FSU Seminoles

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- ESPN 150 safety Leon McQuay III (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) will be making his college decision at the Under Armour All-America Game on Friday.

The four-star athlete has a top five of USC, Michigan, Oregon, Vanderbilt and FSU, but McQuay said he won't have all five hats for his selection on Friday.

"Yeah ... I don't know [if Michigan still in consideration]. I don't know how many hats I'll have up there," he said. "My dad said he wasn't paying for five hats. I'll probably only have three hats up there.

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Christmas, for many, is a time to gather with close friends and family, eat way too much, catch up on all the happenings and exchange gifts.

But, for a moment, let's imagine what presents would reside underneath a Florida State fan's Christmas tree on Tuesday morning.

With Ryan Green (St. Petersburg, Fla./St. Petersburg Catholic) already on board, ESPN 150 running back Alex Collins (Plantation, Fla./South Plantation) would be the perfect icing on the cake at the tailback position. At one point, FSU fans would have expected to unwrap this gift with little surprise, but the road to his signature has become less clear.

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NoleNation addresses questions from the fan base about Florida State recruiting as we head toward national signing day.

ktruba asks, "What committed recruits out there are the most critical to FSU at snagging for the 2013 class?"

Dowlar: For me, the top remaining guy is Matthew Thomas. He is an instant impact guy at the linebacker position and Florida State has been all over him for a long time now. The Seminoles are probably the leader in the clubhouse, and from that position, they can't afford to lose him.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The high school career of ESPN 150 safety Leon McQuay III (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) came to an end on Friday, as Armwood fell in the playoffs to nationally ranked Gainesville (Fla.) High School.

Though his season is over, things are starting to heat up with McQuay's recruitment. He continues to have a top five of Florida State, Oregon, Vanderbilt, Michigan and USC. Michigan defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery was on hand to watch McQuay on Friday.

McQuay has taken official visits to all of his favorite schools except for Southern Cal but is planning to visit USC next weekend. Florida State and USC have made a big push for McQuay over the last several months. But with FSU defensive coordinator Mark Stoops taking the head coaching job at Kentucky and USC defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin stepping down this past week, McQuay said he is waiting to see who will replace them before he making any changes with his recruitment.

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When the Ducks hosted Colorado on Oct. 27, the game was played in poor weather and was over by the end of the first quarter. Neither the rain nor the fact they didn't arrive at Autzen Stadium until the third quarter dampened the spirits of safety Leon McQuay III (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) and his parents.

The No. 32 player in the ESPN 150 made the long trek to the Northwest for his second official visit of the year. After previously visiting Vanderbilt -- a school he is more serious about than most people think -- McQuay and his parents were able to explore Eugene to get all of his questions answered about the university and the Ducks' football program.

"It was a great experience. You actually have to visit and see the place in person to do it justice and [to] get a full impact of what's going on there," McQuay Jr. said. "Everything about it was great. All the way down to how many uniform combinations they have."

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At first glance, this year's Florida State recruiting class lacks the star power of the two before it. That isn't to say it is void of quality, though. But Seminoles do have some offensive firepower on the list, notably four-star prospects Ryan Green, Isaiah Jones, and Levonte Whitfield. In the trenches, which has been an area of focus for the Seminoles coaching state in recent cycles, offensive linemen Austin Golson and Ira Denson and defensive end Davin Bellamy have them off to a good start.

Sitting at 17 total commitments, there is still work to do. But fortunately for FSU, there are some excellent options.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- As unofficial visits go, confirmation of prospects on campus can't really be verified until right before the game.

Florida State's extensive list of visitors was just that, but there also were some additions and subtractions. NoleNation takes a look at some of the changes.

Who didn't show

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Leon McQuay III (Seffner Fla./Armwood) certainly made the most of his Saturday.

The ESPN 150 safety started off in Gainesville, Fla., unexpectedly taking in the Florida-Kentucky game before heading up the road to Florida State for the showdown with Clemson. He wasn't able to spend too much time speaking with the Florida coaches because of the time crunch.

"It was all right," McQuay said of his time at the Gators' game. "I just watched the game and that's it."

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Florida State's 2012 schedule is conducive to a BCS bowl run with the absence of a lot of tough challenges. And for that reason, several national analysts have the Seminoles as their pick to attend the national title game in Miami.

What the schedule isn't, though, is full of marquee home games.

Saturday's matchup with Clemson, a top-10 contest that will likely decide the ACC Atlantic Division, qualifies as one -- if not the biggest. Keeping that in mind, it is also a perfect opportunity for the Seminoles to have some of their biggest targets on campus.

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ESPN 150 defensive back Leon McQuay III's visit to Florida State was clouded in a bit of uncertainty in terms of whether it would be for an official or unofficial visit.

His father, Leon McQuay Jr., cleared that up on Tuesday morning.

"We're going to FSU-Clemson this weekend and it's going to be an unofficial visit," he said.

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