rivals. The Seminoles will probably continue to recruit him until the Early Signing Period, since anything can happen in this day and age of the sport. However, it'll be no easy task to flip Hall from the Gators.
BREAKING: Four-Star Safety Kaiden Hall has Committed to Florida, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 3, 2025
The 6’3 200 S from Milton, FL chose the Gators over Alabama, Florida State, & Oklahoma
“Building something special for the next few years!! #gogators🐊🐊🐊”https://t.co/RUejPVnxsi pic.twitter.com/Ib2TlBzQO7
As a junior, Hall totaled 32 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one interception.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound defensive back is regarded as the No. 170 overall prospect, the No. 14 S, and the No. 24 recruit in Florida in the 2026 class according to the 247Sports composite ratings.
The Seminoles hold nine verbal commitments in their 2026 class which ranks No. 26 in the country according to 247Sports. Florida State previously landed four-star safety Darryl Bell III, four-star safety Tedarius Hughes, and three-star cornerback Sean Johnson.
Who Is Committed To FSU In The 2026 Class?
Four-Star WR Efrem White
Four-Star WR Darryon Williams
Four-Star DB Darryl Bell III
Four-Star RB Amari Thomas
Four-Star DB Tedarius Hughes
Three-Star DB Sean Johnson
Three-Star LB Karon Maycock
Three-Star OL Michael Ionata
Three-Star OL Xavier Payne
Who Does Florida State Have In The Defensive Backfield For The 2025 Season?
Redshirt Senior Shyheim Brown
Redshirt Senior Jeremiah Wilson
Redshirt Junior Earl Little Jr.
Redshirt Junior Ashlynd Barker
Redshirt Junior Christian White
Junior Conrad Hussey
Junior Quindarrius Jones
Junior Donny Hiebert
Redshirt Sophomore Edwin Joseph
Redshirt Sophomore KJ Kirkland
Redshirt Sophomore Ja'Bril Rwls
Redshirt Freshman Charles Lester III
Redshirt Freshman Ricky Knight III
Redshirt Freshman Cai Bates
Redshirt Freshman Jamari Howard
Redshirt Freshman Jarvis Boatwright
True Freshman Gregory Xavier Thomas
True Freshman Shamar Arnoux
True Freshman Max Redmon
True Freshman Antonio Cromartie Jr.
READ MORE: Coveted recruiting target has disappointing news for Florida State football
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