Florida State’s 2020 recruiting class still has a way to go if the Seminoles are going to turn things around under Willie Taggart.

There are major needs to be filled along the offensive line and at skill positions ahead of the key Saturday Night Live recruiting event later this month. Yet FSU, despite a down 5-7 season, has the No. 13 ranked class nationally and the No. 12 class when it comes to the average ranking per recruit.

Adding star power is still a must, and FSU has to win in Year 2 under Taggart to convince more blue-chip recruits to join the class. But FSU’s foundation seems steady as the Seminoles have managed to put together a class that features zero decommitments to date.

Zero. That's fairly remarkable.

Commitments, of course, matter more than decommitments. But FSU’s staff has quietly done a solid job in assembling a class of players who are currently buying into a vision more than they’re buying into past results.

“I think we have a group of young men who really want to be there. You just think about it, as much negative recruiting as you get and the season we had, and they still want to be there? That’s important,” Taggart said. “Those are the kind of individuals you want, and I think we’ve got guys who want to be there. They want to be a part of this culture change, they want to be a part of what we’re building.

Comparatively, in-state rivals Miami and Florida have a combined 19 decommits in their respective classes.

This doesn’t mean that FSU has been perfect in this area under Taggart. A losing season didn’t help the Seminoles’ cause in keeping several blue-chip prospects last year, such as OL Charles Cross, S Nick Cross and QB Sam Howell.

But to Taggart’s point, FSU held on to class centerpieces like Akeem Dent, Travis Jay and Kalen Deloach despite strong pushes from programs that were coming off better seasons. FSU got those blue-chip recruits to buy in.

And FSU got 20 of its 21 signees on campus while Florida’s 2019 class is falling apart months after National Signing Day as several top commitments either failed to qualify or left the program. It’s not all perfect for FSU, but the staff has done well in selling an improving culture while securing players who it can reasonably get on campus (rather than players with character concerns or serious grade issues).

Commits like Jeff Sims, Zane Herring, Jayion McCluster and Josh Griffis all fit the bell as stable pledges who are actively recruiting for FSU and putting a face for the class. They are strong representatives who check a lot of the boxes of what the coaching staff wants in its players, and they're also key reasons for FSU's strong foundation in 2020.

"This group is already starting to become a brotherhood before we even get to FSU," Sims said. "We all have one goal and that's to prove to people that one bad season doesn't define us. We believe in Coach T and we're going to make our coach proud."

So there are some signs of stability on the recruiting trail for FSU, and there's evidence that the 2020 class can reasonably be elevated to Top 10 status if the Seminoles rebound on the field this year after a disappointing start to the Taggart Era.

“I think our coaches have done a great job explaining to them and their family of what we’re building and where we’re trying to go," Taggart said. "They look at it and see that’s something they want to be a part of.”