Schools to Watch After 5-Star TE Isaac Nauta Decommitted from Florida State

Florida State’s 2016 recruiting class took a major hit on Tuesday when 5-star tight end pledge Isaac Nauta announced via Twitter that he is reopening his recruitment.

Nauta is the nation’s top tight end prospect and had been committed to the Seminoles since December of 2014. 

While his loss is a huge blow for FSU, a handful of schools are hoping to emerge as players for the 6’4”, 237-pounder. 

Which programs could be in the hunt to nab Nauta’s second commitment?

He recently earned offers from Baylor, TCU and Texas after returning from a trip last weekend in which he visited the trio of powers from the Lone Star State. 

However, a few other schools to watch in the wake of his decommitment include Georgia, Michigan and Ole Miss.

Of that group, the Bulldogs were the last ones to host him on campus during their ‘Dawg Night’ camp earlier this month.

As noted by Kipp Adams of Dawgs247, Nauta—who is originally from Buford, Georgia—left the trip with the positives of staying closer to home at the forefront of his mind.

"Georgia, from the beginning, and when I made my decision, they were in my top four, but really they were in the top two," Nauta told Adams. "They have always been at the top for me. Really the proximity to home plays in their favor. ... So Georgia has atmosphere, closeness to my family and a great tight end coach as advantages.”

According to ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren, while he was at The Opening earlier this month, Nauta mentioned he would consider taking an official visit to Michigan.

With the success that new Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has had in using tight ends in his offenses through the years, Nauta’s potential interest in the Wolverines makes sense. 

Ole Miss was another program that was among his finalists before his initial pledge to FSU.

Considering that he will play with 5-star quarterback and current Rebels pledge Shea Patterson at IMG Academy this fall, there could be a renewed interest in continuing that combo at the next level.

Of course, the Seminoles aren’t going to give up on trying to get him back in the fold. Tight ends coach Tim Brewster, who is currently rated as the nation’s top recruiter in the 2016 cycle, played a huge role in landing Nauta’s initial commitment.

However, with one of the nation’s premier skill weapons back on the market, expect a host of top programs to make their pitches to Nauta in the coming months.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.