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FSU pulls off another big one as elite DL Earnest Rankins commits to 'Noles

On3 imageby:Michael Langston•07/02/25•

MichaelWarchant

Earnest Rankins
Earnest Rankins Photo by Jeremy Johnson.

The Florida State Seminoles landed 12 big commitments in the month of June. Now two days into July, they have picked up a commitment that arguably could be the biggest of all.

Four-star Georgia defensive lineman Earnest Rankins, who is rated the No. 5 defensive lineman in the country, announced Wednesday that he also is headed to Florida State.

“If there’s one thing I can say about FSU Football that stood out, and continues to stick out is, the fight the program that was once a winning program has to rebuild,” Rankins told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “It’s a story to be told. The staff is a brotherhood — just as well as the player core — also made them a great pick for me.”

The buzz for FSU in this recruitment started to bubble up during the spring, but things really got going after his official visit last month.

“It was an eye-opening visit for sure,” Rankins said at the time. “It was great. I got to see how the team, players work. Florida State is very high energy, and I like that.”

The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder also got to spend plenty of time with Florida State defensive line coach Terrance Knighton.

“We sat in the film study for like an hour, and he showed me in the tape work that I can be a strong player,” Rankins said.

The Decatur, Ga., standout is ranked the No. 2 player in the state of Georgia and was strongly considering Auburn, Ohio State, Georgia among others.

Michael’s analysis on Rankins and Florida State

This is a massive commitment for Florida State. Not only is Rankins considered one of the top 50 prospects in this class overall, but the Seminoles have really needed to make some big moves on the defensive line. And Rankins is about as good as it gets.

Rankins pairs with fellow four-star DL commit Tico Crittendon, who also is from the Peach State, to give the ‘Noles two very strong linemen to build around. I originally thought FSU might need some more time to build traction with top DL prospects after last season’s disappointing performance, but Knighton has made a splash with these two.

One of the big selling points for Florida State right now is this new defensive scheme, which will allow some linemen to play inside and outside. Recruits seem to like that they will get different opportunities to show their skills. The ‘Noles also have a pretty inviting depth chart when it comes to earning early playing time.

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