As it turns out, Florida State will be the football program that benefits from the Tweet Heard ‘Round the College Football World.
In the wake of first-year head coach Mike Leach‘s much-discussed meme, Fabien Lovett announced that he would be transferring out of the Mississippi State football program. The defensive lineman’s father subsequently confirmed that the tweet played a role in his son’s decision.
Last week, Lovett revealed that Power Five schools such as Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Oregon, Ole Miss and Tennessee had been in contact since he entered the portal. On Twitter Monday evening, the lineman announced that he has committed to the Florida State football program.
It’s thought that Lovett would have to sit out the 2020 season if he moves to another FBS program. However, he is expected to file an appeal for an immediate eligibility waiver. It’s believed that he will use the Leach tweet as the basis for his appeal.
Lovett was a three-star 2018 signee. He was rated as the No. 7 player regardless of position in the state of Mississippi.
The past two seasons, Lovett appeared in 15 games. 13 of those appearances came in 2019. A year ago, the defensive end was credited with 19 tackles, 2½ tackles for loss and a sack.
Because he appeared in four or fewer games in 2018, Lovett was able to take a redshirt for that season. Depending on how the waiver appeal turns out, Lovett would have either three years of eligibility starting in 2020 or two starting in 2021.
Lovett is the third of three transfers Florida State football has added this month. First, Baylor defensive end Deonte Williams announced his commitment to FSU. A couple of days later, Florida Atlantic defensive back Meiko Dotson did the same.