Dillan Gibbons
"It's actually one of the main reasons I did transfer to Florida State. Having my family at the games means to world to me. ... My grandpa has had multiple open heart surgeries over the last four years, he can't fly." ... Says it's great to be able to know he can now come to games.
Says the Go-Fund-me idea came about because back when he met Timothy in 2017 he made a decision he didn't want that to be a one-off meeting. He wanted to be engaged with him, get to know him. So, when the NIL thing came about, he thought it would be a perfect idea to use to get Timothy to the opening game.
"Completely (overwhelmed)." Said he started it on a Wednesday. And he was driving back home to St. Pete and was in the car when it started to get more and more momentum. "I had to pull over, because I couldn't really think, I couldn't even drive." "I'm completely overwhelmed, my family is overwhelmed, the Donovan family can't even think straight."
Said Timothy had a back surgery this summer. Says he's had pneumonia since the surgery. "He's struggling with that." Said he's been in the hospital. "He's in good spirits, but he's definitely been struggling."
Said his goal was a couple of thousand dollars for travel, expenses. He says people in town stepped up. Says Garnet and Gold stepped up. A local hotel. "My plan is for his day in the sun is to make it like an official visit. ... I'd like him to experience. ... I want to get him out on the field at some point during the game."
On the ND-FSU game last season: "This is a small perspective. That was one of the big games I stepped into ... I had a great experience. I played pretty well. Florida State gave us a run for our money that game. Notre Dame came out on top. ... But just watching the postgame interview with (Norvell), particularly about the offensive line, ... just kind of hearing that from a head coach was something I hadn't really heard before. I actually watched that again a couple of weeks ago."
Says when the NIL first came up, he says he was appalled by some of the images he had. Like the star player rolling up in an Escalade. .. Says he wanted to use his NIL to give back and give back to his friend, Timothy. "I think the fit is definitely there, but I think it's odd luck that I ended up here."
"It's a very interesting dynamic." Says there were multiple players forced into playing straight out of high school. "We're in a really good place. We have some veterans in the room, ... guys that have been in college football for a while. I think we've done a lot better job of taking control of the room and setting the actual standard."
Says he woke up the day after the spring game at Notre Dame and wondered why he was still at Notre Dame. Met with coaches and didn't get the answers he wanted. "I wanted to be back in the state of Florida and the only school I really considered was FSU. ... Was also looking for a school where he could get into an MBA program. ... I was contacted by about 75 plus coaches. ... I reached out to them and told them what my intentions were if they would have me."
"I do think it's a very interesting mix of guys. ... At FSU you have a big variety of kids, guys from all over the country. Transfers. Having the ability to talk those guys, be able to communicate, coach those guys."
On Milton: "He's a very hard working guy. He's an amazing story. ... I'm always in there getting rehab, getting work done in the weight room and he's always the first guy ... He's a natural born leader, just the way he talks to people, the way he interacts."
"When I was the sixth man, I had the ability to step in at every position. I had to know what everyone was doing... Having the opportunity to step into a program and change the culture of the offensive line was something I was waiting for. ... What was guaranteed to me was coming to Florida State and making an immediate impact. Those are my intentions."
Says he tried to get into the MBA program at Notre Dame and couldn't.
He'll be in the MBA program at FSU. Says he would like to specialize in real estate, he thinks. Or private equity.
"If the NFL does not work out for me."
Says he's trying to build as many relationships as possible, to keep the window of possibilities open.
"I just have a general interest in connecting with people."
Says saltwater fishing is what he does outside of football, it's one of his passions.
That's a wrap for Gibbons. Man. Go watch that video. That was a unique one.
Rod Orr
Says it's been awesome learning from Atkins every day. Said "awesome" twice actually.
Said the transition has been "great" from high school. Just has to get a little more physical.
"I need to work on everything. Oh my gosh, it's something different here. I need to work on everything, feet, speed, hands, coming out of my stance. Everything."
Says where he comes from everyone was supportive of him coming to Florida State.
He says the conditioning "is something serious." Says the conditioning and workouts have been the biggest challenge.
He says everyone gets treated the same by the S&C coaches.
On Atkins: "He's a great guy. He can be a father figure to me. He's there for you. Always."
He says he's always asking questions, what to do, what not to do, to Robert Scott and that helps him a lot.
Says you've got to work, got to push, to get to where he needs to be.
That's a wrap on Orr.
Hunter Washington
He says from Texas to Florida the atmosphere is different.
"The speed of the game is just much faster than high school." Says he's still catching up on academics, too.
Says he talked to Knowles and other early enrollees before he arrived to try and get a jump on the little things and being ready to play right away.
The player-run practices have been a lot of fun, he said. They all work hard and are trying to get each other better every day.
Says he's field corner right now. "I'm still trying to catch up on the small stuff, still trying to catch up on the plays ... but as soon as I get everything down I can see myself playing on the inside or the outside."
Says Malik McClain "can really go." Mentioned Parchment and Douglas as guys he goes up against a lot as well.
He said the loyalty the coaches brought to the table, they were always checking up on him, that was what he was looking for in recruiting. Said he knew Woodson back when was at Auburn. And that helped a lot.
"Everything is at a fast pace." Said he's started to pick up things but it can be a transition.
Said there was a lot of confusion from friends and teammates when he chose FSU, just because it was so far away and other teams were recruiting him.
He said he tries to play like Jalen Ramsey. He's his favorite corner, so he tries to emulate him.
On Coach Storms: "I was prepared for the workouts, it's just a lot of different techniques they taught me ... It's a lot they're bringing to the table. As soon as you step foot in the weight room, it's time to go to work."
Says when he committed he knew he wanted to have a strong 2021 class, so he tried to help recruiting. So he stayed in touch with other commits.
Said the QBs are vocal to both sides of the ball. "Trying to make sure everybody is on the same page." Because they're all striving toward the same goal.
He says the coaches are still the same guys he met in the recruiting process. "Nothing has changed."
That's a wrap on Washington.
Koby Gross
He says it's been a long time since he's been in a locker room, thought it was never going to come, but it feels good to be at FSU now.
"When I was back in California, I was working for this moment."
Says they have so much room to grow as a team. They're competing every day, on the field and in conditioning ... trying to make everyone better.
He says the older guys are challenging them and encouraging them in player-run practices. "It's really nice having the older guys. Even some of the new guys, like the early enrollees, have been helping me a lot." Mentioned Burrell as one who had been giving him advice.
Said he was just joking, clearly, when he tweeted about being over 300 pounds.
Said he's versatile and feels like he can play anywhere on the offense.
"I'm learning a lot since the first day I got here." Says he meets with Coach Thomsen three or four times a week. He said it was confusing first, but he's starting to feel more comfortable. The player-run practices have helped him in that regard, because he learns better by doing.
He says he's just as old as most of the guys on the team, but it wasn't a big transition to try and keep up with them at practice. "It was a pretty easy transition."
Says people from the west coast don't really come all the way across the country to play football. Says he had mixed reactions, "But I got the opportunity so I took it." Said FSU is where he wanted to be.
"I'm here to play football. I'm not here to go out. I'm here for one thing and I'm going to keep it that way."
And that's a wrap on Gross.
Jordan Eubanks
He said the older LBs have told him to just stay focused, keep the main thing the main thing and keep working hard.
The transition from safety to LB: "Says he played LB his sophomore and junior year and then safety his senior year," so it won't be too much of a transition for him to go back to linebacker.
Said coming to FSU wasn't a difficult decision because he prayed to God and he showed him the way.
Says it's a "great opportunity" to get a chance to play special teams as a freshman.
He says he believes in the coaches and the coaches believe in him.
And that's a wrap on Eubanks.
Omarion Cooper
He said FSU was always his dream school. He arrived on May 28.
"Ever since then it's been pretty hard work, coaches are pushing me. Just getting stronger and faster."
Said Coach Storms has helped him get caught up quick, but it's been a big transition in the weight room.
Said he can play anywhere in the secondary but he will be playing cornerback.
The older guys in the secondary have been great in helping him, he said.
Quashon Fuller is a former HS teammate, he said they talked a lot during the recruiting process and he told him how hard it was going to be. "Don't expect it to be a joy ride."
He said the bond between the freshmen DBs are getting stronger, and that will make the team stronger.
On his relationship with Coach Woodson: "I took a visit here in 2019 and met Coach Woodson. Our relationship is pretty good. He's a man of his word. It's been great. When I first got here, it was the same."
He said he's not really focusing on NIL because he's young. "I'm just really focusing on my development right now."
That's a wrap for Cooper.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good morning! We'll be interviewing six more newcomers this morning, beginning around 8:30 a.m. ET.
Corey will post updates and notes from the interviews in this thread right here. Here is the order they're supposed to speak ... so check back around 8:30 for updates.
Aslan will have videos immediately after each player finishes, and we will have stories coming.
* Defensive back Omarion Cooper of Lehigh Acres
* Linebacker Jordan Eubanks of Denton, Texas
* Junior college transfer tight end Koby Gross of San Ramon, Calif.
* Offensive tackle Rod Orr of Gadsden, Ala.
* Defensive back Hunter Washington of Katy, Texas
* Notre Dame offensive guard transfer Dillan Gibbons of St. Petersburg
"It's actually one of the main reasons I did transfer to Florida State. Having my family at the games means to world to me. ... My grandpa has had multiple open heart surgeries over the last four years, he can't fly." ... Says it's great to be able to know he can now come to games.
Says the Go-Fund-me idea came about because back when he met Timothy in 2017 he made a decision he didn't want that to be a one-off meeting. He wanted to be engaged with him, get to know him. So, when the NIL thing came about, he thought it would be a perfect idea to use to get Timothy to the opening game.
"Completely (overwhelmed)." Said he started it on a Wednesday. And he was driving back home to St. Pete and was in the car when it started to get more and more momentum. "I had to pull over, because I couldn't really think, I couldn't even drive." "I'm completely overwhelmed, my family is overwhelmed, the Donovan family can't even think straight."
Said Timothy had a back surgery this summer. Says he's had pneumonia since the surgery. "He's struggling with that." Said he's been in the hospital. "He's in good spirits, but he's definitely been struggling."
Said his goal was a couple of thousand dollars for travel, expenses. He says people in town stepped up. Says Garnet and Gold stepped up. A local hotel. "My plan is for his day in the sun is to make it like an official visit. ... I'd like him to experience. ... I want to get him out on the field at some point during the game."
On the ND-FSU game last season: "This is a small perspective. That was one of the big games I stepped into ... I had a great experience. I played pretty well. Florida State gave us a run for our money that game. Notre Dame came out on top. ... But just watching the postgame interview with (Norvell), particularly about the offensive line, ... just kind of hearing that from a head coach was something I hadn't really heard before. I actually watched that again a couple of weeks ago."
Says when the NIL first came up, he says he was appalled by some of the images he had. Like the star player rolling up in an Escalade. .. Says he wanted to use his NIL to give back and give back to his friend, Timothy. "I think the fit is definitely there, but I think it's odd luck that I ended up here."
"It's a very interesting dynamic." Says there were multiple players forced into playing straight out of high school. "We're in a really good place. We have some veterans in the room, ... guys that have been in college football for a while. I think we've done a lot better job of taking control of the room and setting the actual standard."
Says he woke up the day after the spring game at Notre Dame and wondered why he was still at Notre Dame. Met with coaches and didn't get the answers he wanted. "I wanted to be back in the state of Florida and the only school I really considered was FSU. ... Was also looking for a school where he could get into an MBA program. ... I was contacted by about 75 plus coaches. ... I reached out to them and told them what my intentions were if they would have me."
"I do think it's a very interesting mix of guys. ... At FSU you have a big variety of kids, guys from all over the country. Transfers. Having the ability to talk those guys, be able to communicate, coach those guys."
On Milton: "He's a very hard working guy. He's an amazing story. ... I'm always in there getting rehab, getting work done in the weight room and he's always the first guy ... He's a natural born leader, just the way he talks to people, the way he interacts."
"When I was the sixth man, I had the ability to step in at every position. I had to know what everyone was doing... Having the opportunity to step into a program and change the culture of the offensive line was something I was waiting for. ... What was guaranteed to me was coming to Florida State and making an immediate impact. Those are my intentions."
Says he tried to get into the MBA program at Notre Dame and couldn't.
He'll be in the MBA program at FSU. Says he would like to specialize in real estate, he thinks. Or private equity.
"If the NFL does not work out for me."
Says he's trying to build as many relationships as possible, to keep the window of possibilities open.
"I just have a general interest in connecting with people."
Says saltwater fishing is what he does outside of football, it's one of his passions.
That's a wrap for Gibbons. Man. Go watch that video. That was a unique one.
Rod Orr
Says it's been awesome learning from Atkins every day. Said "awesome" twice actually.
Said the transition has been "great" from high school. Just has to get a little more physical.
"I need to work on everything. Oh my gosh, it's something different here. I need to work on everything, feet, speed, hands, coming out of my stance. Everything."
Says where he comes from everyone was supportive of him coming to Florida State.
He says the conditioning "is something serious." Says the conditioning and workouts have been the biggest challenge.
He says everyone gets treated the same by the S&C coaches.
On Atkins: "He's a great guy. He can be a father figure to me. He's there for you. Always."
He says he's always asking questions, what to do, what not to do, to Robert Scott and that helps him a lot.
Says you've got to work, got to push, to get to where he needs to be.
That's a wrap on Orr.
Hunter Washington
He says from Texas to Florida the atmosphere is different.
"The speed of the game is just much faster than high school." Says he's still catching up on academics, too.
Says he talked to Knowles and other early enrollees before he arrived to try and get a jump on the little things and being ready to play right away.
The player-run practices have been a lot of fun, he said. They all work hard and are trying to get each other better every day.
Says he's field corner right now. "I'm still trying to catch up on the small stuff, still trying to catch up on the plays ... but as soon as I get everything down I can see myself playing on the inside or the outside."
Says Malik McClain "can really go." Mentioned Parchment and Douglas as guys he goes up against a lot as well.
He said the loyalty the coaches brought to the table, they were always checking up on him, that was what he was looking for in recruiting. Said he knew Woodson back when was at Auburn. And that helped a lot.
"Everything is at a fast pace." Said he's started to pick up things but it can be a transition.
Said there was a lot of confusion from friends and teammates when he chose FSU, just because it was so far away and other teams were recruiting him.
He said he tries to play like Jalen Ramsey. He's his favorite corner, so he tries to emulate him.
On Coach Storms: "I was prepared for the workouts, it's just a lot of different techniques they taught me ... It's a lot they're bringing to the table. As soon as you step foot in the weight room, it's time to go to work."
Says when he committed he knew he wanted to have a strong 2021 class, so he tried to help recruiting. So he stayed in touch with other commits.
Said the QBs are vocal to both sides of the ball. "Trying to make sure everybody is on the same page." Because they're all striving toward the same goal.
He says the coaches are still the same guys he met in the recruiting process. "Nothing has changed."
That's a wrap on Washington.
Koby Gross
He says it's been a long time since he's been in a locker room, thought it was never going to come, but it feels good to be at FSU now.
"When I was back in California, I was working for this moment."
Says they have so much room to grow as a team. They're competing every day, on the field and in conditioning ... trying to make everyone better.
He says the older guys are challenging them and encouraging them in player-run practices. "It's really nice having the older guys. Even some of the new guys, like the early enrollees, have been helping me a lot." Mentioned Burrell as one who had been giving him advice.
Said he was just joking, clearly, when he tweeted about being over 300 pounds.
Said he's versatile and feels like he can play anywhere on the offense.
"I'm learning a lot since the first day I got here." Says he meets with Coach Thomsen three or four times a week. He said it was confusing first, but he's starting to feel more comfortable. The player-run practices have helped him in that regard, because he learns better by doing.
He says he's just as old as most of the guys on the team, but it wasn't a big transition to try and keep up with them at practice. "It was a pretty easy transition."
Says people from the west coast don't really come all the way across the country to play football. Says he had mixed reactions, "But I got the opportunity so I took it." Said FSU is where he wanted to be.
"I'm here to play football. I'm not here to go out. I'm here for one thing and I'm going to keep it that way."
And that's a wrap on Gross.
Jordan Eubanks
He said the older LBs have told him to just stay focused, keep the main thing the main thing and keep working hard.
The transition from safety to LB: "Says he played LB his sophomore and junior year and then safety his senior year," so it won't be too much of a transition for him to go back to linebacker.
Said coming to FSU wasn't a difficult decision because he prayed to God and he showed him the way.
Says it's a "great opportunity" to get a chance to play special teams as a freshman.
He says he believes in the coaches and the coaches believe in him.
And that's a wrap on Eubanks.
Omarion Cooper
He said FSU was always his dream school. He arrived on May 28.
"Ever since then it's been pretty hard work, coaches are pushing me. Just getting stronger and faster."
Said Coach Storms has helped him get caught up quick, but it's been a big transition in the weight room.
Said he can play anywhere in the secondary but he will be playing cornerback.
The older guys in the secondary have been great in helping him, he said.
Quashon Fuller is a former HS teammate, he said they talked a lot during the recruiting process and he told him how hard it was going to be. "Don't expect it to be a joy ride."
He said the bond between the freshmen DBs are getting stronger, and that will make the team stronger.
On his relationship with Coach Woodson: "I took a visit here in 2019 and met Coach Woodson. Our relationship is pretty good. He's a man of his word. It's been great. When I first got here, it was the same."
He said he's not really focusing on NIL because he's young. "I'm just really focusing on my development right now."
That's a wrap for Cooper.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good morning! We'll be interviewing six more newcomers this morning, beginning around 8:30 a.m. ET.
Corey will post updates and notes from the interviews in this thread right here. Here is the order they're supposed to speak ... so check back around 8:30 for updates.
Aslan will have videos immediately after each player finishes, and we will have stories coming.
* Defensive back Omarion Cooper of Lehigh Acres
* Linebacker Jordan Eubanks of Denton, Texas
* Junior college transfer tight end Koby Gross of San Ramon, Calif.
* Offensive tackle Rod Orr of Gadsden, Ala.
* Defensive back Hunter Washington of Katy, Texas
* Notre Dame offensive guard transfer Dillan Gibbons of St. Petersburg
Last edited by a moderator:
