Florida State’s receivers were considerably improved from 2024 to 2025, arguably the best offensive position group. Injuries were a factor but the Seminoles had a 1,000-yard receiver (Duce Robinson) and a pair of second-year options (Micahi Danzy and Lawayne McCoy) developed into dependable options.
And the room gets an influx of talent for 2026 with the addition of six high school signees: Devin Carter, Brandon Bennett, Jasen Lopez, EJ (Efrem) White, Darryon Williams and Jonah Winston. In what was a massive class of 32 signees, the Seminoles went big in the trenches but also at receiver with an emphasis on speed.
“The receiving group, I think, is elite,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said. “We were able to (land) top targets that we started off a year ago with. You're seeing guys that have grown throughout their high school careers. Guys that are productive. They do have great speed. They do have great talent and ability.”
Carter is a smooth route runner who had 26 catches for 431 yards and five touchdowns as a senior at Douglas County (Ga.) High. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Carter is the son of FSU star and assistant coach Dexter Carter. Devin has a well-developed relationship with wide receivers coach Tim Harris Jr, which sprouted long before he took the job at Florida State. Out of all of the receiver signees, Carter is the one that is the most likely to see the field early.
Bennett had 58 catches for 1,358 yards and 15 touchdowns in his high school career. The 6-foot, 170-pound Bennett is also a track star for Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage High who ran the 100 meters in 10.4 seconds. In terms of adding speed to the wide receiver room, Bennett was at the top of the board for FSU. He also has some experience in the kick return game.
EJ “Efrem” White played corner, receiver and quarterback in high school. As a senior, the 6-foot-2, 165-pound White passed for 2,502 yards (completing 75.5 percent of his passes) and 31 touchdowns at Vero Beach (Fla.) High. He will no doubt need to add strength before seeing the field but he may the most versatile receiver signee, having experience at multiple receivers positions as well as time in the backfield.
Williams had more productive seasons in his high school tenure due to nagging injuries as a senior, but he had 20 receptions for 155 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Williams was also a sprinter and long jumper in high school at Tampa Plant and Tampa Gaither.
Winston, the little brother of Jameis Winston, caught 53 passes for 625 yards and four touchdowns in 2025 at Hoover (Ala.) High. He’s undersized at 5-10 and 168 pounds, but was pursued by Alabama, Auburn and Texas A&M. It also took Winston a while to commit to playing wide receiver instead of quarterback which may mean his isn’t as polished. But don’t let that fool you. Despite a quiet recruitment that would leave you to believe he is a lesser take, he is a elusive and speedy slot receiver that is nothing like what FSU has right now.
In a class full of multi-sport athletes, Lopez will attempt to play football and basketball at FSU. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Lopez had four straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons and had 11 touchdowns as a senior. He also averaged 24.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in his first three basketball seasons.
Norvell and FSU basketball coach Luke Loucks worked to land Lopez out of South Florida and away from Miami, among others.
“You got to be special,” Norvell said. “And I think that Luke and the basketball staff did an extraordinary job as we both recruited Jasen for the opportunity here. He's a guy that I think fits the bill. He's done it his entire life, but his work ethic, his drive, the way he's able to balance that is outstanding. He's got an incredible family that supports him in it, and then he embraces the challenge.”
Norvell and the FSU coaches have pursued a number of two-sport standouts through the years. BJ Gibson tried football and baseball before focusing his efforts on the diamond, while Danzy continues to juggle football and track.
“Plenty of people can talk about wanting to do it, but the sacrifice for the individual to get it done is extreme,” Norvell said. “And we've seen that with Micahi (Danzy). We've seen that with some of the guys that it doesn't go as well. I'm not looking for any player to come here and just to be a participant in either sport.
“I want them to help that sport win a championship. And that's the expectation. I think Jasen can do that within both sports. And there's a strong desire for our basketball staff. There's an unbelievable desire for our football staff and we met there in the middle, and it just happened to be the right fit in both instances for him and what we're going to be able to accomplish here.”
There are some notable questions about the group moving forward. The first is whether Robinson will return or feels good about his NFL Draft grade and departs after his junior season. Danzy has consistently said he intends to juggle football and track, although those seasons mostly overlap in the spring.
Robinson’s decision is a big one for FSU’s 2026 outlook. But the Seminoles also have some young, experienced options returning in Danzy, McCoy, Jayvan Boggs and Elijah Moore. Teriq Mallory and Tae’Shaun Gelsey also earned some snaps.
“I think it's an absolute home run of a position group,” Norvell said. “And excited to get these guys on campus and watching them compete with the guys that we have that are currently here as well.”
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