The program may be impacted by the retirement of legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban in a number of ways.
A rising number of athletes have used the transfer site and recruiters are leaving the Crimson Tide as Kalen DeBoer
takes charge in Tuscaloosa.
Jaime Ffrench, a five-star wide receiver, declared on Sunday night that he was withdrawing his commitment to
Alabama. In the weeks preceding his junior season in July, he made his commitment to the Crimson Tide. He
rejected Ohio State, Penn State, Florida State, and Notre Dame at the time in favor of the program.
It only makes sense for the Seminoles to make another strong effort for one of the top prospects in the nation now
that Ffrench is back on the market. Following the announcement that head coach Mike Norvell would stay in
Tallahassee rather than accept the position at Alabama, he met at Ffrench’s high school in Jacksonville with four-star
quarterback Tramell Jones Jr.
At Mandarin High School, Ffrench and Jones Jr. are teammates who have gotten along both on and off the field.
During the summer, the pair made an impression at Florida State’s Elite Camp. Jones Jr. talked about the reasons
they ought to play together for the Seminoles at the collegiate level at the time.
“He’s clearly wanted because of the relationship he has here, if you want to be coached by the best. Jones Jr. earlier told
NoleGameday, “I think this is the place for him—what he wants, his playing style, it’s just perfect here.”
The Floridian spent three days on campus last year, attending Florida State’s victory over Miami. He also saw the
Seminoles open the season with a victory over LSU in Orlando. It’s anticipated that French will return to the city
soon.
Ffrench just finished a stellar junior campaign in which he caught 62 passes for 1,247 yards and 14 touchdowns. He
scored two or more touchdowns in four of his appearances and had five games with 100 yards or more. Leading his
team to a state title appearance, Jones Jr. completed 183/302 passes (60.6%) for 3,195 yards with 33 touchdowns to
seven interceptions. Both players’ numbers from the prior season increased.
In the 2025 class, 247Sports ranks the 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver as the No. 11 overall talent, the No. 3 WR,
and the No. 2 recruit in the state of Florida.
Jones Jr., Solomon Thomas, a four-star offensive lineman, and Ethan Pritchard, a three-star linebacker, have
committed to Florida State, which has the No. 118 recruiting class for the 2025 cycle.
