Florida State University and one of its legends, Antonio Cromartie, have found themselves in an awkward situation regarding the recruitment of his son, Julian Cromartie. After constantly facing a long period of radio silence from Mike Norvell and the Seminoles, Cromartie swallowed his pride and dreamed of a legacy recruitment for his second-born son. The FSU legend shared new favorites for Julian’s recruitment: Clemson Tigers and Dabo Swinney.

“Excited for my son’s visit to @ClemsonFB at the end of the month. Coach Swinney recruited me, my brother, and now my son @JulianCromartie. Pretty cool to see he hasn’t changed since we first met.”

Needless to say, that’s a pointed critique of the current FSU regime and its recruiting staff. Cromartie considers Dabo Swinney as one of the genuine coaches in the country. Long before becoming Clemson’s head coach, Swinney tried recruiting the Cromartie family when he was just a young wide receivers coach and one of the Tigers.

The whole tension stems from Cromartie’s claim that FSU head coach Mike Norvell and his staff have not contacted Julian Cromartie since offering him a scholarship in August 2025. The drama flared up on social media after fans tried to push Julian toward FSU. Antonio didn’t hold back, telling fans to “stop asking about my son Julian and FSU” and making it clear that FSU hasn’t been active in his son’s recruitment process.

Since FSU went silent on them, Clemson has put its recruiting team into overtime for Julian Cromartie. The Texas native has scheduled an official visit to Clemson for May 29, and the Tigers’ staff has gone all-in on building a relationship with him.

Both Chad Morris (Offensive Coordinator) and Tyler Grisham (Wide Receivers Coach) have personally traveled to Texas to visit Julian Cromartie in person.

This communication gap is baffling, given Julian’s raw talent. Standing at 6-foot-4, the three-star prospect is not someone top-tier programs typically ignore. With over 800 receiving yards this season, his rising stock makes Florida State’s hands-off approach even harder for the fanbase to swallow.

Antonio’s other son, Antonio Cromartie Jr., is actually a freshman defensive back for FSU right now, while his daughter, JurzieBlu Cromartie, is committed to Clemson for gymnastics. So, the family is already split between the two schools.

Right now, Julian has offers from almost 30 schools, including big names like the Georgia Bulldogs and the Michigan Wolverines. While the Clemson visit is a big step, some recruiting experts actually think one SEC program might be the frontrunner to land him.

The SEC favorites for Julian Cromartie

According to On3’s RPM, the Kentucky Wildcats are currently sitting in the driver’s seat. They reportedly have an 88% chance of recruiting him. They’ve done a great job building a real connection with him, specifically through wide receivers coach Joe Price III, who has been his lead recruiter. Julian Cromartie also has an official visit to Lexington on June 5, right after his trip to the Clemson Tigers.

If Kentucky gets him, it would be a big win for Will Stein, as their 2027 class is already ranked 15th in the country. However, it is still early, but Antonio’s public comments make it seem like Florida State has some serious work to do if they want to keep another Cromartie in Tallahassee.

While Kentucky currently leads the chase, the underlying story remains a bitter pill for Seminoles fans. Antonio is proving that genuine relationship-building trumps legacy loyalty. Whether Julian Cromartie chooses the SEC or Swinney’s ACC powerhouse, FSU’s silence has alienated a program legend and potentially gifted a star to a direct rival.