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Blake Baumgartner, ESPN Staff Writer
Cornerback Charles Lester III committed to Mike Norvell and Florida State on Friday night.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Lester (No. 33 overall in the 2024 ESPN 300 and No. 5 CB), a four-star prospect who transferred to Venice High School (Florida) from Riverview High School (Florida) ahead of his senior year, immediately becomes the highest-ranked player in the Seminoles’ class.
“I’ve been there so many times and just being around the people, I got a great feeling for those people there,” Lester told ESPN. “I trust them and it’s my childhood dream school. … Out of all the places I’ve been, I just get that feeling for that school every time. So just from the people, opportunity and the way they’re going with their program now, that helped me pick my decision.”
Florida State, which went 10-3 in 2022, is coming off its first 10-win campaign since 2016 — the final year of a seven-year stretch in which the program won at least 10 games six times (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016).
He played both ways last season for Riverview, intercepting five passes while hauling in 12 receiving touchdowns as a wide receiver on offense. His goal this year at Venice with this decision out of the way and all of his focus on the field: take one to the house on defense for the first time in his prep career.
Lester, who took official visits to Alabama, Colorado and Florida State in June, would be the first ESPN 300 cornerback to sign with Florida State since Omarion Cooper (No. 138 overall) and Hunter Washington (No. 217 overall) in 2021.
He told ESPN that he decided on his commitment to Norvell and the Seminoles’ coaching staff during his official visit June 16-18. He added that at one point he was leaning toward going with Alabama, but the feeling he got every time he was in Tallahassee made an indelible impression.
“Every time I go there, it’s a family affair. The bonding experience is one of none, so that very last, the official [visit], I just felt my heart shaking and I just knew by the last day, before I took off, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.
“It means the world. I wanted to be a Seminole my whole life. Going through this process, I weighed all my opportunities out and it’s just a dream coming true to be honest.”
Lester would be the highest-ranked cornerback to sign with the program since Asante Samuel Jr. (No. 14 overall, No. 3 CB) and A.J. Lytton (No. 29 overall, No. 4 CB) both signed as part of its 2018 class.
In 2022, the Seminoles’ defense ranked third in all of FBS in pass defense (158.8 YPG) but came down with only eight interceptions as a unit — a significant drop from the 14 interceptions the team had in 2021.
Senior Renardo Green (58 tackles, 42 solo), senior Akeem Dent (53 tackles, 29 solo) and sophomore Shyheim Brown (36 tackles, 19 solo), the team’s top three tacklers at cornerback last season, along with junior Greedy Vance, Jr. (team-high three interceptions), all return this fall for defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr. and defensive coordinator Adam Fuller.
“I’m going to fit in good,” Lester said. “I mean, they’re so excited for me and they believe this is one of the greatest opportunities to come in as a freshman, to come play on their defense. The plan is for me to master the defense first, around the first year, and play offense a little bit.
“My length is major. It takes up a lot of space and it buys me a little bit more time to put my hands on receivers with my long arms.”
Florida State’s 2024 class currently sits at 15th in ESPN’s rankings, while its 2023 class finished 18th overall.