Southwest DeKalb four-star defensive lineman Earnest Rankins commits to Florida State

One of the top uncommitted players in the state of Georgia in the Class of 2026 has announced his next home as Southwest DeKalb 4-star defensive lineman Earnest Rankins has announced his commitment to Florida State University on Wednesday afternoon.

Rankins is the highest-commit the Seminoles have in the recruiting class as he ranks as the No. 111 player in the nation and the No. 9 player in the state of Georgia.

The 6-foot-5, 275-pound defensive linemen out of Ellenwood will join a pair of four-star Georgia-natives in Douglas County wide receiver Devin Carter and Langston Hughes tight end Xavier Tiller in Tallahassee next season.

Rankins held offers from over 30 schools including mostly every major college football program in the country before committing to the Seminoles. He chose Florida State over Auburn and Ohio State.

Last year was Rankins first season with Southwest DeKalb after transferring over from Cedar Grove following the Saints 2023 state championship, as they won their fifth championship since 2016.

“It gave me the feeling, a feeling I had two years ago when I first made my way to the championship at Cedar Grove,” Rankins told 247Sports’ Benjamin Wolk. “It’s just that team, how it was, FSU just reminds me of that year. Work, hard work. A team that comes from the bottom, that was there at one point. I want to be part of that story.”

The defensive lineman  joins head coach Mike Norvell’s class as not only the highest-rated player in the class, but one of the highest-rated defensive lineman in the country.

Rankins’ commitment moves Florida State to No. 10 in the nation in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings.

Rankins played a huge role in Southwest DeKalb’s success under second-year head coach Marion Bell as the Panthers put together a 7-4 record and made the postseason for the first time since 2021.

In his upcoming senior season, Rankins will look to play a major role yet again in the Southwest DeKalb’s season as they are looking to make it out of the first round of the postseasons since 2017 under then-first year head coach Damien Wimes.