Florida at Florida State
In terms of pure matchups, this potential meeting is one that I am certainly disappointed to see fall off the calendar. Florida State safety Hamsah Nasirildeen is one of the more intriguing safeties in the upcoming class. He was at the top of our “way too early” watch list at the position and is the kind of versatile safety fit for the modern game. He can play down in the box, in the slot or even align as a deep safety. Last year he recorded 101 tackles, becoming the first Florida State defender to record 100 tackles in a season and the first since 1990 with multiple 17-tackle games in a season. For his efforts he was named a Second-Team All-ACC Selection.
In this rivalry game, he might have seen a lot of Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. Pitts, along with Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth, is one of the better tight end options in the upcoming class. Last year Pitts was a weapon in the Florida passing game, catching 54 passes for 649 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore. Seeing these two square off would have told us volumes about both player’s pro prospects.