Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Head coach Jimbo Fisher and the Florida State Seminoles were excited to announce yet another 4-star commitment to their 2014 recruiting class when defensive tackle Dexter Wideman gave his pledge to the ‘Noles on Monday. This was shocking to many people, as he was considered to be a South Carolina-lean for a long time.
Wideman, from Saluda, South Carolina, is the 22nd commitment for the Seminoles recruiting class of 2014, and the eighth 4-star prospect. He joins Demarcus Christmas (Bradenton, FL) and Frederick Jones (Miami, FL) as the defensive tackle prospects currently on board.
I think this is truly an outstanding addition to the Seminoles’ class. Wideman is a classic FSU defensive tackle: an incredibly athletic and disruptive force who gets up field and makes plays behind the line of scrimmage. The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder has an outstanding motor and is a force versus both the run and pass.
He has some work to do before he’s the next Ron Simmons or Corey Simon for the Seminoles, however. He exposes his chest too often and doesn’t always get good extension, all of which results in a tendency to play too high. But when he stays low and uses his hands, he’s a juggernaut. I’m envisioning Wideman as a very productive penetrating 3-tech defensive tackle in Tallahassee, and he should be a perfect fit in their defensive scheme.
Wideman is considered one of the top 200 players nationally by ESPN, and rivals.com lists him among their top-150. He’s been offered by all of the top schools in the country but always stuck close to South Carolina and FSU.
His reasoning for picking FSU over the Gamecocks was that he just wanted to get away from home and start fresh. It’s hard to argue with that logic, as I know many of us have felt a similar calling towards branching out away from the comforts of home.
Still, FSU fans shouldn’t get too cocky yet. Remember, he hasn’t signed anything yet and there’s a long, long way to go until National Signing Day. Plus, he even said that there was a chance for South Carolina to come back into the mix before signing.
Clearly this thing isn’t over just yet, but this is still a good pickup for the ‘Noles, even if it’s just for the time being.
Rick Stavig is a National Recruiting Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickstavig or add him to your network on google.
