Frank Fanelli

Jaiden Woodbey, a 5-star safety hailing from Fontana, California, committed to the Florida State Seminoles on Wednesday after initially pledging to attend Ohio State University. As a die-hard Buckeyes fans, this one truly pains me to write about. Here’s his official announcement via his twitter:

According to the current ranking, Woodbey is the 27th-ranked recruit overall and the No. 2 safety in the class of 2018. He’s also the fourth-ranked player in the state of California behind wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, wide receiver Devon Williams, and cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart. Woodbey initially committed to Ohio State in February, but his intentions shifted after the Seminoles replaced former head coach Jimbo Fisher with Willie Taggart.

Woodbey tweeted last week an off-hand comment about the fact that the previous Florida State staff never offered him. Well new Florida State coach, Willie Taggart, who recruited Woodbey some at Oregon, quickly followed up with an offer to the 5-star prospect from California that same day.

Needless to say, Woodbey’s change of heart is great news for Florida State. The Seminoles had yet to land a 5-star recruit for their 2018 class prior to Woodbey’s announcement, and his arrival should bolster a secondary that’s looking like it could be among the nation’s most intimidating a few years down the line.

In addition to Woodbey, Florida State has snared commitments from 4-star cornerbacks Anthony Lytton and Asante Samuel Jr.  All told, FSU has now locked down four recruits inside the composite top 100. Woodbey will for sure start next year, and we should all keep an eye out for how he produces.