Florida State starts early push for 2028 in-state running back Terriel Harmon

Florida State is beginning to build its 2028 in-state pipeline, with the program drawing attention to three-star running back Terriel Harmon of Boca Raton, Florida. According to Yahoo Sports, FSU has received permission to contact prospects in the 2028 class as of June 15 and has used that window to press an early recruitment of Harmon.

Harmon’s high school path includes time at Centennial High School for his first two years before transferring to West Boca Raton High School for his junior campaign, a move that places him on a new stage during the most visible portion of the recruiting evaluation cycle. Harmon’s current recruitment has picked up interest, and FSU is among the programs looking to establish contact early rather than wait for later assessment periods.

The early nature of the matchup matters in college football recruiting because relationship-building often starts before prospects reach the peak weeks of camps and official visits. Contact rules timing is designed to prevent premature communication, but once those restrictions lift, programs can engage coaches and prospects directly, send recruitment materials, and schedule the next steps in the recruiting process.

In practical terms, FSU’s approach to Harmon suggests the staff sees the running back position as a long-term roster need. Even when no commitment is imminent, early recruiting can help a program evaluate fit, build trust with a player and family, and keep momentum if other schools enter the picture. Harmon’s in-state status adds another layer, since proximity can make unofficial visits and ongoing in-person evaluation more feasible for both sides.

For Harmon, the shifting recruitment landscape likely means he will be pulled into a cycle of more frequent contact and attention from programs beyond FSU. As a three-star prospect, he is often evaluated for both production and projection, with recruiters weighing how a player’s skill set translates to higher-level defensive fronts and game speed.

The NCAA recruiting environment also means there are steps that can occur in sequence. Once a school is allowed to contact prospects in the relevant class year, it is typically easier to coordinate school-by-school conversations with the player, but decisions can still hinge on later factors such as summer camps, film from updated competition, coaching changes, and how a recruiting staff’s board evolves.

At the moment, the public reporting places Harmon firmly on FSU’s radar without describing a commitment timeline. That makes this more of a first-round recruitment marker than a near-term signing expectation, but it does highlight FSU’s willingness to lock into Florida recruiting early in the 2028 class.

What to watch next is whether FSU’s contact leads to on-campus involvement, additional recruitment activity from other in-state schools, and updated evaluation as Harmon continues his junior-year season at West Boca Raton High School. Those developments would clarify whether the current interest grows into a longer recruitment or a quicker separation from other contenders.