Jones 4-star EDGE Fred Ards favors FSU football, Florida .. for now

Jones star Fred Ards III has long been one of the more coveted defensive linemen in the 2027 cycle, and his recruitment shows no signs of slowing down despite narrowing his list.

The composite 4-star and most recent Under Armour All-America game invitee dropped a top-5 on Jan. 28 that included Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Florida State. But Ards (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) plans on a busy spring to see if the list is long enough.

Ards tallied 73 tackles, 13.0 TFL, and 11.0 sacks as a junior. He's ranked as a composite 4-star and the No. 11 EDGE in the country, according to 247Sports Composite ranking.

"We're going to be going to a lot of spring practices to see who else can make it in to that top-5 for me," Ards told USA TODAY at the Under Armour Elite camp in Orlando. "There's a still a chance that I can commit to a school that's not even in my top-5."

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Several teams that didn't make Ards III first cut still have a real chance at landing him. Miami, Syracuse, Missouri are the teams to watch.

The 'Canes are pushing hard, and put Ards III in a group chat with head coach Mario Cristobal and defensive line coach Jason Taylor. He cites Taylors legacy as an Pro Football Hall of Famer and successes with players like Rueben Bain Jr. as serious draws. Ards III confirmed with USA TODAY that he'll being taking spring visits to Miami.

"It definitely matters, being coached by a Hall of Famer," he said. "He can definitely get me to that point, too. I would love to be coached by Jason Taylor."

Syracuse has had Ards high on its board, and the relationship has been solid for some time now. Syracuse football general manager Tommy Caporale has led Ards' recruitment and has kept them in the running after EDGEs coach Nick Williams departed for Florida State. He said that was a large reason the Orange didn't make his first cut, and they are still heavily in the mix.

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In turn, Williams arrival in Tallahassee has strengthened the 'Noles' bid.

"With Coach Nick coming from Syracuse, we already had that relationship," Ards said. "So it's like — boom. Me and (head coach Mike) Norvell got it in, and we just keep building that relationship more and more."

Ards said he and Elijah Williams, head coach at Jones, have talked about making a commitment before the season so that he can put all of his focus on his senior campaign. It's the timeline Ards prefers as well, since he has played in back-to-back losses in the state final.

"I should be committing before the season … so that I can just focus on that season and grinding it out so we can get this ring," he said. "So close, two times in a row now. My coach has been pushing for me to be a leader. I'm a little shy, a little nervous, I don't like to talk I like to just get to work. But my coach wants me to be a leader for our team this year and I'm going to do what he wants me to do."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Fred Ards III recruiting: Jones star's Top-5 could grow after spring