Florida State’s 2017 football recruiting class got noticeably larger on Friday night as the Seminoles received the commitment of not one, but two prospects that head coach Jimbo Fisher and company have had their eye on for some time.
Early in the day, the Seminoles learned that junior college linebacker Adonis Thomas committed. Later in the evening, tight end Tre’ McKitty flipped his commitment from Oregon to FSU. After reviewing the tape, we tell you what each will bring to the table when they get to Tallahassee.
Adonis Thomas, LB
A former member of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Adonis Thomas spent the 2016 season playing for Northwest Mississippi Community College. Thomas, a 3-star prospect at 6-3 and 230 pounds, was ranked the No. 25 JUCO prospect for 2017 and the second-best inside linebacker. Thomas will arrive in Tallahassee as a redshirt sophomore and have three years of eligibility.
What he brings: A 6-3 inside linebacker, Thomas is very good at using his long frame to his advantage. Despite weighing 230 pounds, Thomas appears fairly agile and goes sideline-to-sideline very well. Thomas is a pretty good A and B gap blitzer, but his biggest strength is using his instincts and running down the ball carrier. Thomas has a very high football IQ.
If there is one area where Thomas could stand to improve, it might be shedding blocks. That could be done by adding some upper-body strength. For an inside linebacker, Thomas does a pretty good job in pass coverage, but it’s not his biggest strength.
How he fits: Thomas could see the field fairly early for Florida State. Matthew Thomas and Ro’Derrick Hoskins will have one year of eligibility left and though the Seminoles have some promising young linebackers like Emmett Rice and Josh Brown, the only one to have seen meaningful playing time so far is Dontavious Jackson. Jacob Pugh is another FSU linebacker that will be a senior next season, but Pugh is primarily used in the “BUCK” position which is a hybrid pass-rusher role.
Delvin Purifoy and Sh’Mar Kilby-Lane are two others who have had a tough time staying on the field. If Thomas works hard and picks up the scheme, it’s not at all hard to imagine him being ahead of the likes those two on the depth chart. Expect Adonis Thomas to see some time next season, but he probably won’t have a real chance at starting until 2018.
Tre’ McKitty, TE
A 3-star prospect out of IMG Academy and the No. 18 tight end for 2017, McKitty flipped from his July commitment to Oregon on Friday. McKitty is a top 500 national prospect and is also long at 6-4 and 235 pounds.
What he brings: As a receiver, McKitty is a natural. He runs good routes, has great hands, long strides and high-points the ball very well. Once McKitty catches it, he always seems to be looking to turn it upfield for additional yardage. Like Thomas, McKitty has a high football IQ.
McKitty comes off as a maximum-effort player with a high motor. McKitty is also eager to block and generally does a pretty good job of that. At 235 pounds however, McKitty is lean and could benefit from putting on about 10 or 15 pounds of muscle as soon as possible. To become a complete tight end at the Power 5 level, adding upper and lower body strength is a must.
How he fits: McKitty isn’t likely to see the field immediately for Florida State, but the fact that he was willing to flip from Oregon to FSU shows that he’s not afraid of competition.
Ryan Izzo and Mavin Saunders, FSU’s top two current tight ends, each have two years of eligibility left. Naseir Upshur, a current freshman, has a very promising future as well. McKitty is also one of two 2017 tight ends currently committed to FSU along with Alexander Marshall, a 3-star prospect from Massachusetts. If McKitty sticks it out, his athleticism and receiving ability could be a real asset to the Seminoles, but it’s hard to see him making a huge impact before 2019.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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