FSU Football Recruiting: Top Remaining 2015 Recruits, Class Predictions

For all the plaudits Nick Saban receives for being an expert recruiter, Jimbo Fisher isn't far behind. Fisher has gathered a top-10 recruiting class in each of his first five seasons as Florida State's head coach, including three top-five outfits.

On Wednesday, Fisher will almost certainly lock up his sixth straight top-10 and fourth top-five class. Despite some disappointments over the last couple of weeks, 247Sports' composite rankings have the Seminoles third coming into national signing day. Only Alabama has more 5-star recruits; only USC and Alabama have landed recruits with a better average grade.

That said, it's hard not to feel a little disappointed about Fisher's haul. As noted by Corey Clark of the Tallahassee Democrat in a complimentary column, quarterback Kai Locksley, running back Jordan Scarlett and cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick have all rebuffed overtures from Florida State in recent days. Brian Bell, a 3-star linebacker who initially committed to Florida State, will also not sign his letter of intent due to ongoing off-field troubles, per Bud Elliott of Tomahawk Nation.

With a majority of the nation's top prospects decided, it's likely Florida State's recruiting haul has already been decided. A few lower-profile targets will probably ink their official commitments Wednesday, but the high-profile names are few and far between. Here's a look at the Seminoles' biggest remaining targets for national signing day.

Iman Marshall (CB, Long Beach Poly)

247Sports

The odds are overwhelmingly stacked in USC's favor for the nation's best remaining defensive back. Marshall, while he did not take an official visit, grew up not far from the USC campus. He's been considered a near-lock to affirm his commitment to the Trojans for months, and in the process inch them closer to Alabama for the No. 1 class.

247Sports' Crystal Ball predictions give USC a 94 percent chance of landing Marshall. Florida State, the only other school to even get a nod, comes in at six percent. Officially, Michigan, LSU, UCLA, Notre Dame and Oregon are also still on the table.

Marshall is considered the nation's fourth-best recruit overall and the best cornerback by a pretty substantial margin. LSU commit Kevin Toliver II is the only other corner even in Marshall's general skill range. Listed at 6'1" and 190 pounds, he's a relentless ball-hawk who already has an advanced understanding of reading defenses and the fast-twitch movement to break on routes.

Should Marshall surprise and pick Florida State, the Seminoles would undoubtedly have the nation's best secondary class. They already landed 5-star cornerback Tarvarus McFadden and 5-star safety Derwin James. Barring a last-second change of heart, Florida State fans shouldn't bank their hopes on that scenario.

Prediction: USC

Terry Beckner Jr. (DT, East St. Louis High)

247Sports

Florida State appears to be in a close race with Missouri and Auburn for Beckner's services. The St. Louis product has been thought to be leaning local for most of the process, but he's kept his cards close to the vest as signing day comes close.

"If you would've asked me last week, I would've said Mizzou strong and FSU edging in, but after coming back from this Auburn visit, he was more excited than I ever saw after a visit," East St. Louis assistant coach Harith Mitchom told Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports. "Whatever they did down there really, really caught his eye."

As of now, few experts have flipped their prediction to Auburn. Missouri still leads with a strong 70 percent and Florida State is the next closest at 18 percent among 247Sports' Crystal Ball predictions. The most recent predictions have been split almost 50-50 between Florida State and Missouri, with more coming in on the former in recent days.

Where Beckner lands ultimately means more to the Tigers than the Seminoles. Missouri does not have a 5-star commit in its 2015 class and currently ranks 27th coming into national signing day. Beckner signing on the dotted line would not only improve the artificial rankings but also Missouri's standing among big-time SEC threats. Despite a couple of strong seasons, Gary Pinkel's program is still seen as being on the lower rung on the recruiting trail.

For Florida State, Beckner merely represents its last chance of grabbing a marquee recruit in this class. Sometimes that's enough. Call it a gut feeling, but I think Beckner would have picked Missouri by now had he been 100 percent sure he wanted to go there. The late-process dalliance with Florida State and Auburn gives me the sense he's just waiting to be swayed away from his home state.

Prediction: Florida State

Marcus Lewis (ATH, Gonzaga High School)

247Sports

Another player where Florida State seems to be in the running based on reputation only. Almost no one expects the 4-star athlete to wind up in Tallahassee. Kentucky has put on a consistent hard charge and made Lewis its prized possession since jump street. Miami has been consistently near the lead of the charge and has been trending upward since December.

Only two of 247Sports' recruiting analysts, both with ties to Florida State, have Lewis landing with the Seminoles. In recent days, it's been Big Blue all the way—a trend I would expect to continue Wednesday. Kentucky has been in on this kid from the beginning; he's be by far the biggest coup in this class and the flattery goes a long way in these situations.

Prediction: Kentucky

Player	Position	Star Rating
Derwin James	S	5
Josh Sweat	DE	5
Tarvarus McFadden	CB	5
George Campbell	WR	5
Jacques Patrick	RB	4
Deondre Francois	QB	4
Lorenzo Phillips	OLB	4
Da'Vante Phillips	WR	4
Abdul Bello	OT	4
Darvin Taylor	DT	4
Auden Tate	WR	4
Sh'mar Kilby-Lane	OLB	4
Calvin Brewton	S	4
De'Andre Johnson	QB	3
A.J. Westbrook	S	3
Jalen Wilkerson	TE	3
Cole Minshew	OG	3
David Robbins	OG	3
Nyqwan Murray	WR	3

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All recruiting info via 247Sports.