Florida State 2026 verbal commit Tedarius Hughes, a four-star defensive back and a top-400 national prospect in the high school senior class, was at the JMA Wireless Dome on Friday night for Syracuse football's home game against North Carolina, which the Orange lost.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Hughes noted in an Instagram story post that he was at the Dome on Friday evening. Numerous 'Cuse Syracuse football 2026 verbal pledges and recruiting targets attended this Atlantic Coast Conference encounter.
Hughes being in Central New York doesn't necessarily suggest that he might flip to the Orange, but it's still worth passing along to 'Cuse fans. It's important to note that he is teammates with Syracuse football 2026 verbal commit Calvin Russell lll, a five-star wide receiver.
They both attend Miami Northwestern Senior High School. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Russell was also on the Hill to watch the Syracuse football contest versus the Tar Heels, as I noted earlier on Saturday in a separate piece.
Might Syracuse football coaches try to flip 2026 4-star DB Tedarius Hughes, an FSU pledge?
The Orange staff offered a scholarship to Hughes in January of 2024. In early July of last year, he verbally committed to fellow Atlantic Coast Conference team Florida State after reportedly having the 'Cuse in his top three. This past June, Hughes took an official visit to Syracuse football that went well.
Syracuse gloves tonight for the senior season debut of @Tedariushughes2 https://t.co/qlqGwBI8sG pic.twitter.com/zwrWzwJATk
— John Garcia, Jr. (@JohnGarcia_Jr) August 17, 2025
Candidly, I don't have inside information as to how aggressively the Orange staff might be trying to flip Hughes these days. According to some observers, Nebraska appears to be in hot pursuit of Hughes.
The early signing period for 2026 football prospects arrives this December, so we'll see if Hughes puts pen to paper then. One thing to monitor is the situation surrounding Florida State head coach Mike Norvell. The Seminoles, two seasons ago, were excellent. They were awful last year.
In 2025, FSU started 3-0, including a win over Alabama, but the Seminoles have lost four straight since then, heading into their home affair versus Wake Forest on Saturday night. If Florida State continues its slide, and Norvell is fired at some point, that could impact 2026 verbal pledges, including Hughes.
The Orange's 2026 class has 29 verbal commits and is ranked No. 28 overall by the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. The 'Cuse has seven Florida-based prospects in this cycle, including Russell and a few four-star players.