Mike Norvell meets with high-profile Florida State target, five-star running back

The Seminoles are looking to make another addition to their backfield in the 2026 class.
Tedarius Hughes/IG

Florida State made a nice addition to its 2026 recruiting class earlier this week after netting a commitment from four-star running back Amari Clemons. With that being said, the Seminoles are still continuing to look for a running mate to add alongside Clemons in the backfield.

Now that the coaching staff has a blue-chip talent in the boat, they can afford to shoot for a home run to finish off the position for #Tribe26.

Last week, five-star running back Derrek Cooper included Florida State in his top ten schools list along with programs such as Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Miami, among others.

READ MORE: Luke Petitbon shares Thomas Castellanos played role in recruiting him to Florida State

Head coach Mike Norvell dropped by to meet with the elite prospect on Wednesday. It's been a busy January for Cooper as programs from multiple contenders have checked in on him this month. He was at Auburn for a visit last weekend.

Cooper is an extremely coveted recruit around the top but the Seminoles were near the top of his list just a few months ago. The program will need to continue getting him back in Tallahassee consistently and sell him on the new rushing attack that Gus Malzahn is expected to bring to Florida State.

As a junior, Cooper starred for a Chaminade-Madonna High School team that went 13-2 and won its fourth straight state championship. He rushed 124 times for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns while catching nine passes for 156 yards and another score. Cooper added 46 tackles, ten tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, four pass deflections, two blocked punts, and one interception that he returned for a touchdown.

The Florida native rushed a season-high 29 times for 184 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-34 loss to Blanche Ely High School on August 30. He recorded nine tackles and a tackle for loss in a 35-6 playoff victory against Trinity Christian Academy on December 6.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound running back is regarded as the No. 23 overall prospect, the No. 3 ATH, and the No. 3 recruit in Florida in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.

Florida State holds six verbal commitments in its 2026 class which ranks No. 10 in the country.

Who Is Committed To FSU In The 2026 Class?

Four-Star WR Efrem White

Four-Star WR Darryon Williams

Four-Star DB Darryl Bell III

Four-Star RB Amari Clemons

Three-Star DB Tedarius Hughes

Three-Star OL Xavier Payne

Who Does Florida State Have At Running Back For The 2025 Season?

Redshirt Senior Roydell Williams

Redshirt Senior Caziah Holmes

Redshirt Junior Jaylin Lucas

Redshirt Sophomore Samuel Singleton

Sophomore Kam Davis

Redshirt Freshman Micahi Danzy

Redshirt Freshman Zay Parks

Redshirt Freshman Jeremiah Johnson

True Freshman Ousmane Kromah


READ MORE: four-star 6-foot-9 offensive tackle Chastan Brown commits to Florida State

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Dustin Lewis
DUSTIN LEWIS

Lewis joined NoleGameday in 2016 and is currently in the role of Editor-In-Chief. A graduate of Florida State, Lewis contributes to football, recruiting, and basketball coverage. Connect with Dustin on Twitter at @DustinLewisNG.