The Seminoles landed the No. 2 cornerback in the state.
Tarvarus McFadden, of the American Heritage School, chose the Florida State Seminoles Friday over the likes of Georgia, LSU and UCF. McFadden is a five-star cornerback recruit with more than 30 offers. He stands 6'3 and weighs 190 pounds, and has become one of the most coveted defensive backs in the country.
McFadden cited academics, his visit to the school, being able to play early, and that his parents and family liked the school as well.
In early March, I scouted McFadden for SB Nation. Click through to read the entire report.
There's a lot to like about McFadden. One of the most important things is to realize that he is not a finished product. Almost 6'3, he has room for another 15-20 pounds on his frame. And that's scary, considering that he is already a physical player.
I asked McFadden what his strengths are, and he said size and length. I agree. It's clear on tape that McFadden presents a physical challenge for opposing receivers and passing games. When he plays with good balance and leverage, he can use his long arms to extend and jam receivers quite well. I do want to see him bend more frequently when he presses so he can be in a better position to turn and run. He shows the ability to do so, but must work on the consistency. He will also become even better in press coverage when he puts on additional muscle.
McFadden has better bounce in his step than some would expect for a defensive back of his size. He shows good quickness and hips for a player of his size, but those, along with his top-end speed, are simply OK or good for the cornerback position. This is part of the trade-off a defense makes when it decides to go with large corners. But this is the key: He has good enough hips, acceleration, quickness and change of direction to be a 6'3, 210-pound cornerback, whereas many players his size simply do not and must play safety.
McFadden has already taken his official visit to Florida State -- for the Notre Dame game, but has yet to use his official to Georgia. He plans to do so for the upcoming Auburn game, so FSU will have to fight to keep his commitment. Both schools run almost identical schemes and can offer a lot of early playing time.
Cornerback is a major position of need for the Seminoles int he 2015 class, and FSU will likely continue to pursue an additional corner to fill the need.
McFadden's commitment gives Florida State four of the top players in the state (along with Derwin James, Jacques Patrick and George Campbell). Rivals Florida and Miami do not have any.
FSU now has 20 commitments in the 2015 class, and 13 are rated four- or five-stars.