Florida State loses coveted recruit to rival Florida Gators

The Seminoles miss out on a top target to one of their biggest rivals.
Nov 9, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell watches in the third quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images
Nov 9, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell watches in the third quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

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.

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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Dustin Lewis
DUSTIN LEWIS

Lewis joined NoleGameday in 2016 and is currently in the role of Editor-In-Chief. A graduate of Florida State, Lewis contributes to football, recruiting, and basketball coverage. Connect with Dustin on Twitter at @DustinLewisNG.