DART: Fran Brown with another huge flip as FSU 4-star commit switches to Syracuse

The Sunshine State to the 'Cuse continues to be the move for 2026 prospects.

On Tuesday, word broke that 2026 four-star player Tedarius Hughes from Florida, a top-25 safety per ESPN, was flipping his verbal pledge from Florida State to Syracuse football. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Hughes noted the move on social media, and I also confirmed his flip to the Orange with a source.

A huge congrats and welcome from 'Cuse Nation to Tedarius! This past weekend, Hughes was on a visit to Syracuse football. The Orange staff offered him a scholarship in January of 2024. He had verbally pledged to the Seminoles in July of last year and took an official visit to the 'Cuse in June of this year.

Candidly, I wasn't sure how aggressively head coach Fran Brown and his top-flight staff were recruiting Hughes these days. According to analysts, Nebraska was making a push. Plus, the job security of FSU head coach Mike Norvell beyond this season isn't all that stable.

This is a massive recruiting win for the Orange, a program that continues to fare quite well in Florida, which arguably has the most talent in high school football of any state around the country.

Syracuse football has pulled off a tremendous Sunshine State flip.

Hughes is a standout senior at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, which won a state title in 2024 and is poised to repeat in the current campaign. One of Hughes' teammates at Miami Northwestern is 2026 five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell lll, a top-25 national prospect who is verbally committed to Syracuse football and took an official visit to the Hill this past weekend.

Within the 2026 class, Hughes is the No. 22 safety, according to ESPN. The industry-generated Rivals Industry Ranking has him at No. 362 overall, No. 32 at safety and No. 51 in Florida. Over at the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, Hughes is No. 391 nationally, No. 30 at safety and No. 54 in Florida.

Following Hughes' pledge, the Syracuse football 2026 class has 30 verbal commits. Eight of them are from talent-laden Florida. The 247Sports Composite places this 'Cuse cycle at No. 23 nationwide.

The early signing period for 2026 prospects comes next month. Not too long ago, 2026 three-star defensive lineman Alexander Haskell from the Philadelphia market flipped from Penn State to the Orange. Another Nittany Lions verbal commit, 2026 three-star defensive lineman Isaac Chukwurah from Delaware, will take an official visit to Syracuse football in late November when the 'Cuse hosts Boston College in the 2025 regular-season finale.