FSU Basketball's highest rated recruit granted release from NLI after coaching change

Luke Loucks will have to rebuild the 2025 recruiting class.

2025 recruit Dwayne Wimbley Jr. on an official visit to Florida State / St. Thomas Aquinas Athletics Instragram

Florida State is entering a new era for its basketball program. Leonard Hamilton announced his resignation in February that would be effective at the end of the season, and Luke Loucks is now manning the helm for the Seminoles.

Loucks is bringing in his own staff and system, so changes are bound to occur. The first one dropped on Tuesday morning as FSU's highest rated recruit in the 2025 class was granted a release from his National Letter of Intent.

READ MORE: Leonard Hamilton era officially ends as FSU Basketball is excluded from NIT Tournament

Florida State’s new head basketball coach Luke Loucks introduces himself, shares his beliefs and coaching style during a press conference Monday, March 10, 2025. / Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Four-star forward Dwayne Wimbley Jr. from St. Thomas Aquinas was granted release from his NLI on Tuesday. Wimbley had been committed to FSU for nearly a year announcing his pledge on June 10th of 2024, and signing with the program in November.

Wimbley's father played for Leonard Hamilton at Miami in the late 1990s, and it seemed that both father and son wanted the opportunity to play for Coach Hamilton. Wimbley Jr. is a great athlete and playmaker, but is may be a little undersized to play as a bigger wing in the ACC, listed at 6'6", 210-pound forward.

"Due to the coaching change, I would like to weigh my options," Wimbley said to 247Sports. "I would like to thank the previous staff for the love and support they have have shown me. It was a dream to have the opportunity to play for a legend like coach Hamilton. I will take the time to try and build a relationship with the new staff."

Wimbley doesn't hold any more known power conference offers, with schools like Ohio, Florida International, and Samford among the schools that had offered him before his commitment to FSU. He plans to still consider the Seminoles and has talked with Coach Loucks since Loucks took over.

Florida State only has one more player signed for the 2025 class, Nigerian native unranked center Nico Onyekwere from Long Island Lutheran, but it wouldn't be surprised to see him granted his release, either.

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