4-Star Defensive End Malcolm Lamar Commits to Florida State

Florida State won a crucial in-state recruiting battle on Wednesday morning. 4-star defensive end Malcolm Lamar announced that he would sign with the Seminoles over the rival Florida Gators.

Lamar comes from the same high school (Armwood) as fellow FSU commit Warren Thompson, but Lamar was not nearly as secure as Thompson. He originally committed to Oregon when Willie Taggart was the head coach in Eugene, but Lamar never had a strong relationship with FSU beforehand.

In fact, the other main contender for him was Florida. Dan Mullen and staff made a late push for him in January and even got him on campus for an official visit. However, Lamar talked to FSU afterwards and eventually took an unofficial visit with Thompson and teammate James Miller. It was likely decided on that visit.

Evaluating Lamar is a difficult task. The tools are all there to be a great defensive end as he’s lengthy, powerful, and looks disciplined on tape. He’s a bit slow off the snap, but that can be improved on with more training. The main question with Lamar is how he fits as a 4-3 defensive end in Florida State’s current scheme.

His 247Sports profile lists him at 6-5 and 250 pounds, but recent photos suggest that he’s probably pushing 300 at the moment. He will need to lose weight and improve his pass rush if he wants to contribute as an end.

He is ranked as the ninth best defensive end and 222nd overall recruit by the 247Sports Composite rankings. His commitment puts the Seminoles at 12th in the team rankings.