Trio of Prospects That Florida State Was Involved With Commit To Other Programs

This doesn't dampen the success that the Seminoles have put together during the month of July.

There's no doubt that July has been one to remember on the recruiting trail for Florida State. The Seminoles have landed seven commitments during the first half of the month and could climb even higher over the next couple of weeks.

READ MORE: Four-Star Local Running Back Micahi Danzy Staying Home With The Seminoles

At the same time, there have been a couple of surprises that haven't gone in FSU's favor. Earlier in the month, five-star wide receivers Cam Coleman (Texas A&M) and JoJo Trader (Miami) both committed to other programs out of nowhere.

Three more recruits that Florida State was involved with pledged to other schools over the duration of Friday and Saturday; four-star defensive tackle Artavius Jones (Miami), three-star defensive back Ashton Hampton (Clemson), and three-star defensive back Kevin Levy (Rutgers). 

Like Coleman and Trader, Jones' decision came as a surprise when he went off the board to the Hurricanes on Friday afternoon. There was some thought that he would move his decision back to the fall but instead, he chose to make a summer commitment after officially visiting Miami and UCF in June.

A teammate of former Florida State commitment Jordan Pride at Blountstown High School, Jones hails less than 55 miles away from Tallahassee. However, he hasn't visited the Seminoles since the beginning of March. In the meantime, he checked out Miami (x2), UCF (x2), Florida Atlantic, and Tennessee.

There's no doubt that this recruitment has been a little strange for a prospect who is regarded as a top-150 recruit but Florida State might try to get him in for an official visit during the season. The Seminoles are left with an interior board that doesn't have very many options. Three-star defensive tackle D'Nas White was on campus in June but the coaching staff is likely looking for a higher-caliber prospect to add alongside Jamorie Flagg in #Tribe24.

A local product out of Florida High, Hampton chose Clemson on Saturday afternoon - the same day his high school teammate, Micahi Danzy, committed to the Seminoles. The Tigers were the publicly perceived favorite going into the announcement and had been trending since hosting him for an official visit in June. Hampton also visited Florida, Arkansas, and Louisville last month but hasn't seen Florida State since the Spring Showcase in April.

Prior to his commitment, the Seminoles were scheduled to host Hampton for an official visit in December. We'll see if he decides to still go through with those plans following the conclusion of his senior season. That will also depend on where Florida State's recruiting board stands as the program takes a shot at five-star cornerback Charles Lester II and five-star safety KJ Bolden.

Levy officially visited Florida State in June and was thought to be a lean to the program at one point. With that being said, the additions of four-star cornerback Ricky Knight III and three-star safety Rydarrius Morgan alongside longtime commit CJ Heard solidified the floor of the Seminoles' defensive back class. The coaching staff will chase crown jewels such as Lester II and Bolden, and others, to conclude the 2024 cycle.

The Florida native is an elite athlete who is expected to star on the football field and track at the next level. He fits in well with a Rutgers program that is trying to advance amongst the upper echelon of the Big Ten. Interestingly enough, Levy is also Knight's cousin.

Florida State holds 18 verbal commitments in its 2024 class. The haul ranks No. 11 in the country according to 247Sports.

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READ MORE: Which True Freshman Will Make The Biggest Impact For FSU In 2023?

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