FSU football: Reaction Ryan Bartow Director of High School Relations hire

FSU football has completed its off-the-field staff openings with the hire of Ryan Bartow, who replaces Carlos Locklyn as Director of High School Relations.

Locklyn desired to be an on-the-field coach and took a job elsewhere a couple of months ago. FSU officially announced the Bartow hire Tuesday morning on Twitter.

The move was mentionded first by Patrick Burnham of the Oceola News over the weekend.

Bartow’s credentials can be found in the press release FSU released below:

The reaction from most people on social media is positive, especially those that follow recruiting closely, as they should be familiar with Bartow’s name at least since he was with 247Sports for many years before branching off to work for individual universities.

Social Media Reaction

Parting Thoughts

Overall, I think it’s a good hire and likely upgrade over Coach Locklyn due to the relationships Bartow has from his years of working with many high school coaches in the southeast.

He has essentially done this job at Oregon and Syracuse, and admittedly FSU is a different animal than those two universities. However, you can tell from Bartow’s comments in the press release, and he understands the expectations that come with FSU football recruiting.

Bartow comes on board at a critical time in what’s likely Mike Norvell’s most important recruiting cycle in 2022. The Noles have five quality commitments and have several targets in-state and the surrounding areas they need to bring into the fold if this class is a difference-maker.

The biggest thing finding ways to get recruits on campus if the NCAA continues to force schools to operate in a dead period.

The relationships Bartow has should be helpful in that regard, along with helping the coaching staff build the relationships needed with the high school coaches in-state to be successful.