Florida State added to its 2026 recruiting class on Saturday, securing the commitment of 2026 offensive tackle prospect Xavier Payne:
Payne is a 6’7, 320 pound offensive tackle who plays for Jones High School in Orlando, Florida. He has a great relationship with new offensive line coach Herb Hand, who offered him while with the UCF Knights. Hand offered Payne a scholarship to FSU within the first few hours of being hired by Mike Norvell.
Though he has yet to be ranked by recruiting services, Payne already holds two dozen offers. Florida State beat out the Arkansas Razorbacks, Florida Gators, Miami Hurricanes, Ole Miss Rebels, Penn State Nittany Lions, Syracuse Orange, and Tennessee Volunteers for Payne’s verbal pledge. The Gators in particular had prioritized Payne.
Hand views Payne as the type of prospect he can build an offensive line around. Payne has a prototypical frame and once he adds more mass and strength, he can develop into an anchor. Payne has multi-year starter potential. You can check out his game highlights here.
Payne also sports a 3.5 GPA.
Florida State saw four more players added via the transfer portal over the weekend — USC wide receiver (and Seminole legacy) Duce Robinson, UCF tight end transfer Randy Pittman, UCF offensive lineman Adrian Medley and Western Kentucky defensive end Deante McCray:
Robinson saw time in 23 games over two seasons for the Trojans, totaling 39 receptions for 747 yards (19.2 average per catch) and seven touchdowns, five of which came in 2024. He blocked a kick in 2023 and managed to snag an interception on a hail mary attempt in 2024, returning it for 35 yards. He also played baseball for USC, and may eventually try to do the same for FSU.
Robinson and his 82” wingspan will be counted upon to factor heavily into the wide receiver rotation and has starter potential, depending on how quickly he can learn the playbook and develop chemistry with new Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos. Robinson was a highly sought-after prep recruit out of Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Arizona. The Trojans won out over fellow finalists the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, and Texas Longhorns.
Pittman, the 6’2, 225 pounder from Mosley High in Lynn Haven, FL, was originally committed to FSU as part of #Tribe23 before pivoting to UCF. He was a three-star recruit and considered the 760th best player nationally and 36th best tight end in the nation by 247Sports Composite. Safe to say he’s outperformed those rankings.
He started 10 of the 12 games he played in during the 2024 season and tallied 32 catches for 416 yards and two touchdowns. During his true freshman campaign, he notched 19 receptions for 215 yards and a score in 13 games (one start). He earned honorable mention for the offensive freshman of the year on the All-Big 12 team chosen by league coaches.
Pittman is a great fit for the scheme that offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and wide receivers coach Tim Harris Jr. are bringing to Tallahassee. He can line up in the traditional tight end spot, split out as a wide receiver, or move around in the H-back role.
Medley is a 6’5, 305 pound lineman originally from Pensacola, Florida. Medley earned a career-best 66.6 PFF grade in 2024 with a 73.3 pass blocking grade and 63.8 run blocking grade. He has played nearly 1,400 snaps in his career, 815 of which came in 2024, his first season as a full-time starter. He appeared in 27 games for the UCF Knights, starting 18 of them, and has gotten progressively better each year.
With Medley’s help, the UCF offensive line paved the way for star running back RJ Harvey to amass 1,577 yards (6.8 YPC) and 22 touchdowns this past season. He will have one year of eligibility remaining, having missed his redshirt-junior campaign due to injury in 2022.
McCray is a 6’4, 280 pound defensive end who spent his first three seasons with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. He tallied 59 tackles (three for loss), 2.5 sacks, and a blocked kick in 2024.
PFF gave him a 76.1 grade this past season. For comparison, Marvin Jones Jr and Patrick Payton finished with PFF grades of 61.9 and 59.2, respectively.
McCray should be in good position to challenge for a starting role opposite James Williams in the new 3-3-5 scheme under defensive coordinator Tony White.
McCray finished his WKU career with 104 tackles (7.5 for loss), 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a blocked kick. The Texas A&M Aggies, Cal Bears, and Oklahoma State Cowboys were also after McCray.
Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, McCray was rated a three-star and played at Sandalwood High. He signed with the Hilltoppers over Army, Navy, Troy, and FAU out of high school.
