Florida State lost its second high-profile senior football commitment of the summer on August 26, as Crawfordville, Florida wide receiver Keith Gavin elected to back away from his pledge to the Seminoles. The No. 193 prospect nationally in the Rivals 250 and No. 143 prospect in the 247Sports Composite in the class of 2016, Gavin decided to explore his options after a busy spring and summer that saw him visit multiple campuses and gain some new perspective.
[callout2]“I have decided to reopen my recruitment and decommit from Florida State,” said a message from Gavin on social media. “I want (to) thank Coach (Jimbo) Fisher and his staff, especially (wide receivers) coach (Lawrence) Dawsey. I feel this will be the right decision for my future. I’m looking forward to focusing on this season and developing more as a student athlete.”[/callout2]
Gavin has a variety of options to consider, particularly in the SEC. Alabama and Georgia seem to be strong competitors, and he indicated he’d like to visit Athens and Tuscaloosa this fall. Rivals indicated that Florida could also enter the mix.
Florida State will likely continue to try to recruit Gavin, and potentially set up an official visit with him. The Seminoles are now left with no 2016 wide receivers currently committed, though they still have numerous top targets on the board such as former Auburn pledge Nate Craig-Myers of Tampa — a 5-star currently ranked the top prospect in the Sunshine State by Rivals, and the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver prospect in the 247Sports Composite.
Gavin initially pledged to Florida State in July, 2014, the summer before his junior season on the gridiron. Last fall, Gavin recorded 44 catches for a whopping 1,131 yards — averaging over 25 yards per catch with 16 touchdowns — in helping lead the War Eagles to an 8-3 record and a berth in the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 5A regional quarterfinals. Along with his success on the gridiron, Gavin is a distinguished high jumper in track and field. This past March, Gavin won the high school division of the Florida State Relays with a top high jump of 6 feet, 8 inches.