Team by Team: ACC Football Recruiting #1 Florida State

I am going to try and do a team by team review of each team's football recruiting in the ACC. I will start with the team with the best class, this year FSU, and go down from there.

Recap: FSU has recruited well for decades under Bobby Bowden and this year was no different. According to rivals.com, the 'Noles signed the number six class in the country. With head coach in waiting Jimbo Fisher giving the program a national sense of stability, FSU was able to attack the recruiting trail with more success this year than maybe the past 3 or 4. Here are the offensive and defensive breakdowns for the Florida State football class of 2009.

Offense: Florida State signed two five star prospects, but both are on the defensive side of the ball. With that said, this class is stocked with playmakers and the usual FSU speed. WR Rodney Smith is ranked as the number eight receiver in the country and number 65 regardless of position. He had offers from Tennessee, Auburn, and Ole Miss among others but the Seminoles were able to keep the 6'6" receiver in state. The 'Noles also signed two four star backs in Lonnie Pryor and Chris Thompson. This has been a position that has underperformed lately for FSU and getting these two guys was definitely a huge coup. Both run under 4.5 forty yard dashes and Pryor also weighs almost 200 lbs. The offensive line had been woeful over the past five years but had shown considerable improvement under Rick Trickett last year. The Noles signed 3 offensive lineman in this class, with one four star and two three star guys. Aubrey Phillips is the four star, signed to play tackle and goes 6'6" and 310 lbs. He is rated the #25 tackle in the country. The Noles signed one QB, Will Secord (***) but this was not a huge position of need for them with their youth returning along with top 5 QB recruit from last year E.J. Manuel.

Defense: This is where the Seminoles stockpiled some serious talent and athleticism. Both of their five star signees were on this side of the ball in DT Jacobbi McDaniel and DB Greg Reid. Reid was a huge late sign for the Noles as he is rated as the #4 DB in the country and had offers from just about everywhere in the country. McDaniel will be the prototypical DT for the Seminoles in the coming years, decent size but extremely quick and will wreak havoc in opposing backfields. The Noles also scored a commitment from Willie Downs, graded as an ATH on rivals.com but will most likely end up on the defensive side of the ball, most likely at safety replacing Myron Rolle. Downs is a ballhawk and a heck of a playmaker. Other four star defensive commits included DE Demonte McAllister (#4 DE), DB Jajuan Harley (#12 DB), DE Brandon Jenkins (#13 DE), and LB C.J. Mizell (#19 LB). Gerald Demps is also regarded as somewhat underrated at three stars and is another addition to the Seminoles defensive backfield.

Special Teams: While I will not probably have a section for every teams' ST, FSU deserves one. They got a commitment from the number ONE kicker in the country this year in Dustin Hopkins, from Texas. Rivals also rates him the kicker with the strongest leg and fourth most accurate leg of kickers that will be heading to a college campus this fall.

Overall, the Seminoles signed a great class that should propel them in the coming years back towards the top of the national polls. This class, along with last year's great class, should have Bobby Bowden going out a winner, whenever that is, and give new coach Jimbo Fisher plenty to work with. Serious defensive talent in this class!!