Daylan McCutcheon was five minutes from committing, and his father, Marty, stood in the middle of Buffalo Wild Wings with no idea what his son would say.

Over 30 programs had offered McCutcheon, the No.20-ranked player in the DCTF Hot 100. Now, five hats - Texas, SMU, Florida State, USC and Ohio State - sat on the table. McCutcheon made it look easy on the field, catching 92 passes for 1,423 yards and 19 touchdowns for Lovejoy last year. This decision, this process, was hard. McCutcheon read Proverbs 3:5-6, said he trusted the Lord, and took a deep breath that drew a laugh from the friends and family who knew how long he'd thought this over.

McCutcheon grabbed the Florida State hat, and his family reacted just off stage right in real time with everyone else.

Wide receivers coach Ron Dugans and head coach Mike Norvell had talked with McCutcheon daily since he first traveled to compete in the school's camp. In the end, their passion and energy had won out. Florida State, coming off a 13–1 season and ACC Championship, has continued the momentum on the recruiting trail, landing McCutcheon and 6'4 wide receiver CJ Wiley in late June.

McCutcheon's family members hadn't known the final destination until the announcement, but they'd been instrumental in the recruiting process. His older sister, Daria, played basketball at Louisiana Tech, and his other sister, Maya, played soccer at West Virginia and Oklahoma. McCutcheon leaned on them as he weighed his options.

"I felt like by going to Florida State, not necessarily just focused on football, but the academic standpoint, it helps me be able to build myself," McCutcheon said.

McCutcheon will be the offensive headliner in new head coach Todd Dodge's Lovejoy debut. Then, he's off to Tallahassee.

"Expect me to score a lot of touchdown passes and see me dance in the end zone," McCutcheon told Seminoles fans.