BREAKING: Florida State secures talented defensive back

The Seminoles stuck around in this recruitment and it paid off.

The commitment and signing of Niceville, FL athlete Azaryeh Thomas is the perfect example of the long-game in recruiting. On Wednesday, Thomas, an athlete, committed and signed with FSU during his early signing period announcement.

Throughout the recruitment process of Thomas, Florida State was the constant. Despite Thomas being rumored to other schools at certain times like Georgia Tech, LSU and Florida, Mike Norvell and his staff kept the lines of communication open with Azareyeh. That long-game approach and commitment paid off in huge dividends as Thomas joins Sam McCall to form a solid defensive back class.

Rated as the 93rd best player overall on the composite, Thomas chose FSU over Florida, LSU, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma. Thomas, a standout athlete with excellent ball skills, could even play wide receiver on the next level.

His length, speed, and ability to play the ball should be an immediate help to a Seminole secondary looking to add depth and talent to the safety spot.

While Thomas attended one of FSU’s summer camps it seemed early on that the Seminoles were going to miss out on the panhandle product. The coaching changes at LSU and Florida surely helped, but it was Azareyeh’s December official visit that sealed the deal for the Noles.

Thomas visited FSU as a sophomore, but as he said in interviews, the feel of the program is different and the defense fits his style of play. In the end, it was enough for the ‘Noles to add another blue-chip recruit to the class.

NoleGameday will continue to follow Florida State's Early Signing Period finish throughout the day. You can check out our prospect tracker for all of the upcoming announcements HERE.

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