The amount of composite blue-chip prep prospects signed by FSU, per class…(bold note a composite grade of 91.0+
2020: 0
2021: 4 (DL Shambre Jackson, Edge Patrick Payton, OL Rod Orr Jr., Edge George Wilson)
2022: 3 (OL Julian Armella, OL Qae’Shon Sapp, OL Jaylen Early)
2023: 3 (OL Lucas Simmons, DL KJ Sampson, Edge Lamont Green Jr.)
2024: 3 (OL Jonathan Daniels, EDGE Amaree Williams, DL DD Holmes)
2025: 6 (DL Kevin Wynn, EDGE L A Jessie Harrold, EDGE Tylon Lee, EDGE Darryll Desir, OL Mario Nash Jr., OL Chastan Brown)
So, 19 blue-chip trench players over the span of six cycles with this past one carrying nearly ⅓ of the additions. Of the 19, nine have been above a 91 composite grade and only one had a grade over a 95.
Basically, you haven’t consistently secured top-end clay to mold. And then the clay you have attained hasn’t been molded particularly well. Payton is the only multi-year starter among this group.
FSU successfully supplemented these misses in the transfer market for a while, but the teams entering the market went up and the number of All-Conference difference makers did not.