Florida State have secured a significant commitment from a top-40 recruit in the 2026 class, providing a boost for coach Mike Norvell and the Seminoles despite their surprising 0-2 start to the season.
Izayia Williams, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound defender from Tavares, Florida, is ranked No. 39 in the ESPN Junior 300. He had previously been committed to Syracuse but withdrew his commitment on August 4.
Ranked as the fifth-best safety in the 2026 class by ESPN, Williams is now the highest-rated player in Florida State’s 2026 recruiting class, which already includes three other ESPN 300 recruits.
Williams’ commitment follows a series of in-state visits in Week 1. He attended Florida’s game against Miami on Saturday, where the Gators suffered a 41-17 home loss, and visited Florida State during its 28-13 defeat to Boston College on Monday night.
Williams shared with ESPN that the environment around the Florida State coaching staff and his connection with Coach Norvell played a key role in his decision, even after the Seminoles’ second consecutive loss. “Every program has a bad game — that doesn’t determine what a program is really,” Williams said. “When I talked to Coach Norvell, it felt different compared to other coaches. He wants me to achieve something great there someday.”
Choosing Florida State over Florida and Miami, Williams becomes the sixth recruit in the Seminoles’ 2026 class. This group also includes ESPN Junior 300 recruits like No. 7 pocket passer Brady Smigiel (No. 64 in the ESPN 300) and four-star athletes Efrem White (No. 111) and Darryon Williams (No. 222).
The Seminoles’ 2025 class is currently ranked No. 18 in ESPN’s latest team rankings. Williams, who is entering his junior year at Tavares High School, had planned to continue visiting other campuses this fall but decided to forgo those trips after committing to Florida State.
“I never really had this feeling with any other schools — it was always a bit uncertain,” Williams said. “But this is different.”
The Seminoles have a bye in Week 2 after falling out of the AP Top 25 earlier this week. They will resume play in Week 3, hosting Memphis on September 14, which will be broadcast on ESPN.
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