Deondre Francois opts for FSU
The Seminoles added another player to the race with the commitment of ESPN 300 No. 55 Deondre Francois, who announced his decision Thursday at his high school.
The 6-foot-2, 188-pound Elite 11 participant and No. 4 dual-threat prospect in the 2015 class selected the defending national champions over Auburn.
The Seminoles were considered the favorite for the majority of the recruitment, but Oregon, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Tennessee all made runs at the Under Armour All-America selection at various times since the end of the 2013 season.
Francois played his junior season at Olympia High in Orlando, but transferred in the spring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, where he now plays for former Florida State quarterback and 2000 Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke.
Francois joins fellow ESPN 300 signal-caller De’Andre Johnson in the Seminoles’ 2015 class, and just minutes before Francois’ announcement, quarterback Kai Locksley, son of Maryland assistant Mike Locksley, also committed to the Noles.
Once on campus, Francois and Johnson will compete with current Florida State backup quarterbacks Sean Maguire, John Franklin III and J.J. Cosentino for the starting position after Winston heads to the NFL. While Locksley could play quarterback, he’ll likely head to Tallahassee as an athlete prospect.
Florida State is working on a seventh straight top-10 recruiting class, and the commitment of Francois adds to the continued momentum. The Seminoles remain in contention for a number of top uncommitted prospects, including five-stars No. 1 Josh Sweat, No. 2 Byron Cowart, No. 7 CeCe Jefferson and No. 10 George Campbell.
With Francois now headed to Tallahassee, all 19 quarterback prospects in the ESPN 300 have committed.