Top football recruit Xavier Peters flips pledge from UK to Florida State, per report

Prized UK football recruit Xavier Peters has flipped his pledge to Florida State, according to a report from 247Sports on Sunday morning.

Peters — a 6-foot-4 linebacker from Middletown, Ohio — was one of the highest rated prospects in the Wildcats’ recruiting class of 2018, but he was the only UK commitment who did not officially sign with the program last month.

The Tallahassee Democrat also reported Sunday that Peters has flipped to FSU.

Kentucky’s coaches were optimistic that he would eventually sign with the Cats in February, but Peters has instead committed to Florida State while on an official visit to Tallahassee this weekend. It was the first major recruiting visit — other than numerous trips to Lexington — that Peters has taken.

Peters is the No. 173 recruit nationally and the No. 12 outside linebacker in the class of 2018, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He originally committed to Kentucky in July.

UK signed 20 recruits in the early December signing period, and the Cats have added commitments from three-star wide receiver LiAllen Dailey and three-star offensive lineman Nick Lewis since.

Kentucky remains in the mix for several other players to fill the last two or three spots in the class, including three-star running back Kavosiey Smoke, who is visiting Lexington this weekend, and four-star linebacker Chris Oats, who is expected to choose between UK and Ohio State on national signing day, Feb. 7.

This story was originally published January 28, 2018 at 11:53 AM with the headline "Top football recruit Xavier Peters flips pledge from UK to Florida State, per report."