FSU beats out Georgia, lands blue-chip DB Ta’Shawn Poole

The Seminoles had to withstand a heavy push from the in-state Georgia Bulldogs, but Florida State held its ground and secured a commitment from top-100 prospect and four-star safety Ta’Shawn Poole on Friday.Poole chose the Seminoles over the aforementioned Bulldogs and Tennessee. According to the Rivals Industry Ranking, the Macon, Ga., product is currently ranked as the No. 72 overall prospect in the 2027 class and the No. 5 safety in the country. Tennessee was considered the frontrunner for Poole in the months leading up to his official visits, but a strong spring visit to Tallahassee kick-started the momentum for Florida State. That momentum carried through Poole’s official visit to FSU on June 12, when the ‘Noles delivered another strong weekend. Florida State sources expressed confidence in their standing with Poole as he entered decision-making mode, but Georgia came on strong in the following days and was able to bring Poole in for a previously unscheduled official visit right before the dead period. While there was positive buzz for the Bulldogs coming out of that visit, Florida State still ended up being the choice. “Like I said, the loyalty and the consistency that they have as all the coaches — every day is the same with them — so I know that they’ll push me to be the best,” Poole said of the Florida State coaching staff after his official visit. “They just want to see me be myself.” “The tradition, the culture and the staff really made Florida State stand out,” he later told On3’s Chad Simmons. Family ties could have played a role in Poole’s decision too, as he is the nephew of former FSU women’s basketball star Latavia Coleman, who was the first Seminole to be drafted into the WNBA. Poole is the 15th commitment in Mike Norvell’s 2027 recruiting class, joining Jemari Foreman and recent commitment Za’Kari Johnson in the Seminoles’ defensive back class. SIGN UP: Join Warchant’s FSU Community for $1 today ***Discuss this article with Florida State football fans on the Premium Recruiting Board***