What's up, folks?
We're live here at FSU and waiting for Mike Norvell to talk about the signing class. Odd day. I'm sure he'll be asked about Hunter. A lot.
But also landed a bunch of linemen, so he'll be asked about that, too.
At any rate, we'll keep you up to date! So, stay here and stay tuned!
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Well, we were just told that we can't ask about any other prospects than the 14 that were signed. And that includes players who signed elsewhere. So, anyway. He's here!
"It's been a great day of new additions to our Florida State football family. It's a class that addresses a lot of needs that we have ... big emphasis on the offensive line. ... I really like the size and length of the class we started."
Says there is potential to land more players in the coming days. And maybe even one more today perhaps?
Says Richardson can play tackle or guard.
Says Sapp is a "massive man," plays the game the way we need the game to be played. "Has been a real leader in this class just with his passion and energy."
Says Early was a young man who was highly sought after.
"I really like seeing that core group (of linemen)."
On Sam McCall: "A tremendous athlete. ... He is a game-changers. Has the ability to play corner, also has the ability to play safety." Says he could help out on special teams as well.
"AJ Duffy was just a tremendous addition to this class." Says he's known Duffy since he was back at Arizona State because his had was a coach and he recruited his dad's high school. ... Says he'll have a chance to compete early on in his career and he'll be enrolling early.
Says the two TES have the legnth and size and speed they're looking for.
Compared RB Rodney Hill to a Toafili in that he has great speed and agility and can be a slot guy or a WR but will definitely be used in the passing game at some point.
On DL Bishop Thomas: "A unique athlete." Thomas wasn't able to play his senior year, but said as a junior he was a slot WR at some points for his HS despite being 290 pounds. ... Says he's going to be an early entry, too.
Says he thinks one of the stars of this class is Omar Graham, the linebacker. "Very intelligent, instinctual player. .. Did a wonderful job of flipping over and playing running back, playing wildcat quarterback. ... He's a special player."
Aaron Hester: "A great talent because of the versatility of what he can do." Says he thinks he might start out on LB but could maybe stay a DE, will definitely be coming off the edge in their plans.
"This is a class .. that we addressed a lot of the needs that we have ... " Said he's excited about the continued recruitment of the student-athletes that will stretch through the end of this period (Friday) and into the second NSD in February.
On NIL: "It's definitely changed some of the dynamics in recruiting and decision-making. ... It's playing a big part." Says they'll continue to provide education to recruits and players and says he's excited about how Apex and other avenues can help in that regard.
Says the versatility on the offensive line is really important. That he wants them to be able to play multiple positions. And he thinks the guys they got in this class fit that bill. "We really wanted to get bigger. ... I think this is going to be a special group."
Says there are some areas out on the perimeter that they need to address. "We're going to continue to recruit guys who maybe didn't have their minds set today but could be later this week ... or maybe the second signing day. ... we'll continue to evaluate each position on the team (in regards to portal) ... we want to build this program with a great core of guys who develop in that. ... But we saw how quickly transfers could come in and make an immediate impact."
Says he thinks they hit their needs on the line of scrimmage.
He's asked about guys from programs like Duncanville, Texas, who are used to winning. Says it matters to him. And it's great to see if one of these guys makes a real impact on a winning team. "That's what we've got to bring here. .. We've established that on our current roster but we want to make sure we enhance it. ... It's exciting to see the way these guys are impacting their program."
On Azareyeh Thomas: "He's a playmaker. I truly believe we're going to have to find ways to get the ball in his hands. He's going to start on the defensive side of the ball. ... He's one of the best players in the country just with the versatility of his skillset. ... He's going to be a special player here at Florida State. Very excited about having him in the program."
Says Thomas and McCall are talented enough to play offense, and should definitely help on special teams: "Those are those game-changing players."
On wide receiver position: "It's always going to come down to quality and fit. ... we try to use a variety of skillsets. ... That's what we're looking for. Today, obviously we didn't sign a receiver at this point in the class, but we're excited about where we are in the process with a number of guys. ... We're sitting here with four freshmen receivers ... we want to make sure that each player we bring is going to be able to make an impact."
On NIL and Florida regulations: Says it's important that the current players talk to the recruits about how they can get NIL deals (because coaches can't) .. we have restrictions in some sense in the state of Florida ... they get to share that message.
Says he think they'll probably have a full class of 25. Says there are some commitments that haven't yet signed ..."We'll see how it plays out."
On Travis Hunter, without asking about Travis Hunter: "You get to this day and it's a special day. Signing Day has been around for a long time. .... I'm just grateful for every young man I've gotten to sit in their homes ... we had 14 great young men that joined our program today and that's going to be our focus."
"It was a true joy to be able to get back on the road. ... Getting a chance to know the families .. one of my favorite things was just walking the halls with these prospects. ... I've really enjoyed this recruiting cycle. These two weeks are probably as hard as I've ever pushed in a recruiting period. But it was great to be able to get in front of all those families ... there's a lot of excitement. There's a lot of momentum. .... It's been special."
On Duffy: "He's an extremely smart football player. Has played in multiple systems. Son of a coach. ....... he missed a year out in California due to covid, decided to make a change, he played for his dad, so he had to go learn a new system. ... The way he was easily able to adapt ... a wonderful young man, .... i think he has a great future."
On early NSD: "I think it needs to be evaluated. ... It was all with good intentions. But now you look at some of the byproducts, whether its coaching changes or the transfer portal ... the pressure that's put on these kids in a two weeks time is extreme. ... We have a couple of years under our belt." Says he thinks portal has had a big impact on the national signing day.
NIL: Says he thinks recruitment still comes down to relationships. But all those factors will still be a part of it. ... He says each situation is unique. "NIL is going to play a role. It played a role today." ... says NIL will be important to a lot of kids, but some kids will focus on other things.
On Dillingham and OC search: "Today is about the high school student athletes. We'll address any staff decisions here in the near future ... I'm excited about the direction that we're heading and I'm definitely grateful to Coach Dillingham for his contributions ... today is about our student-athletes."
That's a wrap on Norvell. We're supposed to be getting position coaches here in a few moments. But I'm not sure if they come to the podium or we get them on one on one.
We're live here at FSU and waiting for Mike Norvell to talk about the signing class. Odd day. I'm sure he'll be asked about Hunter. A lot.
But also landed a bunch of linemen, so he'll be asked about that, too.
At any rate, we'll keep you up to date! So, stay here and stay tuned!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, we were just told that we can't ask about any other prospects than the 14 that were signed. And that includes players who signed elsewhere. So, anyway. He's here!
"It's been a great day of new additions to our Florida State football family. It's a class that addresses a lot of needs that we have ... big emphasis on the offensive line. ... I really like the size and length of the class we started."
Says there is potential to land more players in the coming days. And maybe even one more today perhaps?
Says Richardson can play tackle or guard.
Says Sapp is a "massive man," plays the game the way we need the game to be played. "Has been a real leader in this class just with his passion and energy."
Says Early was a young man who was highly sought after.
"I really like seeing that core group (of linemen)."
On Sam McCall: "A tremendous athlete. ... He is a game-changers. Has the ability to play corner, also has the ability to play safety." Says he could help out on special teams as well.
"AJ Duffy was just a tremendous addition to this class." Says he's known Duffy since he was back at Arizona State because his had was a coach and he recruited his dad's high school. ... Says he'll have a chance to compete early on in his career and he'll be enrolling early.
Says the two TES have the legnth and size and speed they're looking for.
Compared RB Rodney Hill to a Toafili in that he has great speed and agility and can be a slot guy or a WR but will definitely be used in the passing game at some point.
On DL Bishop Thomas: "A unique athlete." Thomas wasn't able to play his senior year, but said as a junior he was a slot WR at some points for his HS despite being 290 pounds. ... Says he's going to be an early entry, too.
Says he thinks one of the stars of this class is Omar Graham, the linebacker. "Very intelligent, instinctual player. .. Did a wonderful job of flipping over and playing running back, playing wildcat quarterback. ... He's a special player."
Aaron Hester: "A great talent because of the versatility of what he can do." Says he thinks he might start out on LB but could maybe stay a DE, will definitely be coming off the edge in their plans.
"This is a class .. that we addressed a lot of the needs that we have ... " Said he's excited about the continued recruitment of the student-athletes that will stretch through the end of this period (Friday) and into the second NSD in February.
On NIL: "It's definitely changed some of the dynamics in recruiting and decision-making. ... It's playing a big part." Says they'll continue to provide education to recruits and players and says he's excited about how Apex and other avenues can help in that regard.
Says the versatility on the offensive line is really important. That he wants them to be able to play multiple positions. And he thinks the guys they got in this class fit that bill. "We really wanted to get bigger. ... I think this is going to be a special group."
Says there are some areas out on the perimeter that they need to address. "We're going to continue to recruit guys who maybe didn't have their minds set today but could be later this week ... or maybe the second signing day. ... we'll continue to evaluate each position on the team (in regards to portal) ... we want to build this program with a great core of guys who develop in that. ... But we saw how quickly transfers could come in and make an immediate impact."
Says he thinks they hit their needs on the line of scrimmage.
He's asked about guys from programs like Duncanville, Texas, who are used to winning. Says it matters to him. And it's great to see if one of these guys makes a real impact on a winning team. "That's what we've got to bring here. .. We've established that on our current roster but we want to make sure we enhance it. ... It's exciting to see the way these guys are impacting their program."
On Azareyeh Thomas: "He's a playmaker. I truly believe we're going to have to find ways to get the ball in his hands. He's going to start on the defensive side of the ball. ... He's one of the best players in the country just with the versatility of his skillset. ... He's going to be a special player here at Florida State. Very excited about having him in the program."
Says Thomas and McCall are talented enough to play offense, and should definitely help on special teams: "Those are those game-changing players."
On wide receiver position: "It's always going to come down to quality and fit. ... we try to use a variety of skillsets. ... That's what we're looking for. Today, obviously we didn't sign a receiver at this point in the class, but we're excited about where we are in the process with a number of guys. ... We're sitting here with four freshmen receivers ... we want to make sure that each player we bring is going to be able to make an impact."
On NIL and Florida regulations: Says it's important that the current players talk to the recruits about how they can get NIL deals (because coaches can't) .. we have restrictions in some sense in the state of Florida ... they get to share that message.
Says he think they'll probably have a full class of 25. Says there are some commitments that haven't yet signed ..."We'll see how it plays out."
On Travis Hunter, without asking about Travis Hunter: "You get to this day and it's a special day. Signing Day has been around for a long time. .... I'm just grateful for every young man I've gotten to sit in their homes ... we had 14 great young men that joined our program today and that's going to be our focus."
"It was a true joy to be able to get back on the road. ... Getting a chance to know the families .. one of my favorite things was just walking the halls with these prospects. ... I've really enjoyed this recruiting cycle. These two weeks are probably as hard as I've ever pushed in a recruiting period. But it was great to be able to get in front of all those families ... there's a lot of excitement. There's a lot of momentum. .... It's been special."
On Duffy: "He's an extremely smart football player. Has played in multiple systems. Son of a coach. ....... he missed a year out in California due to covid, decided to make a change, he played for his dad, so he had to go learn a new system. ... The way he was easily able to adapt ... a wonderful young man, .... i think he has a great future."
On early NSD: "I think it needs to be evaluated. ... It was all with good intentions. But now you look at some of the byproducts, whether its coaching changes or the transfer portal ... the pressure that's put on these kids in a two weeks time is extreme. ... We have a couple of years under our belt." Says he thinks portal has had a big impact on the national signing day.
NIL: Says he thinks recruitment still comes down to relationships. But all those factors will still be a part of it. ... He says each situation is unique. "NIL is going to play a role. It played a role today." ... says NIL will be important to a lot of kids, but some kids will focus on other things.
On Dillingham and OC search: "Today is about the high school student athletes. We'll address any staff decisions here in the near future ... I'm excited about the direction that we're heading and I'm definitely grateful to Coach Dillingham for his contributions ... today is about our student-athletes."
That's a wrap on Norvell. We're supposed to be getting position coaches here in a few moments. But I'm not sure if they come to the podium or we get them on one on one.
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