FSU was able to sign its highest-rated linebacker in a while when Izaiya Williams finally stopped his verbal commitment roulette wheel on Florida State (for the second time). Williams had to sit out his senior season with an injury, so there’s certainly risk here, but if he’s able to recapture his pre-injury form, he should find his way onto the field during his freshman campaign. He was a nice victory on the trail for a unit that has severely lacked star power over the past two seasons.
FSU also managed to keep underrated south Florida product Karon Maycock away from the Texas Longhorns. Maycock should be able to help on special teams fairly quickly, and I like his game a lot. Noah LaVallee is also headed to Tallahassee to join his brother Caleb, who should be ready to go in 2026 after losing 2025 to an injury. The younger LaVallee isn’t rated very highly, but you can’t deny his production at the high school level. Daylen Green, a local athlete who flipped to FSU from Arkansas, could factor in at linebacker or safety depending on where he’s needed most.
I like this group of signees well enough. There were other options I liked for FSU who landed elsewhere. It was disappointing that FSU couldn’t get any traction with TJ White (Tennessee Volunteers) and while the staff made a great impression on Xavier Griffin, it couldn’t realistically pull him away from Alabama. DQ Forkpa turned out to be a total headcase that FSU declined to pursue, and Rodney Colton signed with the Colorado Buffaloes.
Grade: B-