National Signing Day 2012: 5-Star Recruit Eddie Goldman Commits to Florida State

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher knew that if the Seminoles were going to catch Alabama and win the title of top 2012 recruiting class in the country, they were going to have to win the key head-to-head battle for highly touted defensive tackle Eddie Goldman (Friendship Collegiate Academy, Washington D.C.).

And win it they did, as just a few moments ago Goldman announced live on ESPNU that he was picking Florida State over Alabama.

It’s another huge pickup for Fisher and the Seminoles, who are now right in the mix with the Tide to finish at the top of the class rankings for 2012.

The Seminoles started off the day by landing No. 1 defensive end Mario Edwards, who had been committed to Florida State since early January, but they then lost out on the nation’s No. 1 cornerback Tracy Howard, who chose Miami over Florida and Florida State, as well as one of the top-rated linebackers in the country, Josh Harvey-Clemons, who chose Georgia over Florida and Florida State.

Still, even though they couldn't reel in Howard or Harvey-Clemons, landing elite recruits the caliber of Edwards and Goldman is huge, as they both have what it takes to come to Tallahassee and become instant contributors to Florida State’s defensive line, which is already one of the nation’s deepest with all four starters—defensive ends Brandon Jenkins and Bjoern Werner and defensive tackles Everett Dawkins and Tim Jernigan—returning for 2012.

The 6’4’’, 305-pound defensive tackle is rated as a 5-star prospect by every major recruiting service, and after watching the disruptive defensive force on the field for Friendship Collegiate Academy this past season, it’s easy to see why.

Goldman possesses the combination of size, power and quickness to overpower blockers and make plays in the backfield, and he’s got the type of traits that you only see in the truly top-notch tackle prospects.

Adding Goldman to the mix in the defensive interior is a huge boost to the Florida State defense, which is already shaping up to be one of the top units in the country once again in 2012.

In an interview with ESPN’s Jeannine Edwards, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher called Goldman a “great player, a great young man, and the type of player that can come in and play early.”

It should be interesting to see how Goldman performs in fall camp, but one thing’s for sure: He’s going to have every opportunity to establish himself as a key cog in Florida State’s defensive line rotation. And judging from the type of talent he has, Goldman’s got the chance to make a name for himself in the ACC right away.