Positive momentum for Florida State on the 2017 recruiting trail continued last week as the Seminoles added a pair of teammates from Turner County High School in Ashburn, Georgia. The additions of wide receiver Tamorrion Terry and cornerback Ontaria Wilson on Jan. 12 filled two very important needs.
Both Terry and Wilson are the second players taken at their positions for the class of 2017. Terry joins 4-star Jacksonville prospect D.J. Matthews at wide receiver while Wilson joins 5-star Stanford Samuels among committed cornerbacks. We’ll break down how each fits with the Seminoles:
Tamorrion Terry, WR
Terry is a 6-4, 210-pound 3-star prospect, who is ranked as the No. 430 overall recruit for 2017 and the 66th best receiver, according to the 247Sports’ Composite rankings. There is some concern that Terry could struggle to qualify, but if he does, he’ll help fill a much-needed position.
What he brings: From looking at his high school film, Terry is the quintessential big receiver. Terry uses his big body well, adjusts well to passes, high-points the ball well and has good, strong hands. With long strides, Terry runs well and has pretty good upper-body strength.
Though Terry was much more athletic than the competition that usually lined up against him, he isn’t overly shifty. Terry’s downhill speed is a strength, but don’t expect him to make a lot of guys miss in the open field. From an athletic standpoint however, Terry has a ton of potential, but is fairly raw and could be slow adapting to the college game after running mostly go routes in high school.
How he fits: With Auden Tate, a 6-5 junior, returning and George Campbell, a 6-5 target, coming off a groin injury, it’s unlikely that Terry makes much of an impact as a freshman in 2017. It’s very possible that he redshirts.
FSU has only five scholarship receivers returning, but none of them will be seniors next season. Unless one of them leaves early, it’s probable that Terry won’t become a major asset to FSU until at least 2019. If someone like Tate leaves after his junior year, Terry could be groomed as a potential red zone weapon in 2018, assuming he develops.
Ontaria Wilson, CB
An unranked player by 247Sports’ Composite rankings, Wilson received his first Power 5 offer last week from Florida State and promptly committed. Wilson is listed at 6-0 and 160 pounds.
What he brings: At 6-0, Wilson is a relatively big cornerback with very good ball skills, including good hands. Wilson has good technique and seems to always be in good position to make a play on the ball. Wilson is alert, aware and does a pretty good job breaking on the ball. Wilson also has the look of a max-effort player. With the ball in his hands, Wilson looks very comfortable and tries to score every time.
In coverage, Wilson seems to gamble a bit and while it isn’t an issue at the high school level, it could be at the college level. At only 160 pounds, Wilson could stand to put on some weight and strength, especially in his lower body. What Wilson also lacks, is great speed. He’s agile and moves well, but doesn’t have noticeable burst.
How he fits: With Samuels coming in, guys like Carlos Becker, Levonta Taylor and Kyle Meyers becoming sophomores and others like Tarvarus McFadden and Marcus Lewis becoming juniors, it’s safe to consider Wilson a project at this time. There’s a very good chance that Wilson will get a redshirt next season.
The earliest that Wilson will likely see time on defense is 2019, but even that seems to be a stretch at this point. What Wilson could develop into however, is a solid special teams player. Developing into a contributor defensively will take some work. But if that happens and he can add weight, Wilson might be best served to play FSU’s “STAR” position, which is a defensive back/linebacker hybrid. Expect him to be used as a situational player, reserve and/or special teamer for most of his FSU career.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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