FSU Coaches Going The Distance Meeting Recruits

FSU Coaches were busy this weekend with recruit visits on campus. Mickey Andrews and Odell Haggins were even busier as they traveled to Louisiana to talk to 6'2" 210 safety Stefoin Francois from Reserve, La. They traveled to Louisiana Saturday to discuss coming to FSU with Stefoin and his mother. Francois had a senior season that included 81 tackles, four sacks and a blocked punt.He is the number 24 safety in the country.

Francois has been leaning heavily toward LSU but FSU is definitely now in the mix. He will make his announcement on National Signing Day. According to the high school coach of Francois, FSU "really made an impression on him.”

Evaluation: Francois is a 'tweener safety/linebacker at his best playing near the line of scrimmage, though he has surprisingly space-player type skills. He excels at snuffing out the football in the box and has great sideline-to-sideline range. Will be able to stop and start quickly. Has a great nose for the football and shows excellent closing burst. He has the speed to turn the corner when asked to blitz and closes in extremely fast. Is an explosive tackler for his size. Will make the big hit and also will jar the ball loose. Is extremely disruptive versus the run. Gets upfield, finds the football, change directions quickly and shows a great motor in pursuit. Has the speed and athleticism to hold up in coverage, but doesn't seem near as comfortable in space yet. As with most young 'tweeners, he lacks lower body strength. Tends to run around too many blocks and will take some poor pursuit angles as a result. Struggles to stack at the point of attack on a consistent basis, but it isn't for lack of trying. May get engulfed by bigger blockers who establish position and get into his pads. Needs to add significant bulk to become a full-time linebacker, and if he does, he could be a real force. To remain at safety, he needs to become more disciplined in coverage and improve ball skills. Very raw athlete who can run, and he plays with a nice motor.