Florida State has parted ways with three-star defensive line recruit Blake McClain. McClain was one of FSU's longest-standing commitments, and one of its lowest-rated.

Sources told Tomahawk Nation that the decision was made over the weekend while McClain was on his official visit to Tallahassee. McClain denied those claims when asked by Tomahawk Nation about the status of his recruitment on Janury 26.

Yah man everything is good
Nope im #NoleNation all day!

But Noles247 confirmed with McCLain's coach Thursday ($).

"He just felt uncomfortable with the new situation and (former defensive coordinator) Jeremy (Pruitt) not being there," Geis said.

"What they want to do with him, he is uncomfortable with that," Geis added. "It is different than what they were going to do when Jeremy was there."

I do not believe that to be the true reason McClain decommitted. While he did have the strong connection with Pruitt, there is no reason to believe FSU's plans for how it would have used McClain would have changed, as both defensive line coaches remain on staff and the scheme is not changing substantially. I believe this is a high school coach covering for his player.

Related: How Florida State can fit more than 30 players into its class, and the right and wrong ways to ask a player to grayshirt.

FSU is now at 26 commitments in its class.

Florida State will be celebrating its BCS National Title Saturday, and tons of recruits will be on hand. We'll be updating this article throughout the weekend to let you know what's going on with FSU's final visit weekend, including players and targets visiting elsewhere.

3:30 Update:

It does not appear that Immokalee's J.C. Jackson will make his visit to FSU. However, Ermon Lane is on campus, hanging out with buddy Dalvin Cook, who is already enrolled.

Arthur Williams posted on twitter that his recruitment was done. The post came at 10:25 a.m. Based on the timing of this, I am going to believe that Arthur Williams is not making his trip to South Carolina. He also posted that he loves talking with his "pops." As I have maintained, the bigger hurdle in recruiting Williams is academics, not South Carolina.

Original

Saluda (S.C.) defensive lineman Dexter Wideman, a four-star commit to FSU who is widely expected to flip to South Carolina, did end up making the trip. That's big because I'm quite sure the Gamecocks did not want him in town for the National Title Celebration.

Otw too FSU

— Dexter Wideman (@DexterWideman) January 31, 2014

One of FSU's top remaining targets, stud receiver Ermon Lane, is also on his way.

Glad ima be from DownSouth this weekend ... Can't wait to land in Tally !! Official visit to Florida State 😎😏🙏🙌💯❗️❗️❗️

— Ermon Lane lll (@_MoneyLane) January 31, 2014

Them boys was on the block when I left this morning ... I can't live around that all my life ... Dream Chasing

— Ermon Lane lll (@_MoneyLane) January 31, 2014

Center Alec Eberle, of Virginia is driving, while defensive end Rick Leonard, of Maryland, is flying.

@allday72 dayum that's gotta be like 12 hours

— Rick Leonard (@RickLeonard83) January 31, 2014

The quarterback will be there, as well.

"@allday72: @double_J16 when u leavin for tally" flight is at 10:30 ... You're gonna be there too ?!?!? Haha wow

— JJ (@double_J16) January 31, 2014

DL Fred Jones, of Miami, DL Adam Torres, of Orlando, and OL Ethan Frith, of Mississippi are also expected in.

Travis Rudolph said last night that he would not be visiting Florida and that he will sign with Florida State. I do not know if he will make it up for the celebration.

Travis Rudolph tells me all the rumors of a last second visit this weekend to #Florida or #Miami not true and he will sign w #FSU 100%

— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) January 31, 2014

Commits/targets visiting elsewhere

-Ohio State is expecting Malik McDowell (DL out of Detroit) in for a visit. He is not committed and FSU is battling MSU, Michigan and the Buckeyes. Ohio State turned down a major tight end target recently to save space for McDowell, and it feels confident it can land him. A lot of teams like their chances for McDowell, including Florida State.

-FSU QB commitment Treon Harris (Miami) is visiting Miami. Harris has previously visited Auburn and Florida in previous weeks. I honestly have no idea what he will do. FSU did offer him first as a QB, but he probably fits other offenses better since he is 5'11 with a lot of mobility.

-Some at Miami believe FSU DL commitment Lorenzo Featherston will visit Miami this weekend. I do not know if that will happen, but will be keeping an eye out. Featherston is very tough to reach at times. He's also a player who we'll be watching to see if he qualifies.

-Louisiana 5-star receiver Malachi Dupre is tripping to see UCLA. This is a battle between LSU, UCLA, FSU and Alabama. Dupre seems to give good feedback to every school he visits, so while there is a lot of optimism in the fan base about him, keep in mind he has created a lot of believers at other schools as well.

-Norcross (Ga.) defensive end Lorenzo Carter is visiting Georgia this weekend. Georgia is the perceived leader, and they have the chance to wrap up the five-star.

-FSU DL commitment Arthur Williams (North Carolina) is checking out South Carolina. I do not expect the Gamecocks to flip him, and consider academics to be the bigger hurdle in trying to get him to Tallahassee.

Weekend recruiting comment section

Tomahahawk Nation will be reviewing each position of Florida State's recruiting as National Signing Day approaches. We realize that for some, this information is already known. But others only follow recruiting around National Signing Day, and for those Florida State fans, it should be pretty useful. Sunday, the focus is on linebackers.

I considered writing this entire article in large font, but thought better of it because it would look horrible on mobile devices. But I think you get the point. Florida State needs size at linebacker, and it went out and got it with the 2014 recruiting class -- one of the best groups of linebackers in the country.

Jacob Pugh

Tallahassee Godby HS | 6'4 230 | 4-star

Highlights

Jacob Pugh is a very important get for Florida State. A local product from a school that FSU has not had a ton of luck at until recently, he was heavily pursued by Alabama and Florida, but chose to stay close to home and play for the National Champions on May 29. Pugh has tremendous length and strength, as you can probably tell from his photo. Most consider him one of the five best outside linebackers in the country.

Florida State is fairly loaded at outside linebacker, so Pugh will have to fight for playing time, but he has the talent to do so and does profile as a multi-year starter for FSU if all goes well.

Pugh is considered extremely solid in his commitment to Florida State.

Kain Daub

Jacksonville Sandalwood HS

6'3 235 | 4-star

Like Pugh, Daub was another battle between Florida State and Alabama. The Seminoles won on April 6, but there wasn't much doubt, because Daub played for Sandalwood High School and coach Adam Geis, who is extremely tight with then defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt (now at UGA). I would never bet against Pruitt landing one of Geis' players.

But enough about how FSU got Daub, and more about the player himself. First, know that he is already enrolled at Florida State. There are some concerns as to whether he will be able to participate in spring football as the NCAA has to sort out credits from at least three high schools, but he is already taking classes. And focusing on academics for a semester wouldn't be the worst thing that can happen to the freshman.

Daub has very good size and length, and should play in the middle for Florida State. He has decent instincts, and is a strong tackler. I do wonder if he is closer to his ceiling than some other players in the class, but even if he is, there is still a lot of reason to be excited about a player who can in time be a major force against the run in the middle and potentially a multi-year starter. Time will tell if he can be a three-down backer who is also adept against the pass.

Delvin Purifoy

Credit: Student Sports 2011

Pensacola Catholic HS

6'2 235 | 4-star

Senior highlights

Purifoy seems to be the forgotten man in FSU's class, and I'm not sure why. Florida State fans will fondly remember Buster Davis. I think he is a very good comparison for Purifoy. Listed at 6'2, and probably closer to 6'1, he is built like a fire hydrant and he punishes ball carriers, showcasing great productivity.

Purifoy seems to have good instincts and reads the flow of the offense quite well, finding the ball carrier with ease. He brings his feet on contact, and has good core strength and bend to get the running back on the ground. He is not afraid to stick his head into a scrum and take on blockers, but because he is not very long, he will need to get better with his hands so that offensive linemen don't get into his body.

In pass coverage, Purifoy is OK, but not great.  He will need to improve in this area if he wants to be a three-down linebacker.

Purifoy is a solid blitzer who seems to have a knack for timing up the snap and getting through creases, playing low.

Closing thoughts

This group is a home run. FSU needed to sign three linebackers, and it did just that, filling the need with excellent talent. Math says that one or two of these guys won't be multi-year starters, but they all truly have the potential to be, even on a defense as good as Florida State's.

Ethan Frith was excited about joining Florida State this summer, but now  the offensive tackle recruit out of Summit (Miss.) North Pike High School will be delaying his enrollment by a semester, a practice popularly known as grayshirting.

The reason? Injury.

Frith has a labrum issue in his right shoulder that will require surgery. The extent of the timetable for recovery is not known, and the surgery has not yet been scheduled. The news was first reported by Chris Nee of Noles247 ($).

I spoke with Frith Sunday morning.

"Last night I was talking to [offensive line coach Rick] Trickett and we decided it would be the best thing for me because if I [don't delay enrollment] I might be coming in and not be able to do anything for a while and waste a year of eligibility," Frith said of when the decision was made.

Erolling in January will allow Frith, hopefully healthy, to play the 2015-2018 seasons (potentially 2019 if he was to red-shirt).

Frith improved a lot during his final three years of high school, reshaping his body and adding agility. He is a 6'6, 295-pound three-star tackle recruit.

FSU now has 25 verbal commitments (26 if you prefer to count Jo Jo Robinson, who is not expected to sign with FSU).

Six months after college football kicked off, we're down to one last football-like-substance until spring football. While we're partisan and will take a BCS CFP bowl any day of the week (particularly the new schedule which has three on New Year's Eve and one more as well as the two actual playoff semifinals on New Year's Day), our last decade of Super Bowls have been phenomenal – and this one should be no different.

Whether you're watching the game on FOX in Columbus or watching online via Fox Sports Go (which won't require a login during the game) from anywhere in the country, anytime we get to see the best offense in the sport take on the best defense, we're better for it. In the four previous times this has gone down in a Super Bowl, the defense has wound up on top three of them.

Interestingly enough, this marks only the second time the #1 seed in the AFC and the #1 seed in the NFC have meet in the Super Bowl. The last was in the 1994 matchup between Dallas and Buffalo, which the Cowboys won 30-13 (though the Bills led 13-6 at the half).

Infographic

Odds to Win Super Bowl MVP at Bovada

Peyton Manning (DEN) 8/5
Russell Wilson (SEA) 13/4
Marshawn Lynch (SEA) 6/1
Demaryius Thomas (DEN) 16/1
Wes Welker (DEN) 16/1
Richard Sherman (SEA) 16/1
Percy Harvin (SEA) 16/1
Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 18/1
Eric Decker (DEN) 20/1
Julius Thomas (DEN) 25/1
Golden Tate (SEA) 33/1
Earl Thomas (SEA) 33/1
Doug Baldwin (SEA) 40/1
Montee Ball (DEN) 50/1
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (DEN) 50/1
Kam Chancellor (SEA) 66/1
Danny Trevathan (DEN) 66/1
Champ Bailey (DEN) 66/1
Zach Miller (SEA) TE 75/1
Matt Prater (DEN) 100/1
Steven Hauschka (SEA) 100/1
Duke Ihenacho (DEN) 100/1
Michael Bennett (SEA) 100/1
Field (Any Other Player) 20/1

Coin toss props below, courtesy of Bovada:

Heads -105

Tails -105

SUPER BOWL XLVIII - Team to win the coin toss

Seattle Seahawks -105

Denver Broncos -105

SUPER BOWL XLVIII - Will the team that wins the coin toss win the game?

Yes -115

No -115

SUPER BOWL XLVIII - Will the team that chooses Heads or Tails in the coin toss be correct?

Yes -115

No -115

Click here for a complete list of Super Bowl 48 prop bets

How to watch Super Bowl XLVIII

Teams: Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos

Date: Sunday, February 2, 2014

Kickoff time: 6:25 EST / 5:25 CST

Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Super Bowl score by quarter: Live SB Nation scoreboard

Live stream: FOX Sports Go (Sign-in is not required during the Super Bowl TV broadcast)

TV channel: FOX (A full list of international broadcasters is available here)

Radio: NFL on Westwood One (Choose your station here), with Kevin Harlan as the play-by-play announcer

Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman; Pam Oliver and Erin Andrews are sideline reporters

Officials: Terry McAulay and his crew

Current odds: Broncos by 2-1/2 | O/U: 48

Halftime show performance: Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers

National anthem: Renee Fleming

Current ticket prices: TicketMaster.com

Racean "Roc" Thomas is one of the best running backs in the class of 2014. Out of Oxford (Ala.) High School, he was offered by almost every major program in the country. He selected Auburn on August second, and has been quite solid ever since.

For my money, Thomas is one of the five best running backs in the country. According to the 247sports composite, he is the fourth-best back.

What makes Thomas so special? A number of things. First, he is exceptionally quick. Thomas has the ability to abuse defenders and make them look silly with his acceleration any agility. He is also quite strong for his 5'11, 196-pound frame, and plays with great functional strength. A quick-twitch monster, if Thomas gets daylight, he will not often be caught. He also has fantastic balance.

I would like to see Thomas improve his receiving, and I cannot really comment on his blocking as I have not seen him block.

Auburn's system creates a lot of opportunities for big runs, and Thomas should really thrive for the Tigers.

Tomahahawk Nation will be reviewing each position of Florida State's recruiting as National Signing Day approaches. We realize that for some, this information is already known. But others only follow recruiting around National Signing Day, and for those Florida State fans, it should be pretty useful. Monday, the focus is quarterback.

At this point, it is a bit silly to question anything Jimbo Fisher does with quarterbacks. He's not above reproach, but compared to anyone else in college football, he might as well be. Jimbo Fisher has had eight quarterbacks drafted, and Jameis Winston will make it nine in another year. He runs his offense through the quarterback, and is quite demanding on the position. And he knows what he wants in the position.

For the 2014 class, he has two commitments. But will he have two come National Signing Day?

Solidly committed

J.J. Cosentino

Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic

6'4, 225 | 4-star

I've seen Cosentino on tape, and in person three times. There is a lot to like. He comes from a prestigious high school with a big tradition of quarterbacks, including Dan Marino. He has the prototypical big frame for a quarterback, with big hands, and he can probably eventually play at 235 or so pounds. He is a pro-style passer, but is not immobile, though I would say that Christian Ponder, E.J. Manuel and Jameis Winston all have better mobility.

The arm? It's big. Very big. He had coaches giggling as he slung rockets this summer at FSU camp. He does have a bit of a hitch in his motion that Fisher and quarterback coach Randy Sanders will need to work on. And he has had knee surgery and an ankle injury, but I don't think he's shows any real lingering signs other than wearing a knee brace.

Cosentino has the tools to be the next excellent quarterback to play for Jimbo Fisher. He is rated as the 13th-best pro-style quarterback by the 247sports composite of the major services, but having seen all of the 12 ahead of him in person, I can confidently say that I would take him over three or four of them, which means I think he is a top-10 pro-style quarterback prospect.

Cosentino joined on March 18, and also helped to recruit other commitments to the class.

Will he flip?

Treon Harris

Miami Booker T. Washington

5'11, 186 | 4-star

Treon Harris committed to Florida Sate on July 8, as a quarterback. That's important for a few reasons. FSU was one of the first major programs to offer Harris as a quarterback. Many, including myself, were (or are) skeptical that he will be a quarterback in college, as he also profiles as a very good receiver or cornerback due to his athleticism (see his listing as an "athlete" and not a quarterback on the four major recruiting sites).

But Jimbo Fisher believed that Harris would be a quarterback, and so he offered, and Harris accepted. At that time, Miami, Auburn and Florida were not offering him a chance to play quarterback.

That changed in recent months, and Harris has visited all three schools. While he is still committed to FSU, he is also considering those three as National Signing Day approaches.

Other schools are surely telling Harris that he won't play quarterback for FSU because the Seminoles run a pro-style offense. Jimbo Fisher can counter by pointing to James Wilder Jr., probably a better linebacker than running back, who was never forced to move to linebacker. Or to Karlos Williams, who stayed at safety for two years, two games and two defensive coordinators before he finally decided to move to running back.

The key phrase being "he decided." As far as I can tell, while nearly all of his position changes have worked out great (Xavier Rhodes from receiver to defensive back; Chad Abram from safety to fullback; Cam Erving from defensive tackle to offensive tackle, etc.), Fisher has never forced a player to change positions in his time at Florida State.

Harris is short, and he does not have a great arm. He does, however, have a great set of football instincts, which makes sense because he is the son of a coach. And he seems to always be putting the ball in spots where his playmakers would make plays after the catch. He has very good accuracy, and his mobility is obviously off the charts. His release is also extremely quick.

If Harris sticks with his pledge to Florida State, Fisher's track record indicates that he will be given every opportunity to play quarterback if and until he doesn't want to do so. And if he's good enough to start, Fisher will indeed use more spread elements in the offense, as he did with a young Christian Ponder and E.J. Manuel.

Harris photo via Student Sports

Visit our National Signing Day hub for updates on all of the Seminoles recruiting.

Tomahawk Nation will be reviewing each position of Florida State's recruiting as National Signing Day approaches. We realize that for some, this information is already known. But others only follow recruiting around National Signing Day, and for those Florida State fans, it should be pretty useful. Tuesday, the focus is receiver.

I am confident that FSU is going to sign one of the best receiver groups in the country. I am not confident in exactly who will be in the class. Let's review.

The commitment who is

Travis Rudolph

6'1, 185 | 4-star

West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman HS

Florida State landed a commitment from Travis Rudolph on Jan 2. He was at one time committed to Miami, and the main competition for him was Alabama. Rudolph has excellent everything except for speed, and he's not exactly lacking in that area. He is one of the five or six best receivers I have seen this year. The hands are excellent, his ability to change direction is great, he runs very good routes, has great football instincts, will block, and will even win a jump ball. Think a much better, more polished version of Preston Parker. I said he Rudolph was 2" taller or 0.1-seconds faster in his 40-yard dash, he might be the top receiver in the country. I do believe he could be the most college-ready receiver in the country, and I project him to play immediately.

The commitment who isn't

Only because he has not decommitted officially, Miami Northwstern HS receiver JoJo Robinson is listed as a commitment on many recruiting sites. FSU has not been recruiting him for some time, and he will probably pick Arkansas over TCU and USF within the next 48 hours. I included him to address the inevitable questions that would result in the comment section had I not addressed the situation. Tomahawk Nation has not listed him on the recruiting board for quite a while.

The obvious target

Ermon Lane

Homestead (Fla.) High School

6'3, 185 | 5-star

Lane was a long-time Florida Gators commitment who decommitted shortly after Dalvin Cook decided to play for Florida State. All indications point to him committing to Florida State, so much so that the drama at his ceremony might be from which other hats he decided to put on the table.

Lane is a very smooth player and good deep threat with the knack for making the big play. He is not, in my estimation, as college-ready as Rudolph, but he has a gear that Rudolph does not which may give him a slight edge in terms of ultimate ceiling. Lane's high school team was terrible and struggled to get him the ball, but he has a ton of talent and is pretty much universally regarded as one of the five or six best receivers in the country, like Rudolph (above) and Dupre (below). Lane had every major offer in the Southeast, and while I am not quite as high on him relative to other players as I once was, I can count on one hand the number of receivers I would take over him.

A player FSU can probably flip from Virginia Tech

Javon Harrison

Lakeland Kathleen HS

6'2, 195 | 4-star

Harrison is a player I really like. He is explosive and strong with the ball in his hands, and he plucks pretty well. He could also play DB, but wants to be a receiver and FSU is recruiting him for receiver. He does not necessarily profile as an instant-impact guy, and needs to polish his route running skills, but he is a fantastic athlete and someone whom FSU is really trying to flip from Virginia Tech.

The long shot

Malachi Dupre

New Orleans (La.) John Curtis

6'3, 195 | 5-star

Two guys stand out to me as the best receivers I've seen on film and in person this year: Josh Malone (Tennessee) and Malachi Dupre. Dupre is extremely good. He has good speed, good hands, good quickness, and in the red zone, he is an absolute beast due to his body control and vertical leap. He also gives good feedback to every school he visits, which makes him tough to read. It is encouraging that he brought his family with him to his one and only Florida State visit, but I still think he will be quite difficult to pull away from LSU given he geography and playing time the Tigers can offer. That I'm including him here says there's a chance.

Probably not going to have room

Myles Autry

Norcross (Ga.) HS

5'9, 176 | 3-star

At one point, Autry may have had a spot in the class, but now, it seems very unlikely and I expect him to head to Georgia Tech. FSU brought him in on a  visit over the weekend, but I think that has a lot to do with impressing him and others at the Norcross (Ga.) program. I have no reason to believe that FSU is pushing for a commitment.

Final thoughts

Signing just Rudolph and Lane would be a big. Adding Harrison to that is a three-run homer. All four is a grand slam. Some of these guys are going to have a chance to play early with the loss of Kenny Shaw and Kelvin Benjamin.

Visit our National Signing Day hub for updates on all of the Seminoles recruiting.

Tomahawk Nation will be reviewing each position of Florida State's recruiting as National Signing Day approaches. We realize that for some, this information is already known. But others only follow recruiting around National Signing Day, and for those Florida State fans, it should be pretty useful. Tuesday, the focus is defensive back.

Enrolled

Trey Marshall

Lake City (Fla.) Columbia

5'11, 195 | 4-star

Marshall is one of the less talked about players in FSU's class. He is one of the ten best safeties in the country for my money, has some cornerback versatility, would be a really, really good blitzer from the slot (think Lamarcus Joyner's role in the nickel package), and has a knack for making plays. He also ran one of the best times at Nike's The Opening in the 40-yard dash. FSU beat out Florida, Georgia, Miami, Ole Miss and Tennessee for his commitment. As one Columbia alumni Timmy Jernigan leaves for the NFL, Marshall enters. He is enrolled and will take part in spring practice. Florida State is loaded in the secondary, and I am not sure how much Marshall will be able to play as a true freshman.

Committed & expected to sign

Malique "Bones" Jackson

Jesup (Ga.) Wayne County HS

5'11, 175 | 3-star

Jackson is one of the players FSU offered after seeing him in camp, and he committed on June 15. A quarterback in high school who is also on the golf team, Jackson doesn't have much film at defensive back. But at the camp, he displayed very good athleticism to go along with is solid length and frame that can hold additional weight. Wayne County is the same high school that brought guard Tre' Jackson to Florida State. Florida Sate is loaded in the secondary, and I am not sure how much Jackson will be able to play as a true freshman.

Any hope?

J.C. Jackson

Immokalee (Fla.) HS

5'10, 185

I do not expect Jackson to sign with the Seminoles. He is a former FSU commit, who is currently committed to Florida, and Jackson would not be on this list but for one crucial factor: he plays for Immokalee High School. And of late, Immokalee kids have turned recruiting into a big time game, trolling all fan bases even the ones to which they are committed. Miami is probably more in play to flip him than Florida is, but I have him here and give FSU a 2-percent shot to sign him, only because of the Immokalee factor.

Defensive back will be a heavy focus in 2015

If Florida State goes with just two defensive backs, it will enter 2014 with just 13 on its roster. That isn't problematic for 2014, because FSU is loaded, but that number could be slashed in half for 2015. FSU really could have used another defensive back in this class, but I think there' s an argument for being glad that it didn't reach to take a lesser prospect just to fill a number. Why? The state is back to having very good defensive back talent in 2015. The class of 2014 was not a great one for in-state defensive back prospects.

I project that the state of Florida alone will produce between 15 and 20 defensive backs rated four-stars or higher. And that's not even mentioning the surrounding state's of Georgia and Alabama, and FSU's ability to recruit nationally (see Ronald Darby and Jalen Ramsey, from D.C. and Nashville). And Florida State already has three commits rated four-stars or better in the secondary for 2014.

Visit our National Signing Day hub for updates on all of the Seminoles recruiting.

The newly-crowned national champions are reloading: Florida State is putting together one of the nation's best recruiting classes, including one of the country's top halfbacks and thirteen consensus four-star prospects. Jimbo Fisher and his staff have landed 26 commitments in advance of Signing Day, including 14 players projected on the offensive or defensive line. Let's talk about the offensive line.

Offensive line was undoubtedly Florida State's biggest recruiting need in the class of 2014. After several years of bad luck and missing on key recruits, FSU entered the 2013 season with very little depth, and managed to win a national title in large part because it sustained very few injuries. The Seminoles had to avoid depending on luck if they could, and that meant numbers. Numbers is what Florida State brought in.

Enrolled

Kareem Are

Fort Scott (Ks.) CC

6'6, 335

Are has been playing for Fort Scott Community College in Kansas, though he attended high school in New York. He stands 6'6 and weighs 335 pounds and has been projected at both guard and tackle, depending on the recruiting service.

He is considered the No. 36 overall junior college player available in the 2014 class by 247, which gave him four stars and rates him as the best JUCO guard prospect in the nation. Scout and Rivals consider Are to be a three-star prospect.

He is enrolled for spring and working out with the Seminoles.

Commits expected to sign

Chad Mavety

Garden City (N.Y.) Nassau CC

6'6, 330 | 4-star

Mavety was one of the highest-rated JUCO offensive tackles in the country, and this was a heated battle between Florida State and Ohio State. Ultimately, Rick Trickett and FSU's other coaches won out on December 9. Mavety appreciated the no-nonsense approach, as Trickett didn't promise him a starting spot, but did tell him he could make him the best player he can be. Mavety is also friends with Florida State backup quarterback Sean Maguire. Mavety will either provide really good depth, or he will start. That will be sorted out over spring, and fall when Mavety arrives. With the additions of Mavety and Are, four returning starters and three returning key reserves, plus other young talent, FSU should have one of the deepest offensive lines in 2014 to protect the reigning Heisman winner Jameis Winston.

Corey Martinez

Tampa Catholic

6'4, 295 | 4-star

Martinez was pretty much a sure thing to Florida State for a quite a while before he committed on July 3. A talented guard who has good balance and is very tough, he picked Florida State over a number of SEC and ACC offers, showed well at Nike's The Opening, and improved as a senior as well. Given that Florida State returns seven upperclassmen on the offensive line and is bringing in two JUCO prospects, Martinez may be headed for a redshirt, which is actually a good thing with most offensive linemen.

Brock Ruble

Hyattsville (Md.) Dematha Catholic

6'8, 315 | 3-star

Ruble is an offensive tackle that Florida State really liked (much more than I thought they did before speaking with sources who would know). He picked Florida State on December 13, and also held offers from Tennessee, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Given that Florida State returns seven upperclassmen on the offensive line and is bringing in two JUCO prospects, Ruble may be headed for a redshirt, which is actually a good thing with most offensive linemen. I project that Ruble could be a very good college player by the 2016 season.

Alec Eberle

Mechanicsville (Va.) Atlee

6'4, 270 | 3-star

Eberle is a tough center prospect who actually plays tackle for his high school. FSU offered him early and he committed on May 1, before coming down to their summer camp. Given that Florida State returns seven upperclassmen on the offensive line and is bringing in two JUCO prospects, Eberle may be headed for a redshirt, which is actually a good thing with most offensive linemen. Eberle needs time to develop, and I think he could be in line to start as a red-shirt sophomore in 2016 if all goes according to plan.

Sign & wait

Ethan Frith

Summit (Ms.) North Pike

6'7, 290 | 3-star

Frith is a player targeted by tight ends coach Tim Brewster and offensive line coach Rick Trickett. He lost quite a bit of weight in his last two years of high school ball, gaining some muscle and a lot of quickness. He committed on Jun 14 while in town for FSU's camp. Unfortunately, he will be delaying his enrollment until spring because of an upcoming shoulder surgery. That means he will be eligible for the 2015-2018 seasons ('19 if he redshirts), which is probably a good thing so that he doesn't waste his first year of eligibility in recovery.

Top target

Roderick Johnson

Florrisant (Mo.) Hazelwood Central

6'6, 315 | 4-star

From the start, Florida State liked Roderick Johnson a lot, and he reciprocated. Many felt that Johnson would have committed already to Florida State several times, but the big man told other Florida State prospects that he's just waiting to have his moment on National Signing Day. FSU feels very confident in its chances over Ohio State here. Johnson has good flexibility for such a large man, though he is rather raw.  Florida State returns seven upperclassmen on the offensive line and is bringing in two JUCO prospects, but I am not convinced that Johnson is going to redshirt. He may be able to grab one of the second-team offensive tackle spots and provide quality depth early on. Johnson is one of the 10-best offensive tackle recruits in the country for my money.

Maybe

Derrick Kelly

Havana (Fla.) East Gadsen

6'5, 295 | 3-stars

Derrick Kelly is one of the fastest-rising offensive tackles in the class of 2014, turning in a very solid senior season. But will FSU have room? Kelly and his family are reportedly very much pro-FSU, but it is uncertain if FSU can fit him in the class with a full (read: non-grayshirt) offer. LSU and UF are also on Kelly, with both sides feeling vary degrees of confidence. If Kelly's announcement is later in the day, it may indicate that he is waiting to hear if FSU will have room.

Tomahahawk Nation will be reviewing each position of Florida State's recruiting as National Signing Day approaches. We realize that for some, this information is already known. But others only follow recruiting around National Signing Day, and for those Florida State fans, it should be pretty useful. Sunday, the focus is on linebackers.

I considered writing this entire article in large font, but thought better of it because it would look horrible on mobile devices. But I think you get the point. Florida State needs size at linebacker, and it went out and got it with the 2014 recruiting class -- one of the best groups of linebackers in the country.

Enrolled

Kain Daub

Jacksonville Sandalwood HS

6'3 235 | 4-star

Like Pugh, Daub was another battle between Florida State and Alabama. The Seminoles won on April 6, but there wasn't much doubt, because Daub played for Sandalwood High School and coach Adam Geis, who is extremely tight with then defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt (now at UGA). I would never bet against Pruitt landing one of Geis' players.

But enough about how FSU got Daub, and more about the player himself. First, know that he is already enrolled at Florida State. There are some concerns as to whether he will be able to participate in spring football as the NCAA has to sort out credits from at least three high schools, but he is already taking classes. And focusing on academics for a semester wouldn't be the worst thing that can happen to the freshman.

Daub has very good size and length, and should play in the middle for Florida State. He has decent instincts, and is a strong tackler. I do wonder if he is closer to his ceiling than some other players in the class, but even if he is, there is still a lot of reason to be excited about a player who can in time be a major force against the run in the middle and potentially a multi-year starter. Time will tell if he can be a three-down backer who is also adept against the pass.

Signed

Jacob Pugh

Tallahassee Godby HS | 6'4 230 | 4-star

Highlights

Jacob Pugh is a very important get for Florida State. A local product from a school that FSU has not had a ton of luck at until recently, he was heavily pursued by Alabama and Florida, but chose to stay close to home and play for the National Champions on May 29. Pugh has tremendous length and strength, as you can probably tell from his photo. Most consider him one of the five best outside linebackers in the country.

Florida State is fairly loaded at outside linebacker, so Pugh will have to fight for playing time, but he has the talent to do so and does profile as a multi-year starter for FSU if all goes well.

Pugh is considered extremely solid in his commitment to Florida State.

Delvin Purifoy

Credit: Student Sports 2011

Pensacola Catholic HS

6'2 235 | 4-star

Senior highlights

Purifoy seems to be the forgotten man in FSU's class, and I'm not sure why. Florida State fans will fondly remember Buster Davis. I think he is a very good comparison for Purifoy. Listed at 6'2, and probably closer to 6'1, he is built like a fire hydrant and he punishes ball carriers, showcasing great productivity.

Purifoy seems to have good instincts and reads the flow of the offense quite well, finding the ball carrier with ease. He brings his feet on contact, and has good core strength and bend to get the running back on the ground. He is not afraid to stick his head into a scrum and take on blockers, but because he is not very long, he will need to get better with his hands so that offensive linemen don't get into his body.

In pass coverage, Purifoy is OK, but not great.  He will need to improve in this area if he wants to be a three-down linebacker.

Purifoy is a solid blitzer who seems to have a knack for timing up the snap and getting through creases, playing low.

Closing thoughts

This group is a home run. FSU needed to sign three linebackers, and it did just that, filling the need with excellent talent. Math says that one or two of these guys won't be multi-year starters, but they all truly have the potential to be, even on a defense as good as Florida State's.

Florida State signed an excellent group of tight ends on National Signing Day.

Need

Florida State returns four tight ends for 2014 in Nick O'Leary, Kevin Haplea, Giorgio Newberry and Jeremy Kerr. However, O'Leary and Haplea are seniors, and won't be around in 2015. This is why schools must look ahead one year in recruiting. As a pro-style offense, Florida State really needed to grab two tight ends in this class, so that it would have at least three in 2015 who were not true freshmen. Tight ends often take a while to develop, because they need to add size, and gain understanding of both the blocking scheme and the passing game. Having veteran tight ends can be a big help to an offense, even if they aren't elite, NFL types.

Current

Florida State did just that, adding two tight ends who are expected to sign on National Signing Day with no drama. Florida State didn't land its top tight end target (that was Mike Gesicki, of New Jersey, who chose Penn State), but the two it got have a lot of potential.

Signed

Mavin Saunders

Saunders is a former basketball player from the Bamahas who ended up at the KInkaid School in Houston (Texas). He committed to FSU on June 15 over offers from Oklahoma, Nebraska, Michigan State, Ole Miss and Arkansas. Florida State tight ends coach, a former coach for Texas who recruited the Houston area, was his lead recruiter.

Saunders is a consensus four-star recruit, and is widely considered one of the best ten tight end recruits nationally. That ranking says more about his ceiling than it does his ability to make an instant impact, because is very very raw, having not played a lot of football in his career. The 6'6, 220-pound Saunders has the frame to eventually play at 250 pounds, and he has a ton of athleticism, vertical leaping skills, and agility -- basically the skills you would expect from a player with a basketball background. Saunders needs to add good weight, work on his blocking a lot, and become a better route runner. He was used almost exclusively as a big receiver in high school, so he has a good amount of work to do to get on the field.

I do not expect him to play much as a freshman with three veterans ahead of him, but that is probably for the best, and if all goes well, he could be a major mismatch problem for opposing defenses in 2016 or 2017.

Ryan Izzo

Out of Sparta (N.J.), Izzo does not quite have the ceiling that Saunders has, but he probably has a higher floor, having played considerably more football, specifically at tight end. Scout and Rivals have him as the 27th and 25th tight end recruit, respectively, which drags down his composite ranking to the 18th best tight end in the country. Personally, I don't see where they are getting that. I think Izzo is a top-15 tight end prospect, which is about where ESPN has him and slightly worse than what 247sports has him ranked. I would take him over Florida tight end commitment Moral Stephens, a player rated higher than him by many, every day and twice on Sunday.

Izzo is 6'6 and 220 pounds, and an eventually play at about 250 pounds. He committed to Florida State on September 23, over offers from Wisconsin, Boston College, Iowa, Michigan State, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and seemingly all of the Big Ten not named Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan.

There's a lot to like about Izzo. For one, he does have experience with his hand in the dirt as a traditional tight end, which sounds simple but might not be for a tight end who has been used exclusively as a receiver. He seems to have good hands, and I really like his body control to adjust to poorly thrown passes. I wish his highlight tape showed more option and underneath routes, and less deep routes down the field, but the competition he plays is not all that good and I would run him deep a lot too if I were his coach.

Like I said with Saunders, FSU has three veterans coming back at the position, so I would not expect to see any freshmen tight ends contributing a whole lot. The developmental year should help Izzo add more good weight and work on his route running.

Final thoughts

FSU did very well here, grabbing two very good tight ends recruits who will have time to develop in the system. Addressing numerical needs with talent, and then developing that talent on an appropriate schedule (not having to push them into duty too early) sets up a team to win championships.

This is your home for Florida State National Signing Day 2014. Read on all our links for more than 10,000 words of free analysis on Florida State's recruiting class.

Coming off a National Championship, Florida State has a chance to put together its best recruiting class yet under Jimbo Fisher on National Signing Day 2014. It did just that, adding 28 commitments, with 16 rated four- or five-stars, a ridiculous haul that hit on every needed position. The group is a consensus top-five class, and has incredible depth.

National Signing Day 3:30 recap press conference

Jimbo Fisher mid-day press conference

Signing Day show at 1 and 5 EST

Hits

DT Derrick Nnadi (picked Florida State), OT Derrick Kelly (signed with FSU), OT Roderick Johnson (signed with FSU), WR Ermon Lane (committed to FSU), WR Javon Harrison (Switched to Florida State)

Misses

CB J.C. Jackson (stuck with UF), QB Treon Harris (FSU verbal commit flipped to the Gators), DT Malik McDowell (Michigan State), WR Malachi Dupre (signed with LSU), DL Dexter Wideman (FSU verbal commit switched to South Carolina, Lorenzo Carter (UGA)

Chat recap

In lieu of comments on this page, we will be running a live chat. We will attempt to answer your questions. If your question is not answered, it is likely that it has already been asked and answered. Please scroll to find it, and do not ask the same question over and over.

Quarterback: Florida State had one of the best quarterback duos in the country committed, but held on to only one.

All the Florida State news you need

Florida St. Seminoles

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Running Back: a Five new Seminoles are already enrolled and on campus. The highest-rated of FSU's early enrollees is Miami (Fla.) Central High School running back Dalvin Cook, a consensus five-star player. Cook, who is 5'11 and weighs 195 pounds, is ranked as the 12th-best overall prospect in the class and the top prospect in Florida. He picked the Seminoles, flipping from his long-time Florida commitment, and also had offers from Alabama, Texas, Miami, Clemson, LSU, Florida, USC and Texas A&M. Read more about Cook and Florida State's other running back recruit.

Wide Receiver: Travis Rudolph, a four-star wide receiver from West Palm Beach, Fla. who played high school football at Cardinal Newman High, is a consensus top 6 Florida recruit and top 6 receiver nationally. 247 Sports ranks him as the nation's second-best receiver prospect and second to only Cook in the state. The 6'1, 185-lb. wideout held offers from nearly every significant national program, and chose Florida State over Alabama and Florida. But Florida State was not done with  just Rudolph -- it added two more elite players as well, bringing in perhaps the best group of receivers in the country.

Tight End: Florida State holds commitments from one of the best tight end pairs in the country. They are both in but aren't expected to play much as freshmen because of Florida State's depth.

Offensive Line: Florida State was expected to sign one of the best offensive line classes in the country, and it did. FSU already holds commitments from six players, including two JUCOs, and added two excellent tackles as well on National Signing Day.

Defensive Line: Florida State is bringing in a huge and talented group of defensive linemen, and it and it added a four-star defensive tackle and lost a four-star end on National Signing Day.

Linebacker: Joining Cook as an early enrollee is four-star linebacker Kain Daub, another in-state player. The Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood High product is 6'3, 234 pounds; he is regarded as the No. 4 outside linebacker in the 2014 class and the No. 55 overall player. He picked FSU over the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ohio State and Miami. Florida State is signing one of the best linebacker trios in the country, read all about it here.

Defensive Back: Defensive back was not a major need for the Seminoles, but it does have two commitments and has a very outside shot to add another. The best of the bunch of Trey Marshall. The Lake City (Fla.) Columbia High School star is already in school already as well. The 5'11, 196-pound safety is a consensus four-star prospect and the No. 13 player at his position. He is also considered the No. 181 overall prospect in the nation. He had offers from Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Miami, and was an invite to Nike's The Opening, where he ran one of the fastest times in the 40-yard dash. Read about Florida State's defensive back haul, and what the smaller 2014 class means for the next year.

FSU saves scholarships FSU for 2015, too

The Seminoles could have comfortably signed in excess of 30 players, because several are qualifying risks, and at least one player has already elected to grayshirt, delaying his enrollment until spring 2015 due to an upcoming shoulder surgery. Any scholarships left over can be saved for 2015, in which FSU figures to clean up.

Source: New linebackers coach Hired

Florida State recruiting never stops, and neither does our recruiting coverage.

Florida State brought in a great football recruiting class in 2014, but even before they signed, the coaches were working on the next class. Let's take a look at what Florida State needs in the 2015 class. Keep in mind that as the current roster changes, so do future recruiting needs.

Quarterback

Florida State signed J.J. Cosentino in 2014, a strong-arm pro-style passer. Florida State will return four quarterbacks in 2015. Assuming attrition of one, FSU needs to take one quarterback in the 2015 class, though it might elect to take two, because the goal is to typically have four. This will be a position to watch unfold.

Skill (RB/WR/TE)

Florida State signed seven skill players in 2014, including two excellent running backs, a terrific trio of receivers, and two very promising tight ends. Florida State will return 15 skill players in 2015. Assuming attrition of one, it will need to bring in five to eight skill players. Within that, it will need at least two backs, three receivers and one tight end.

Offensive line

Florida State cleaned up along the offensive line on National Signing Day, bringing in seven fantastic offensive linemen. FSU will return 11 offensive linemen in 2015, plus attrition of one. Teams typically want to carry 15-18 offensive linemen, but FSU may want to space it out a bit between years, so four or five seems about right.

Defensive Line

FSU signed a monster class of defensive linemen, seven in all on National Signing Day 2014. Florida State will return 15 defensive linemen in 2015. Assuming attrition of three, it needs to bring in at least four in the 2015 class, with at least two being defensive tackle. It would not surprise me to see FSU take a junior college player at this position.

Linebacker

FSU signed a great linebacker class on National Signing Day 2014 and will return 9 linebackers in 2015. Assuming no attrition, it will need to bring in at least two linebackers.

Defensive back

Florida State signed a pair of talented defensive backs in 2014. FSU will return 12 defensive backs, but attrition of three should be expected, meaning FSU needs to take at least five in its 2015 class.

Total class size

With Florida State signing a class of 28 in 2014, it is looking at a class of about 27 in 2015. Here's the math on this.

5: Members of 2014 signing class who count against the 2013 cap (because they enrolled in January and Florida State had room to count back).

23: Members of the 2014 signing class who count for 2014.

2: Spots left over from the 2014 signing class that can still be filled by players in the next class if they enroll early for spring semester, a practice known as "counting back."

So with its normal allotment of 25, plus two spots to count back, FSU can take 27.

Priority should be given to players who can enroll early. Even though FSU can only count back two of those who enroll early, that does not prevent others from doing so. And given that Florida State might be losing well over half of its starters to graduation and or the draft after 2014, getting players in early and getting them bulked up and through spring might be worth an extra win in 2015.

A hypothetical class might look like: QB, QB RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, WR, TE, TE, OL, OL, OL, OL, OL, DL, DL, DL, DL, LB, LB, DB, DB, DB, DB, DB.

The fight for talent in the Pac-12 is fierce.

The talent in the West was a bit down in the class of 2014 compared to some other years. And that made the battles between the excellent coaching staffs in the Pac-12 all the more interesting. A Pac-12 recruit team is a cool way to help visualize who got the top talent, and where the talent really is in the league from a position standpoint.

Receivers up, defensive linemen down

The Pac-12 reeled in quite a few good linebackers, like Zach Whitley (UCLA), and had an excellent day at receiver as well, with players like John "JuJu" Smith (USC) and Budda Baker (Washington) bringing firepower to the league.

But as has often been the case, the league lagged behind when it comes to signing elite defensive linemen. The entire Pac-12 signed four players at the position rated four- or five-stars. Some teams in other conferences matched that. The reality facing the Pac-12 is that elite defensive linemen, particularly on the interior, are not abundant at high schools west of the Rockies, and to get more of them, the conference must win more long-distance recruiting battles.

USC, Washington make big strides with new coaches

USC coach Steve Sarkisian had a huge first National Signing Day in Los Angeles, going three-for-three with his final targets, and landing far and away the best class in the Pac-12 despite still dealing with scholarship limitations.

And Chris Petersen did a tremendous job locking down the state of Washington in his few short weeks on the job. Landing Budda Baker was big.

Stanford also had an excellent close, securing Solomon Thomas and Terrence Alexander.

Bottom of the league not closing the talent gap

Utah, Colorado, Cal, Washington State and Oregon State combined for just two players on the team. While they may find some diamonds in the rough, it's pretty clear that they will have a hard time making big strides in the league if they do not close the talent gap some.

Note: Players are ranked according to the 247Sports Composite, an average of the four major recruiting services. Friday, we'll compare the conferences against one another and see how they stack up by talent and position.

More from SB Nation college football:

Follow @SBNationCFBFollow @SBNRecruiting

• Consensus top 25 2014 recruiting classes

• National Signing Day’s biggest winners and losers

• Numbers show recruiting matters very, very, very much

• Interactive map: exploring the SEC’s Signing Day

• College football news | The SEC is taking over the country

• Long CFB reads | The death of a college football player

James Willis not the next LB coach?

Recruiting

One of FSU's big emphases in the class of 2015 will be to get recruits to enroll for spring, not so that it can maximize the class size, but because FSU might be losing as many as 15 starters to graduation of the NFL off the 2014 team and getting spring experience is very beneficial for those wanting to play early. I expect this to be the biggest class of early enrollees FSU has ever had.

.#FSU 2015 DL commit @Swaggdaddy_24 says he is on track to graduate early and enroll in spring. That's a big emphasis for the class. #Noles

— TomahawkNation.com (@TomahawkNation) February 7, 2014

I like Marlon Gonzalez quite a bit. He's a player who is a bit under the radar, but watching his junior film, I am 100-percent ready to say FSU was smart to accept his commit when it did last summer. While recruiting rankings are continually getting more and more accurate, they are extremely sketchy this early on.

-Junior days will be February 22 and March 1, and I'm sure FSU will have many players from all over the South and potentially the country invited in. Tallahassee is beautiful in early spring and is a great contrast to some of the other areas of the country that are still pretty chilly.

-I felt like a huge homer writing about FSU's 2014 class, but the Seminoles really did hit home runs at every position and unquestionably met their needs. It's hard to find anything to dislike about the class at all.

-You are going to hear about a lot of elite prospects in the state favoring Florida. All I'll note is that it is way, way early, and at this point last year, nobody saw Florida State landing Dalvin Cook, Ermon Lane, etc. Florida State is going to get very good players under Jimbo Fisher, and there really should never be any doubt about that. Just know that being the defending National Champions won't make every kid who grew up loving the Gators suddenly favor FSU. Also, FSU might go a little bit more nationally focused this year, in addition to hitting South Florida hard once again.

Football

Apparently James Willis will not be the next linebackers coach of Florida State. I can tell you that FSU's media is very, very surprised about this.

-Bill's S&P+ projections are out. FSU comes in at No. 2.

Audio

Jimbo Fisher was on the Joe Rose show Friday morning and discussed recruiting and Jameis Winston potentially coming back.

-I was on 1010XL Thursday to discuss Florida State's recruiting haul.

-Ingram and I recorded the podcast last night and it should be out sometime today.

More from Tomahawk Nation

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• Florida State football recruiting: 2015 position needs
• FSU cruises over Virginia Tech, 70-50
• Florida State football recruiting: Small defensive back class on National Signing Day 2014
• Florida State recruiting: Seminoles meet tight end need on National Signing Day
• Florida State football recruiting: How loaded will the receiver group be on National Signing Day?