BREAKING: Four-star safety commits to Florida State in surprising fashion
If there's one thing you can say about recruiting, it never fails to be entertaining. On Wednesday, four-star safety CJ Heard announced a July 30 commitment date with a top seven that didn't include Florida State. That came as a surprise considering that Heard seemed to be trending to the Seminoles in the spring.
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The surprises continued into Saturday as the four-star safety arrived in Tallahassee for the Seminole Showcase. Shortly after, Heard went public with his decision to commit to Florida State via Instagram.
A twist in Florida State's favor? Seminole fans will probably take it after some of the shockers that have gone the other way in recent memory.
Saturday marked the third time that Heard has been on Florida State's campus this year. He's developed a strong relationship with the coaching staff that even trickles over to the offensive side of the ball.
"I built relationships with these coaches more than any other coaches," Heard said to NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis in an earlier interview. "I've been up here plenty of times. Relationships are a big thing for me and I have a strong relationship with all of the coaches here, even on the offensive side. Coach Atkins, Coach Ratliff, Coach Woodson, coach Greg Moss. You can't beat it when it's a family vibe. You can't top a school like that."
The Seminoles were Heard's dream school growing up. He wants to develop into the next great defensive back to come out of Florida State when his career in Tallahassee is complete.
"I want to be a part of the FSU legacy," Heard said to NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis in an earlier interview. "I want to be the next great DB coming out of FSU. Everything about the school is perfect to me. This is my first time touring the campus today and I loved it, I love everything about it. It's hard for me to stay away from FSU, that's just how it is. It's just the history and how I care about the school."
Florida State likes Heard as a boundary safety at the next level. He's a physical defensive back who can be a menace in coverage and run support. Heard and defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson broke down his fit in the defense during his visit to the Seminoles spring game.
Heard becomes the sixth player to commit to Florida State in the 2024 class. The haul ranks No. 2 in the country according to 247Sports.
The 6-foot, 200-pound safety is regarded as the No. 249 overall prospect, the No. 23 S, and the No. 35 prospect in the state of Georgia in the 2024 class according to 247Sports.
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