Florida State's 2016 football recruiting class
Florida State Lands Top Ranked Signing Class
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida State football program signed 18 recruits on Wednesday during National Signing Day that, along with the seven early enrollees already on campus, helped the Seminoles earn its fifth Top 3 finish in the recruiting rankings in Jimbo Fisher’s seven seasons.
Florida State’s 2016 class ranks No. 2 in the country according to Rivals.com. According to Rivals, the 19 four- and five-star recruits for Florida State are two more than the second most in the nation (Ohio State).
Sixteen of Wednesday’s 18 signees are high-school seniors, while offensive linemen Landon Dickerson and Mike Arnold have already graduated.
The class also features 13 Under Armour All-Americans and four U.S. Army All-Americans.
Among the 25-man signing class are 13 players from Florida and nine other states. The position splits are 12 defensive, 11 offensive, and two specialists.
2016 FLORIDA STATE FOOTBALL SIGNING DAY ROSTER
EARLY ENROLLEES
Name Ht Wt Pos Hometown (HS/Previous School)
Ricky Aguayo 6-1 201 K Mascotte, Fla. (IMG Academy)
Walvenski Aime 6-4 300 DT Boynton Beach, Fla. (Fort Scott C.C. [KS])
Andrew Boselli 6-4 313 OL Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (Episcopal)
Josh Brown 6-2 207 LB Charlotte, N.C. (Mallard Creek)
Malik Henry 6-3 184 QB Inglewood, Calif. (Long Beach Poly)
Janarius Robinson 6-5 249 DE Panama City, Fla. (Bay)
Cedric Wood 6-3 303 DT Tallahassee, Fla. (Godby)
SIGNEES (Wednesday, Feb. 3)
Name Ht Wt Pos Hometown (HS/Previous School)
Mike Arnold 6-4 349 OL Winter Haven, Fla. (Milford Academy)
Josh Ball 6-8 311 OL Fredericksburg, Va. (Stafford)
Carlos Becker, III 6-2 183 CB Kissimmee, Fla. (Osceola)
Brian Burns 6-5 222 DE Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (American Heritage)
Landon Dickerson 6-5 315 OL Hickory, N.C. (South Caldwell)
Keith Gavin 6-3 219 WR Crawfordville, Fla. (Wakulla)
Dontavious Jackson 6-2 252 LB Houston, Texas (Alief Elsik)
Baveon Johnson 6-3 346 C Lakeland, Fla. (Lake Gibson)
Keion Joyner 6-3 230 LB Havelock, N.C. (Havelock)
Shavar Manuel 6-4 289 DT Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy)
Kyle Meyers 6-0 167 DB New Orleans, La. (Holy Cross)
Gabe Nabers 6-3 243 FB Hahira, Ga. (Lowndes)
Amir Rasul 5-10 203 RB Miami, Fla. (Coral Gables)
Emmett Rice 6-2 186 LB Miami Gardens, Fla. (Norland)
Levonta Taylor 5-10 175 CB Virginia Beach, Va. (Ocean Lakes)
Logan Tyler 6-0 197 K Nixa, Mo. (Nixa)
Naseir Upshur 6-2 245 TE Philadelphia, Pa. (Imhotep Institute)
Jauan Williams 6-6 296 OL Cheltenham, Md. (Archbishop Carroll)
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EARLY ENROLLEES BIOS
(all early enrollees listed in alphabetical order)
Ricky Aguayo
K, 6-1, 201
Mascotte, Fla./IMG Academy
A consensus three-star prospect who enrolled in January and is expected to participate in spring practice…competed for Team Highlight in the Under Armour All-America Game where he converted 23-yard and 29-yard field goals and all three of his extra point attempts...will look to continue the successful legacy left by his older brother, Roberto Aguayo, who was a three-time All-American and won the 2013 Lou Groza Award...named Special Teams MVP after leading IMG Academy to a 9-0 regular season mark and a No. 4 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25 Expert Rankings…nailed 41 PATs and three field goals and had 35 touchbacks in 57 kickoffs during his senior season…rated a five-star and the No. 3 kicker in the nation by Kohl’s Kicking, who said he “has the frame and look of a big-time kicker”…ranked the nation’s No. 4 kicker by ESPN and Scout…attended Montverde Academy before IMG where he was a teammate of current Seminole offensive tackle Abdul Bello…finished third in the kickoff competition at the 2015 Kohl’s National Invitational Scholarship Camp.
Walvenski Aime
DT, 6-4, 300
Boynton Beach, Fla./ Olympic Heights Community (Fla.) /Fort Scott C.C. (KS)
Physically imposing four-star defensive tackle prospect who spent two seasons at Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College...enrolled at Florida State in January after signing his national letter of intent in December and is expected to participate in spring practice…rated as the No. 3 junior college defensive tackle prospect and the No. 30 JUCO player overall by ESPN…dominated in 2015, totaling 41 tackles, five TFLs and two sacks at Fort Scott...had 11 tackles in three games in 2014 before an injury ended his season...joins current offensive lineman Kareem Are as Fort Scott products…collected four-star ratings from ESPN and Scout and three-star rankings from Rivals…attended Boca Raton Olympic Heights High School…chose Florida State over offers from Alabama, Miami, and Auburn among others.
Andrew Boselli
OL, 6-4, 313
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Episcopal
Consensus three-star offensive line prospect who committed to Florida State in April 2015… enrolled in January and is expected to participate in spring practice...son of former Jacksonville Jaguars star offensive tackle Tony Boselli…has made a name for himself with a standout prep career first at the Providence School before playing at the Episcopal School...collected Class 3A First Team All-State honors in 2015 after nabbing second-team accolades in 2014…tough, hard-nosed and versatile offensive lineman who is expected to play guard or center for the Noles…rated one of the Top 100 players in Florida by 247Sports (No. 68) and ESPN (No. 84)…tabbed one of the nation’s Top 50 offensive guard prospects by Scout, ESPN and 247Sports, including No. 26 by 247…chose FSU over LSU, Duke and Miami among several offers.
Josh Brown
LB, 6-2, 207
Charlotte, N.C./Mallard Creek
Athletic prospect with the ability to play as a linebacker or a rush end…consensus four-star outside linebacker who enrolled in January and is expected to participate in spring practice after leading Mallard Creek High School to a third consecutive North Carolina Class 4A State Championship in 2015...totaled 130 tackles, 14 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, an interception and 12 quarterback hurries as a senior in 2015…named 2015 defensive player of the year by the Charlotte Observer…played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January (2016)...had three tackles, a TFL, a forced fumble and pass breakup for Team East…named to the Associated Press First Team All-State team in 2014 and 2015…ranked among the nation’s Top 20 at his position by ESPN (No. 19) Rivals (No. 10) …chose FSU over several offers, including Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina.
Malik Henry
QB, 6-3, 184
Inglewood, Calif./Long Beach Poly
One of the top passers in the 2016 class, committed to the Seminoles in November 2014 and never wavered…enrolled in January and is expected to participate in spring practice…a consensus four-star recruit that is rated as one of the nation’s Top 60 prospects by ESPN and Rivals...coming off an outstanding performance in the Under Armour All-America Game in January (2016) where he completed 9-of-12 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns while leading Team Highlight to a 27-0 victory...played his sophomore and junior years at Westlake Oaks Christian (Calif.) before finishing his prep career at Long Beach Poly in the fall of 2015...threw for 1,410 yards, 16 touchdowns and just one interception over seven games during his senior year…tabbed the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the nation, No. 1 player from California and No. 17 overall prospect by ESPN…rated the nation’s No. 2 dual-threat signal-caller, No. 7 player in California and No. 34 overall recruit by Rivals…competed in Nike’s Elite 11 quarterback camp in the summer of 2015, coached by former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer… chose Florida State over several offers, including Southern Cal, Arizona State, and UCLA.
Janarius Robinson
DE, 6-5, 249
Panama City, Fla./Bay
Explosive edge rusher with the ideal frame for the next level…consensus four-star defensive end prospect who enrolled in January and is expected to participate in spring practice…represented Team East in the U.S. Army All-American Game in January (2016)…totaled seven sacks in his senior season, leading Bay High School to the playoffs for the first time in a decade…collected USA Today All-USA Florida First Team honors in 2015…described as “high-motored defender with a disrupted skill-set” by ESPN…invited to The Opening in 2015 at Nike’s headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., where he proved to be one of the most athletic defensive end participants…rated the nation’s No. 7 weakside defensive end, No. 17 player in Florida and No. 107 player overall by Rivals…rated the No. 14 defensive end in the country, No. 22 player in Florida and No. 103 prospect overall by ESPN…rated No. 17 defensive end and No. 122 player overall by Scout…chose the Seminoles over Florida, Auburn and Alabama among several offers.
Cedric Wood
DT, 6-3, 303
Tallahassee, Fla./Godby
Consensus four-star local product out of Godby High School who blossomed into one of the nation’s top defensive tackle prospects...enrolled in January and is expected to participate in spring practice…collected Class 5A First Team All-State honors and First Team All-Big Bend accolades from the Tallahassee Democrat after totaling 57 tackles, 12 TFLs and three sacks for Godby during the fall 2015 season…tabbed among the nation’s No. 20 defensive tackle by Rivals -- No. 22 by ESPN…rated as Florida No. 32 prospect by Rivals and No. 38 by ESPN…joins former Godby stars and current Seminole teammates linebacker Jacob Pugh and long snapper Stephen Gabbard…selected Florida State over offers from Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina.
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SIGNEE BIOS – WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3
(all signees listed in alphabetical order)
Mike Arnold
OL, 6-4, 349
Winter Haven, Fla./Milford Academy (NY)
Outstanding offensive lineman prospect with prototypical size and length…rated a four-star prospect by Rivals…ranked three-stars by ESPN and Scout…among the top prep school players in the nation after originally signing with Virginia Tech in 2015…starred at Winter Haven High School, where he collected 2014 6A First Team All-State honors, before attending Milford Academy in New Berlin, N.Y., where he led the football team to a 6-3 record this past fall…ranked No. 97 on the Orlando Sentinel’s Class of 2015 Top 100…named to Lakeland Ledger’s Super 16 list in 2015…called Florida State his “dream school” after committing to the Seminoles on an official visit.
Josh Ball
OL, 6-8, 311
Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford
Massive offensive tackle prospect from Virginia…a consensus four star recruit and the top offensive line prospect in the state…played for Team East in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl…called “physically developed lineman who has ideal height and size” by ESPN…rated the 10th-best tackle and No. 179 overall prospect by Rivals…also a Top 25 prospect at his position according to ESPN and Scout…ranked a top five player in Virginia by Rivals (No. 3) and ESPN (No. 4)…said his favorite thing to do in football is pulling, despite playing tackle…collected American Family Insurance Virginia All-State First Team honors and all-conference 4 accolades…chose FSU over several finalists, including West Virginia, Penn State and Auburn.
Carlos Becker, III
CB, 6-2, 183
Kissimmee, Fla./Osceola
Four-star cornerback out of Osceola High School who has the height, length and speed to be dominant in coverage…combines excellent closing speed and ability to read the quarterback with the aggressiveness to come up and stop the run…played in the 2016 Under Armour All-America Game as a member of Team Highlight…ranked as the No. 7 cornerback in the country and No. 46 overall prospect by ESPN…rated the No. 3 cornerback in the state and No. 13 nationally by Scout…ranked the 10th-best player in Florida by ESPN …listed as the No. 21 athlete in the nation by Rivals…collected Class 8A All-State First Team honors in 2015…recorded five interceptions, including one pick in the Class 8A state championship final, as a senior in 2015 while leading Osceola to a 13-2 record and a second straight state runner-up finish…named the No. 7-ranked player in the Orlando Sentinel’s 2016 Central Florida Super60…finished his Osceola career with 10 total interceptions…also led the Kowboys to the Class 7A final in 2014…chose FSU over NC State, Ole Miss and Ohio State.
Brian Burns
DE, 6-5, 222
Fort Lauderdale, Fla./American Heritage (Plantation)
Five-star recruit from Scout who has the length and athleticism to become a disruptive pass rusher at the collegiate level…played in the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio in January, tallying a pair of tackles and a pass breakup…named the Sun-Sentinel Defensive Player of the Year and grabbed Class 5A All-State First Team honors in 2015…four-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals…rated No. 22 overall and fifth-ranked defensive end by Scout…ranked No. 65 nationally, No. 4 defensive end and No. 11 in Florida by Rivals…tabbed the 160th overall prospect by ESPN, No. 21 defensive end and No. 29 in Florida…according to Scout, can play either standing up with his hand down, has a good first step and is very quick off the ball…at American Heritage, recorded 135 tackles and 28 sacks over his junior and senior seasons…helped American Heritage win state titles in 2013 and 2014…chose Florida State over Florida and Georgia, among others.
Landon Dickerson
OL, 6-5, 315
Hickory, N.C./South Caldwell
One of the nation’s top offensive line recruits…grabbed a four-star rating from ESPN, Rivals and Scout…played for Team Armour in the 2016 Under Armour All-American Game in January…competed at Nike’s ‘The Opening’ prospect camp in 2015…the versatile lineman was tabbed the nation’s No. 1 offensive guard recruit by Rivals and a Top 5 offensive tackle recruit by ESPN (No. 5)…also listed as nation’s No. 4 guard by Scout…physical athlete with the size and toughness to excel at the collegiate level and a number of positions…rated the fourth-best player in the state and No. 43 overall by Rivals…ranked No. 3 recruit in North Carolina and No. 64 overall by ESPN…Scout’s No. 76 overall prospect…collected USA Today All-USA North Carolina First Team and All-Northwestern 3A-4A honors in 2015…led South Caldwell to an 11-3 record and to the third round of the state 4A football playoffs as a senior…selected for the N.C. Shrine Bowl All-Star game…nabbed North Carolina Prep Football News Preseason All-State entering his senior season...chose Florida State over Tennessee, Auburn and Virginia Tech, among others.
Keith Gavin
WR, 6-3, 219
Crawfordville, Fla./Wakulla
Consensus four-star wide receiver from nearby Wakulla High School in Crawfordville…back-to-back Class 5A First Team All-State honoree who led the War Eagles to a 13-2 record and the 5A state championship game as a senior in 2015…caught five passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns in the state final…named a 2016 Under Armour All-American, but did not play in the game…finished with 52 receptions for 959 yards and 16 touchdowns to go along with two return scores in 2015…caught 44 balls for 1,131 yards and 16 scores, while leading Wakulla to an 8-3 record in 2014…also starred at safety for the War Eagles…two-time All-Big Bend First Team selection…2015 All-USA Florida Second Team selection…rated the nation’s No. 9 wide receiver and No. 79 overall prospect by ESPN…tabbed the nation’s No. 16 receiver by Scout…rated a Top 200 national prospect by Rivals, ESPN and Scout…will provide a large frame as well as a red zone threat out wide…chose FSU over Alabama and Florida among several offers.
Dontavious Jackson
LB, 6-2, 252
Houston, Texas/Alief Elsik
Four-star powerful inside linebacker prospect...one of the top inside linebacker prospects in the nation, rated as a consensus Top 5 recruit at the position…played in the 2016 Under Armour All-America Game, where he recorded four tackles and a quarterback hurry as a member of Team Highlight…rated the No. 4 inside linebacker in the nation by Scout…ranked the No. 5 inside linebacker in the country by ESPN and Rivals…named the top inside linebacker from Texas by Scout…consensus Top 25 player from the state of Texas…rated the No. 18 player from the state of Texas by ESPN…tabbed No. 21 prospect in Texas by Rivals…ranked as the No. 65 overall prospect in the nation by Scout, No. 123 by ESPN and No. 168 by Rivals…collected 6A All-State honorable mention honors in 2015 while leading his prep squad to the playoffs…posted 165 tackles, including 27 tackles for loss and six sacks as a junior at Alief Elsik in 2014…tallied 107 tackles as a sophomore in 2013…chose FSU over Texas, Michigan and Alabama.
Baveon Johnson
C, 6-3, 346
Lakeland, Fla./Lake Gibson
Nation’s top center prospect by ESPN and Rivals and a consensus four-star player from Lake Gibson High School…rated the No. 6 player in Florida and No. 29 overall prospect in the nation by ESPN…ranked the seventh-best player in the state and No. 45 player overall by Rivals…Scout’s 89th-ranked prospect in the nation and second-best center…named the Florida Athletic Coaches Association District 13 Player of the Year and a first-team all-district selection as a senior in 2015…described as very athletic for a player of his size, making him effective at pulling as a blocker and able to play multiple positions…played center while snapping to quarterback Malik Henry as a member of Team Highlight in the 2016 Under Armour All-America game, holding his own against some of the best defensive line prospects in the nation and leading his squad to a 27-0 victory…collected MVP honors at the Nike opening regional camp in Orlando in 2015 and was invited to Nike’s The Opening in Beaverton, Ore….grabbed MVP honors at the 2015 Miami Nike Camp and 2015 Miami Rivals Camp…a lifelong Florida State fan, he chose FSU over Florida, Kentucky, Miami and Mississippi State among several offers.
Keion Joyner
LB, 6-3, 230
Havelock, N.C./Havelock
Athletic linebacker with great size and range and an ability to make plays from sideline to sideline…rated a four-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and Scout…committed to Florida State at the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando in January…named the top outside linebacker prospect in North Carolina by Scout…ranked the No. 5 player in the state and No. 8 outside linebacker nationally by ESPN…rated the No. 23 outside linebacker prospect in the nation by Rivals…tabbed the eighth-best at the position nationally by Scout…tabbed the nation’s No. 108 overall prospect by ESPN…played in three state championship games at Havelock…collected Associated Press All-State First Team honors in 2014…registered 96 tackles and 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked punt while leading the Rams to the state title game during his junior season…tallied 108 tackles, 7.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, two interceptions and a blocked field goal as a sophomore…chose FSU over LSU, North Carolina and several other schools.
Shavar Manuel
DT, 6-4, 289
Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy
Powerful defensive tackle prospect out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.…a consensus four-star recruit from ESPN, Rivals and Scout…ranked as the best player at his position in the state of Florida by Scout…also rated No. 6 in the South Region, No. 10 nationally at his position and No. 84 overall by Scout…rated the 10th-best player nationally at defensive tackle, No. 13 in the state of Florida and No. 72 overall by ESPN…ranked No. 18 in the state of Florida, No. 12 at his position and No. 110 overall by Rivals…played in the Under Armour All-American Game in 2016…finished his senior season at IMG with 31 total tackles and 2.0 sacks…averaged just under 4.0 tackles per game (3.9)…tallied 33 sacks over his first two high school football seasons at Blake High School in Tampa including 12.5 sacks as a freshman and 20.5 during his sophomore season…garnered All-Hillsborough County as a sophomore and All-Hillsborough County Honorable Mention accolades as a freshman…a big, strong force on the defensive line that has the ability to overpower offensive linemen with low movement…a very athletic tackle for his size and will be a force on the inside…chose Florida State over Florida, Alabama, Auburn and LSU.
Kyle Meyers
DB, 6-0, 167
New Orleans, La./Holy Cross
Rangy defensive back prospect from New Orleans…considered a Top 25 cornerback in the nation by Rivals (No. 22) and Scout (No. 15) …ranked the No. 15 player in Louisiana by Scout...rated the No. 35 player in Louisiana by ESPN…registered four interceptions along with 11 pass deflections as a high school senior in 2015, leading Holy Cross to the second round of the playoffs…had 34 tackles and an interception for a touchdown in his junior season at Holy Cross...participated in “The Opening,” a combine event held for recruits at Nike’s campus in Beaverton, Oregon…chose Florida State over offers from Ole Miss and LSU.
Gabe Nabers
FB, 6-3, 243
Hahira, Ga./Lowndes
Versatile offensive athlete expected to play fullback or H-back for the Seminoles after a standout career for perennial Georgia power Lowndes County High School in Valdosta, Ga.…collected Georgia 1-6A Utility Player of the Year honors in 2015 and honorable mention all-state accolades from the Georgia Sports Writer Association…led the Vikings to the first round of the playoffs in 2015…listed as a three-star tight end prospect by ESPN and Scout…rated the nation’s No. 17 tight end/h-back recruit and a Top 100 prospect from Georgia by ESPN…can contribute in the passing game as he shows great quickness and hands as both an in-line tight end and out of the backfield…also a strong blocker from either position…continues a strong pipeline from Lowndes to Florida State, joining recent defensive standouts Telvin Smith, Greg Reid and Tyler Hunter…caught 17 balls for 173 yards and six touchdowns as a senior in 2015…also played defense, tallying 26 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, one sack, one interception, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick… chose Florida State over South Florida.
Amir Rasul
RB, 5-10, 203
Miami, Fla./Coral Gables
Speedy and explosive running back prospect from Miami…rated a four-star prospect by ESPN, Scout and Rivals…rated the number one running back in Florida by Rivals and ESPN…ranked the No. 2 running back in Florida by Scout…played in the Semper Fidelis All-America game in Carson, Calif., where he rushed for 68 yards and three touchdowns, two in the third quarter, to lead the East to a 28-13 win over the West…tabbed the nation’s No. 100 overall prospect and 21st-best player in Florida by ESPN…ranked the nation’s No. 7 running back by ESPN and No. 13 by Scout and Rivals…rated No. 7 player in 2016 Class in Miami Herald’s Top 50…ran for 1,660 yards and 23 touchdowns across his last two seasons at Coral Gables and Columbus high schools…also added 19 catches for two more scores… …has been clocked at 4.51 in the 40-yard dash…also a track star who won the 100-meter dash at the 2013 state championships…top 100-meter dash time is 10.44…chose FSU over Miami, LSU and Alabama among several schools.
Emmett Rice
LB, 6-2, 186
Miami Gardens, Fla./Norland
Athletic linebacker prospect with great length who possesses the athleticism and versatility to make plays at the line of scrimmage and sideline to sideline…collected 2015 All-USA Florida Second Team honors and 6A All-State Third Team accolades…product of powerhouse Norland High, the same school as former Seminole cornerback and first round pick Xavier Rhodes…recorded 94 tackles including 18 sacks as a junior in 2014…ranked the No. 4 prospect in the Miami Herald Class of 2016 Top 50…tabbed a four-star prospect by Rivals and ESPN and a three-star recruit by Scout …rated the No. 15 outside linebacker prospect in the nation and No. 27 player in Florida by Rivals…tabbed the No. 20 player at his positon and 63rd-best player in the state by ESPN…similar in build to former Florida State All-American and NFL star linebacker Telvin Smith…chose FSU over Alabama, Florida and Louisville.
Levonta Taylor
CB, 5-10, 175
Virginia Beach, Va./ Ocean Lakes
Consensus five-star prospect and No. 1 cornerback in the nation…ranked as the No. 5 overall player nationally in the ESPN300…rated the No. 10 overall player in the nation by Rivals…tabbed the No. 12 overall player by Scout…consensus top overall player from the state of Virginia…consensus Top 12 player in the nation…led Ocean Lakes to a 12-1 record in his senior season…forced 10 turnovers, including four interceptions to go along with 51 tackles…also averaged 33 yards on punt returns…scored four touchdowns on his first 13 touches of his senior year…led the Dolphins to a 15-0 record and their first state championship in 2014, recording 40 tackles including 12 stops for a loss, while adding three special teams touchdowns, three scores on defense and six touchdown receptions…participated in the 2016 Under Armour All-America game as a member of Team Highlight and recorded a 41-yard punt return…named to the All-USA First Team Defense as a senior by USA Today…member of Scout.com’s 2016 All-American defense…invited to "The Opening,” an all-star summer prospect camp held on the Nike Campus…was among the leaders in the event in 2015, scoring an impressive 140.17 SPARQ rating, including a 4.34 40-yard dash…could log early playing time on special teams as a returner and in the secondary…chose Florida State over Alabama, Ohio State, and Virginia among several offers.
Logan Tyler
K, 6-0, 197
Nixa, Mo./Nixa
Elite kicker prospect rated a five-star as both a placekicker and punter by Kohl’s Kicking…three-star player according to Scout and ESPN…nation’s No. 1 kicker by ESPN…extremely strong leg with field goal range up to 60 yards…hit a 90-yard kickoff at Kohl’s Kicking National Camp…kicked for Team Armour at the 2016 Under Armour All-America game in Orlando…named the No. 2 placekicker and No. 28 punter prospect in the nation by Kohl’s…named to the USA Today All-USA Second Team Defense as a punter…named to Kohl’s Kicking All-America First Team as both a kicker (2013) and punter (2014)…collected First Team Missouri All-State honors as a placekicker by both media and coaches…named First Team All-Area (District 5/6) as a kicker, punter and defensive back…played quarterback, running back, safety and outside linebacker as well as kicker and punter at Nixa High School…unanimously named First Team All-Ozark Conference as a kicker and as an athlete…converted three of four field goal attempts and nailed 45 extra points and punted 22 times for an average of 43 yards as a senior in 2015…made 11 field goals and 38 extra points as a junior in 2014…also punted 51 times for a 44.5 average in 2014…recorded 140 touchbacks on kickoffs in three seasons…once made 19 consecutive kicks into the wind at Kohl’s Texas Showcase.
Naseir Upshur
TE, 6-2, 245
Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Institute Charter
Athletic and rangy tight end prospect from Philadelphia who committed to the Seminoles in September after receiving 52 offers…consensus four-star prospect and top eight player from Pennsylvania...consensus Top 12 prospect at the position nationally…tabbed the No. 5 tight end and No. 72 player overall nationally by Rivals...Scout’s No. 6 tight end and No. 152 overall prospect…ranked the No. 9 tight end in the country by ESPN…played alongside early enrollee quarterback Malik Henry as a member of Team Highlight in the 2016 Under Armour All-America game, finishing with one reception for a six yards…caught 22 balls for 640 yards and 11 touchdowns in his senior season, while leading Imhotep Institute Charter to a 15-0 record and the Class AAA state championship…the Panthers became the first-ever Philadelphia Public League school to win a state football title…captured Class AAA All-State First Team honors…also tallied 13 sacks as a defensive end in his final two seasons…chose Florida State over Michigan, Alabama and Ohio State.
Jauan Williams
OL, 6-6, 296
Cheltenham, Md./Archbishop Carroll (D.C.)
Consensus four-star offensive tackle prospect from Washington, D.C… played for Team Highlight in the Under Armour All-America Game…rated the second-best prospect from Washington, D.C. and the No. 3 recruit in the nation’s according to ESPN…tabbed the No. 7 offensive tackle recruit and No. 146 overall recruit in the nation by Rivals…ranked 11th-best offensive tackle and No. 110 overall player by ESPN…ranked the 27th-best offensive tackle recruit in the country by Scout…has a high motor and uses his length to engage defenders…has physical traits sought after in prospects, but is also described as tough…2015 USA Today All-USA D.C. First Team selection…captured D.C. State Athletic Association all-state honors in 2015, as well…chose Florida State over Georgia, LSU, and Texas A&M, among others.