Breaking News: Five-star recruit locks in official to FSU Football shortly after USC decommitment
The Seminoles are trending in the right direction for one of the top recruits in the country.
Florida State is still looking for a signature win on the recruiting trail in the 2026 cycle. Entering the midpoint of May, the Seminoles sit outside of the top 20 in the class ranking.
The coaching staff will have a chance to change that this summer following a stacked slate of official visits over the next six weeks. Regardless, they need an elite recruit to build #Tribe26 around and one of their top options is showing mutual interest.
On Wednesday, five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin locked in an official visit to Florida State minutes after backing off his longtime commitment to USC. As it stands, the Seminoles will get the final chance to make an impression on the top prospect from June 15-17.
Griffin will also check out Ohio State, Alabama, and Texas in the near future.
The Georgia native has already been in Tallahassee twice this year. He attended a junior day in January and returned for legacy weekend in March. The Seminoles are in a solid position ahead of his official visit but will have to beat out some heavy hitters for Griffin’s services.
Griffin is coming off a junior season at Gainesville High School where he totaled 43 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, six sacks, and a forced fumble. He recorded 6+ tackles in five games, including a season-high eight tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks in a loss to Carrollton High School on October 13.
Landing a prospect of Griffin’s stature would provide a serious jolt of momentum for Florida State.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound linebacker is regarded as the No. 8 overall prospect, the No. 1 LB, and the No. 1 recruit in Georgia in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.
Florida State holds nine verbal commitments in its 2026 class which ranks No. 22 in the country. The Seminoles previously landed three-star linebacker Karon Maycock.
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 At Linebacker For The 2025 Season?
Redshirt Senior Stefon Thompson
Senior Elijah Herring
Redshirt Junior Omar Graham Jr.
Redshirt Junior AJ Cottrill
Junior Blake Nichelson
Junior Justin Cryer
Redshirt Sophomore Caleb LaVallee
Redshirt Sophomore Brandon Torres
Redshirt Freshman Jayden Parrish
Redshirt Freshman Gav Holman
True Freshman Ethan Pritchard
