Four-star QB joins FSU recruiting exodus, to visit Florida

Field Level Media|published: Thu 14th November, 12:27 2024

Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin HS football players participate in a tug-of-war during a pep rally before a high school football game against Atlantic Coast on August 30, 2024. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union]

Nineteen months after pledging his commitment to Florida State, four-star recruit and Elite 11 quarterback Tramell Jones instead jumped into the current of talent flowing out of Tallahassee.

A top-25 overall recruit and top-five dual threat quarterback at most major recruiting outlets, Jones is a senior at Jacksonville's Mandarin High School. He's on the list of reported recruits attending Florida's game Saturday against LSU along with prep teammate and five-star wide receiver recruit Jaime Ffrench.

Jones' recruitment is now open to others beyond the Gators. He is scheduled to announce his college choice at Mandarin on Dec. 6.

Ffrench decommitted from Texas on Wednesday.

He initially committed to Alabama but pulled back when Nick Saban announced his retirement. Ffrench was courted by Ohio State, LSU and Miami before giving the Longhorns a verbal commitment at a ceremony on Aug. 30.

Ffrench is the No. 14 overall prospect and third-ranked wide receiver according to On3.

Jones said on a Jacksonville radio show earlier this week that he wasn't flipping from Florida State and explained why he was still supportive of Seminoles coach Mike Norvall.

"Because he showed us our vision. He was there before," Jones said. "He's got to where he talked about. He was 13-0. He's got to where he wanted to go. This is just a little stump in the road for him. I think that the comeback is going to be even greater."

The Seminoles are 1-9 this season, 1-7 in the ACC, after going 13-1 in 2023.

Florida State already lost a number of recruits ranked in the top tier of the 2025 class, including Myron Charles, Javion Hilson, Malik Clark, Daylan McCutcheon and CJ Wiley.

--Field Level Media