Florida State Football: How Their Struggles Will Impact Recruiting

Florida State entered this season as the “it” school in the world of recruiting; like they used to be in the dynasty years, when Bobby Bowden turned into the best salesman college football had ever seen.    

They passed the reins to several schools that would hold that title and win big on the field and recruiting trail. 

USC, Texas, Florida, LSU, and, most recently, Alabama all turned victories in February into championships in January.  

The Seminoles had come off their most successful season on the field in years, topped it off with a 2011 class that most lauded as the nation’s best, and hit the ground running with a lightning-fast start in 2012, landing commitments from a bevy of top-flight targets.  

After the loss to Oklahoma their third game this season, the messages heard from recruits was still positive, with most reaffirming their belief that Jimbo Fisher has the program on the cusp of dominance.  

A battered and bruised ‘Noles squad would taste defeat at the hands of ACC rival Clemson a week later, but despite that setback, they emerged from their bye week poised to go on a tear and quietly re-emerge near the top 10 in the polls by season’s end.  

However, after another shocking and frustrating loss to Wake Forest that left them with a 2-3 record, the bottom has fallen out of the Garnet and Gold Kool-Aid flowing enough to fill oceans just a month ago.  

The top committed recruit for the 2012 class, defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. of Denton, Texas, announced though he has not decommitted from Florida State, he is now "leaning" towards Oklahoma. 

Edwards is the best player in the country according to some recruiting services and comes from good bloodlines, as his father starred at FSU as a cornerback in the late-90s before moving on to the NFL.

To a fanbase already mired in a dream-turned-nightmare of a season, this news cut deeper than the last mind-numbing mistake their team made—as well as unexplainable ones made by ACC refs. 

The news got worse when another linchpin of the 2012 class, quarterback Jameis Winston, was reported to have visited Alabama last weekend. 

Message boards erupted that maybe the Hueytown, Alabama native was having second thoughts about leaving his home state for college.  

Even if they were to lose these two dynamic talents, Florida State would still have a great class in their remaining commits.

However, if they want to reach the level as one of college football’s heavyweights once again, these are exactly the type of battles the Seminoles need to win. 

While the 2012 class can still be saved, the effect could be greater on the ones beyond next February.  

All of the positive momentum gained coming into this season seems to have faded, and in the world of recruiting, you have to make the most of “it” while you have it.