Five-Star Offensive Lineman 'Disappointed' He Couldn't Sign With Florida State

The Seminoles lost out on their top recruit despite him seemingly wanting to be in Tallahassee.

Raines offensive lineman Solomon Thomas holds an LSU football jersey after signing with the Tigers on Dec. 4, 2024. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union] / Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Florida State lost its top-ranked commitment during the Early Signing Period for the fourth straight year on Wednesday evening. Five-star offensive lineman Solomon Thomas flipped from the Seminoles and signed with LSU during a ceremony at his high school.

On a day where FSU pulled off multiple flips of its own, it was still a hit to lose an elite prospect at a position of need. It sounds like Thomas tried to give the Seminoles as many chances as he could to hold onto his signature.

READ MORE: Florida State Flips Fifth Prospect On First Day Of Early Signing Period

While speaking to reporters following his decision, Thomas claimed that he was disappointed he 'couldn't sign with Florida State.

"I had a conversation with the offensive line coach [at LSU]. He's a great guy on and off the field and that was the kind of same vibe I was getting from the offensive line coach at Florida State before," Thomas said. "I think I made a final decision truly, when I was really at peace with it, was yesterday, when I was truly like 'ok this is more than just a commitment, like this is going to be my life.'"

"I was waiting on a phone call today on some determining factors that could probably lead me to different schools but I'm glad it's over honestly," Thomas continued. "I was ready to get it over. Again, just really disappointed I couldn't go to Florida State."

5 ⭐️ Solomon Thomas (OL) signs with LSU. His last words were : “Just really disappointed I couldn’t go to Florida State” 😳😳😳

🎥: @wjxt4 @biggameJames_36 #FSU #FSUTwitter #NoleFamily #keepCLIMBing pic.twitter.com/KOvooECiKZ

— The Sports Den (@sportsDen_live) December 5, 2024

Thomas was vocal about his displeasure with Florida State's move to fire offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins in November. The two had built a close relationship throughout his nearly one-year commitment. Thomas was in Tallahassee for a visit over the weekend but the Seminoles still didn't have a new offensive line coach in place before the Early Signing Period.

The uncertainty surrounding his future position coach seemed to play a big factor in Thomas choosing LSU. It sounds like the program would've had a better chance to keep him in the fold by moving quicker on that front.

The 6-foot-4, 315-pound offensive lineman is regarded as the No. 24 overall prospect, the No. 2 IOL, and the No. 4 recruit in Florida in the 2025 class according to 247Sports.

Florida State holds 18 signees in its 2025 class which ranks No. 25 in the country.

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