By Apollo Lundin
Entering into 2024, the Florida State Seminoles had high hopes, starting the season ranked 10th in the nation, as head coach Mike Norvell and the team emphasized. The Seminoles haven’t been national finalists since 2013, a long drought for such a storied program. In their season opener, Florida State lost to Georgia Tech 24-21, exposing key weaknesses. Addressing those gaps begins with the 2025 recruiting class, led by Solomon Thomas.
Solomon Thomas
Jacksonville, FL (Raines)
#21 NAT, #1 IOL, #2 FL
At 6’4’’, 315 lbs., Solomon Thomas has the perfect build for an offensive lineman. Despite his size, Thomas is quick on his feet. In running plays, Thomas can get to his first man quickly and rush to the second level to get a block to help create explosive plays. In pass protection, Thomas is a wall, moving his feet to make sure his quarterback is protected. This combination makes him versatile and gives him the ability to play anywhere on the offensive line.
In high school, Solomon Thomas also excelled in track and field, throwing the shot put and discus. He won the Florida state 2A championship in discus in 2023.
Thomas held 35 offers but ultimately chose the Seminoles over schools like Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Alabama.
Javion Hilson
Cocoa, FL (Cocoa)
#44 NAT, #3 EDGE, #7 FL
At 6’3’’, 245 lbs., Javion Hilson has a great build for an edge rusher. Hilson is quick on his feet and uses his agility to get around offensive linemen. When he can’t, Hilson will try to power through them to get to the quarterback, which he may struggle with against bigger offensive linemen at the college level. Regardless of the situation, Javion Hilson is great in pursuit and will play after the whistle. Throughout his high school career thus far, Hilson has tallied 140 tackles, 40 tackles for loss, and 25.5 sacks.
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Hilson also participates in track and field events, qualifying for regionals twice in the high jump.
Javion Hilson held 37 offers but chose the Seminoles over schools like Colorado, Alabama, and Texas.
CJ Wiley
Alpharetta, GA (Milton)
#203 NAT, #22 WR, #32 GA
You can never have too many offensive weapons, and Florida State is adding another weapon with wide receiver CJ Wiley. At 6’4’’, 195 lbs., CJ Wiley will be a big target for any Florida State QB. Wiley possesses blazing speed, steady hands, concentration, and confidence —all essential traits for a wide receiver. Additionally, CJ Wiley is a great route runner, which allows him to get open anywhere on the field, including the red zone. So far in his high school career, Wiley has 77 catches for 1,582 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. Wiley averages 93.1 receiving yards per game, and 20.5 yards per catch.
In high school, Wiley ran track, posting times of 10.91 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.62 seconds in the 200 meters.
Wiley held 31 offers but ultimately surprised everyone when he chose Florida State over schools like Georgia, LSU, and Georgia Tech.
