Tallahassee's Top Recruit Spurns FSU Football To Stick With Florida Gators – Sports Illustrated

Florida State's defensive end board is thinning out to begin July with Tallahassee's top recruit shutting down his recruitment to play for one of the Seminoles' biggest rivals.
On Monday, four-star defensive end Jalen Wiggins announced he was locking in with the Florida Gators after exploring his options over the past few months. Instead of suiting up for his hometown, he plans to wear orange and blue at the college level.
"I want to thank the Lord for every opportunity and blessing bestowed upon me within this entire recruiting process as well as all those who have recruited me," Wiggins wrote on social media. "I will be shutting down my recruitment!"
I want to thank the Lord for every opportunity and blessing bestowed upon me within this entire recruiting process as well as all those who have recruited me. I will be shutting down my recruitment! 🐊 pic.twitter.com/ETljAG93W9
The Seminoles made a big push for Wiggins dating back to the spring. They got him on campus in March for the Legacy recruiting event where he was able to speak with arguably the biggest name to ever come out of the 850, legendary linebacker Ernie Sims. Now a member of FSU's coaching staff, Sims was able to provide Wiggins with a perspective that not many others would understand.
READ MORE: Longtime Blue-Chip Offensive Tackle Target Commits To Oregon, Cancels FSU Football Official Visit
Wiggins was back at Florida State three more times in June, including for his official visit on the final weekend before the dead period. Make no mistake about it, this was a prospect that the Seminoles coveted but they came out on the wrong end of the battle with the Gators. He committed to Florida in January.
There is still a chance that head coach Mike Norvell could make a run to flip Wiggins leading up to December's Early Signing Period. Florida has to grapple with arguably the toughest schedule in the country this fall and the outcome could very well decide if Billy Napier is retained. A poor season or coaching changes would give the 'Noles an open door to get back into this one.
For now, however, this is a sizable blow to the recruiting board as there simply aren't many other recruits at the position that FSU has a ton of traction with at this time. Four-star Javion Hilson has been committed dating back to January but the staff needs to add at least one other scholarship player to the position, maybe two. Four-star Zion Grady (Ohio State) and three-star Nicolas Clayton (Wisconsin) both made decisions last month.
The only uncommitted defensive end that officially visited the Seminoles is four-star Jared Smith. He's considering the program along with Auburn, USC, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. It'll be interesting to see if Florida State begins to expand its focus and evaluation efforts leading up to the signing period.
Wiggins recorded 70 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and three pass deflections on defense during his junior season for Rickards High School. He also rushed four times for 79 yards and a touchdown on offense. The 6-foot-4.5, 255-pound defensive end is regarded as the No. 77 overall prospect, the No. 11 DL, and the No. 13 recruit in Florida in the 2025 class according to 247Sports.
Florida State holds nine verbal commitments in #Tribe25 which ranks No. 36 in the country.
READ MORE: FSU Football Beats Out Texas Longhorns For Elite Defensive Tackle
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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.
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