Blue-chip safety reclassivies, schedules FSU visit

The Florida State Seminoles were one of the first schools to start recruiting four-star safety Za’Kari Johnson, issuing him a scholarship offer in September of 2025.

They have kept recruiting the Fort Lauderdale product ever since, and that decision could be paying off sooner than expected. Johnson was a member of the 2028 recruiting class, but on Tuesday he told Zach Blostein of 247Sports that he was reclassifying to the 2027 cycle.

He is now allowed to take official visits and has already locked in one with FSU for Sept. 7, when they host the SMU Mustangs in Doak Campbell Stadium. Blostein also mentioned the Auburn Tigers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets as the schools standing out in his recruitment.

It will be his second time visiting Tallahassee in 2026, he attended a Junior Day in January. It will also be his second time watching FSU in person; he was at their game against East Texas A&M in the 2025 season, receiving his scholarship offer a day later.

While he is still a blue-chip recruit, he has slipped in his rankings due to the reclassification. He is ranked as the No. 21 athlete and No. 26 player in Florida in the 2027 cycle by 247Sports. He was the No. 122 overall player and No. 6 athlete in the 2028 class.

Johnson played quarterback for Plantation High School in 2025 but is expected to play defensive back at the collegiate level. He completed 57.5% of his passes for 551 yards and seven touchdowns, throwing three interceptions. He also ran for 777 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 10.6 yards per carry. He recorded 10 tackles, four pass breakups, and one pick-six on defense.

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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Blue-chip safety reclassivies, schedules FSU visit