Noles News: The Early Signing Period begins in nine days.

FSU football: Early Signing Day 2023 Tracker, Live updates

Right now, FSU’s recruiting class ranks third.

Hiring
Targets and commits alike are swarming Tallahassee with nine days left before college football’s Early Signing Period (December 20) begins, as Florida State attempts to polish the class that is currently ranked third in the country by both On3 and 247Sports:

Top 5 in the 247Sports Composite Rankings

#1: Georgia Bulldogs, with 28 commits, an average score of 93.49, and 315.45 points (5 stars, 19 four stars).

No. 2: 23 commits, 93.06 average, 298.62 points, Ohio State Buckeyes (5 five stars, 13 four stars)

No. 3: Florida State Seminoles, with 23 commitments, an average score of 91.97 and 291.63 points (with 2 five stars and 15 four stars).

No. 4: 20 commits, 92.32 average, 281.23 points, Alabama Crimson Tide (2 five stars, 12 four stars)

No. 5: Miami Hurricanes, 1 five star, 11 four stars, 28 commits, 90.02 average, and 279.21 points

Top 5 in the On3 Industry Rankings

First place: 92.18, 28 commits, Georgia Bulldogs (3 five stars, 19 four stars)

No. 2: 22 commits, 92.00, Ohio State Buckeyes (4 five stars, 12 four stars)

Third place: 90.79, 23 commits, Florida State Seminoles (2 five stars, 13 four stars)

No. 4: 20 commits, 91.60, Alabama Crimson Tide (2 five stars, 12 four stars)

No. 5: 3 five stars, 10 four stars, and 19 commits for the Florida Gators (91.50).

Jaden Rashada, a five-star quarterback, is released by Florida and is free to sign with any team.

Jaden Rashada pledged to Florida after flipping from Miami but now the quarterback prospect is a free agent once again

Multiple reports state that Florida has dismissed five-star quarterback recruit Jaden Rashada from his National Letter of Intent.

With his recruitment officially open, Rashada can now formally sign with another school and be eligible to play in 2023 as a true freshman.

For the California native, the recruiting process has taken a dramatic turn, and this choice is only the latest in it.

Rashada switched allegiance to the Gators in November after having first committed to Miami in June, beating out Florida and LSU, among other finalists.

The relationship between the player and the school quickly worsened when he signed his NLI in November during the early signing period.

Is the NIL transaction at fault?
Recent rumors have stated that a NIL agreement with the school’s collective caused Rashada and Florida’s relationship to fall apart.

Rashada reportedly asked to be released from his letter of intent with the university, according to On3, but the player’s father denied the reports at the time, stating that his son’s official commitment to Florida remained in place.

However, later reports claimed that Rashada thought his NIL deal—which some insiders valued at up to $13 million—would not be honored.

Insiders speculate that Rashada’s favorable rapport with Gators football coach Billy Napier is the reason he didn’t request his release earlier, but that the NIL scenario forced the athlete to reconsider his commitment to Florida.

Implications for Florida
With Rashada most likely out of the starting lineup for the Gators in 2023, Graham Mertz should be ready to officially take over as the team’s starting quarterback in lieu of Anthony Richardson.

Mertz moved this summer from Wisconsin to Florida, where he should have two more years of eligibility.

The former quarterback for the Wisconsin Badgers finished his Big Ten career with 5,405 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions.

Another player on the depth chart is Ohio State transfer Jack Miller, a former four-star prospect. In the Las Vegas Bowl, he started for the first time as a college player for UF, and the Gators offense was unable to muster a score drive.

Three-star recruit Max Brown is another piece Florida has at the position, but as a true freshman this past season, he did not see any game action.

What is Jaden Rashada’s next move?
According to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, Rashada—a unanimous five-star prospect in the 2023 football recruiting class—was rated as the nation’s No. 6 quarterback and No. 29 overall player.

Thus, it should not be too difficult for him to locate a school that is willing to sign him.

The initial contenders for the quarterback position were LSU, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss. Rumors have already suggested that Rashada will pay Colorado a visit.

“[Rashada] has a frame and build that can add ample strength and weight,” stated Chris Singletary, a recruiting analyst for 247Sports, about the athlete.

“Has the agility to elude the rush and buy time to make plays under duress while standing tall in the pocket. Poised and does a good job creating opportunities off the platform,” he said.

Furthermore, Singletary stated that Rashada “gets the ball out quickly, generating power from his lower body to have the ball snap out of his hand.”