Florida State is pushing to add more offensive line depth in the spring transfer portal window.
One such prospect is Vanderbilt offensive tackle transfer Josh Raymond, who elected to hit the portal after one season with the Commodores. Raymond is choosing between the Seminoles and UCF for his next college destination and a prior relationship with FSU offensive line coach Herb Hand may have given Florida State an edge.
"It was amazing seeing Florida State and coach Hand. We were talking towards the end of my recruitment while he was at UCF, so it was nice to finally get really coached by him, watch film, break it down and see how he coaches," Raymond said of Hand.
"He's a great dude. He's a real smart guy and he is open to learning new techniques. A lot of coaches get stuck on teaching it how they always have. But he's like, 'I'm going to teach it how it's the best way to play.' So he's a great guy," he later added.
While he played tackle at Vanderbilt, Raymond believes that Florida State would use him primarily at guard with the option of also playing tackle.
The Seminoles were the first to reach out in the portal after Raymond officially hopped in.
"He (Herb Hand) was actually the first person to call me when I hit the portal. Maybe two or three minutes after I entered. As soon as he saw my name in there he called me immediately and said, 'You're my guy, let's get you over here,' " Raymond said.
If he were to sign with Florida State, he would be competing in a room with a familiar face. Redshirt senior Gunnar Hansen transferred in from Vanderbilt during the fall window.
"Gunnar was our starting quick tackle at Vandy so he worked with me a lot," Raymond said. "We played the same position. He took me under his wing over there and taught me the difference between high school and college because there is a big difference — there's grown men now. I was already close with him, so it's a good fit."
Raymond intends to make a decision after he speaks with his mother and trainer in the coming days. Prior to his visit to Florida State, Raymond visited UCF earlier in the week. Florida State has already taken and signed Rutgers OT transfer Ja'Elyne Matthews on Wednesday.
One such prospect is Vanderbilt offensive tackle transfer Josh Raymond, who elected to hit the portal after one season with the Commodores. Raymond is choosing between the Seminoles and UCF for his next college destination and a prior relationship with FSU offensive line coach Herb Hand may have given Florida State an edge.
"It was amazing seeing Florida State and coach Hand. We were talking towards the end of my recruitment while he was at UCF, so it was nice to finally get really coached by him, watch film, break it down and see how he coaches," Raymond said of Hand.
"He's a great dude. He's a real smart guy and he is open to learning new techniques. A lot of coaches get stuck on teaching it how they always have. But he's like, 'I'm going to teach it how it's the best way to play.' So he's a great guy," he later added.
While he played tackle at Vanderbilt, Raymond believes that Florida State would use him primarily at guard with the option of also playing tackle.
The Seminoles were the first to reach out in the portal after Raymond officially hopped in.
"He (Herb Hand) was actually the first person to call me when I hit the portal. Maybe two or three minutes after I entered. As soon as he saw my name in there he called me immediately and said, 'You're my guy, let's get you over here,' " Raymond said.
If he were to sign with Florida State, he would be competing in a room with a familiar face. Redshirt senior Gunnar Hansen transferred in from Vanderbilt during the fall window.
"Gunnar was our starting quick tackle at Vandy so he worked with me a lot," Raymond said. "We played the same position. He took me under his wing over there and taught me the difference between high school and college because there is a big difference — there's grown men now. I was already close with him, so it's a good fit."
Raymond intends to make a decision after he speaks with his mother and trainer in the coming days. Prior to his visit to Florida State, Raymond visited UCF earlier in the week. Florida State has already taken and signed Rutgers OT transfer Ja'Elyne Matthews on Wednesday.
