Nine Official Visitors Expected In Tallahassee On Final Weekend Prior To Early Signing Period

Florida State's coaching staff will continue to stay busy as we move into the last weekend for schools to host high school prospects from the 2024 class. The Seminoles will be bringing in a variety of prep recruits and transfer targets for official visits during what is an insanely busy stretch with the Early Signing Period and Orange Bowl right around the corner.

As of now, FSU is expected to bring in nine total visitors, including a trio of players out of the portal. The list includes five-star safety KJ Bolden, four-star defensive end Armondo Blount, four-star running back Kam Davis, four-star wide receiver Lawayne McCoy, four-star cornerback Jamari Howard, and four-star offensive tackle Manasse Itete from the high school level.

Former Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, former Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward, and former Georgia outside linebacker Marvin Jones Jr. are all anticipated to be on campus as well. The list could end up shifting throughout the weekend as things are always fluid and ever-changing at this time of year.

This will be Uiagalelei's first visit to a program since entering the transfer portal a couple of weeks ago. Oregon and Mississippi State were rumored to have interest but both schools have since landed transfer quarterbacks. That means the Seminoles are in a good spot to land the experienced signal-caller if they push this weekend. Mike Norvell and his coaching staff have familiarity with Uiagalelei and his potential is tantalizing if it can be tapped.

The former five-star prospect had a bounce-back season at Oregon State after struggling in the final part of his tenure at Clemson. He completed 180/315 passes (57.1%) with 2,638 yards with 22 touchdowns to seven interceptions while also rushing for 219 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

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Ward is another quarterback who is highly regarded in the portal after two standout seasons at Washington State. He's coming off a multi-day visit to rival Miami but the Seminoles will still have an opportunity to make an impression. This recruitment seems to be coming down to Florida State and the Hurricanes. The coaching staff will be able to take a closer look at Ward and Uiagalelei over the weekend.

After beginning his career in the FCS, Ward proved to be a prolific player for the Cougars. He was extremely productive in 2023, completing 323/485 passes (66.6%) for 3,736 yards with 25 touchdowns to seven interceptions. Ward also rushed for 144 yards and eight scores on the ground.

Jones Jr. chose the Bulldogs over the Seminoles during his high school recruitment. After not living up to his five-star billing in Athens and dealing with injuries in the process, he's back on the market and there's the potential of a reunion at Florida State with his ties to the program. There's a need for an experienced edge player with Jared Verse likely moving on to the NFL. Jones Jr. could follow his father's footsteps and live up to what his last name means in Tallahassee.

Bolden has been committed to FSU since August after the Seminoles won out over Georgia, Auburn, and Alabama. The Bulldogs and Tigers are making one final push to flip the top safety in the country ahead of the Early Signing Period. This weekend will be about shutting down the other suitors and locking up their top-ranked pledge in the 2024 class.

Blount was originally committed to Miami in September before flipping to Florida State in October and reclassifying to the 2024 class. Since then, the Hurricanes have continued to stay in his ear and this is another situation where the Seminoles are trying to hold off a late pursuit of a top prospect. The coaching staff has to ensure that he makes it to Tallahassee and shut down Miami's pursuit this weekend.

Davis is Florida State's longest-standing pledge in #Tribe24 after hopping on board over two years ago. He's extremely solid in his commitment and isn't entertaining other suitors down the stretch. Instead, Davis has stepped up as a bellcow of the class, vocally professing for other recruits to join him in garnet and gold. Expect him to be in Bolden and Blount's ear this weekend.

McCoy announced his decision to commit to the Seminoles after an unofficial visit in April. He's a dynamic athlete who has the potential to play on either side of the ball at the next level. As of now, it appears that he'll be beginning his career at wide receiver. McCoy chose Florida State over Miami, UCF, and others. It's expected that he'll sign on December 20.

Howard is one of FSU's most recent commitments after choosing the program over Florida, Maryland, Michigan State, and Rutgers in October. He's regarded as a top-100 prospect and is another piece in a strong defensive back class for the Seminoles. It's anticipated that he'll sign next week and join the team in January.

Itete flipped to Florida State earlier this year after originally choosing USC over the summer. An international recruit, he's only been to Tallahassee once during his recruitment so this weekend will focus on learning more about his future home. Itete has a ton of potential and it should be exciting to watch him develop under the tutelage of Alex Atkins.

Florida State holds the No. 3 recruiting class in the country with 23 verbal commitments.

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