Seminoles Make The Cut For Five-Star Defensive End Who Has Visited Tallahassee Twice This Year
Florida State is in the midst of building a top-10 recruiting class in Tallahassee after landing seven commitments to this point in July. However, head coach Mike Norvell and his staff have shown an impressive ability to focus on the present while keeping an eye on the future.
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The Seminoles are already generating traction with some of the top prospects in the 2025 cycle. That includes commitments from four-star quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. and four-star wide receiver DL Hardison.
On Sunday afternoon, five-star defensive end Zion Grady revealed his top ten schools. Florida State was one of the programs to make the cut alongside Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, Michigan, USC, and Louisville.
Grady has visited Tallahassee twice since the calendar turned to 2023. He was able to work alongside the coaching staff during the Elite Camp in June and likes how Florida State uses its defensive ends.
"I like the way they use their defensive ends," Grady said to NoleGameday previously. "They try to get them one on one matchups a lot to get them to the quarterback. He [John Papuchis] was just showing me things that would help me out with my game like pass-rusher wise. Telling me to have four moves in mind when I'm on the field, stuff like that."
Head coach Mike Norvell and defensive ends John Papuchis are two of the coaches at the forefront of Grady's recruitment. There's a possibility he returns to Florida State for another visit during the fall.
"He [Norvell] just wanted to tell me to keep my head focused," Grady said previously. "Stay on a good track and all of that type of stuff."
Outside of Florida State, Grady has visited Auburn, Georgia, and Alabama during the offseason.
As a junior, he recorded 106 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and two blocked field goals for Charles Henderson High School.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound defensive end is regarded as the No. 7 overall prospect, the No. 1 EDGE, and the No. 2 recruit in the state of Alabama in the 2025 class according to 247Sports.
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