National Signing Day 2023: Noles add several preferred walk-on players

National Signing Day 2023 was an uneventful Wednesday for FSU football, as everything went according to plan.

The coaches signed the one unsigned commitment, three-star linebacker Dylan Brown-Turner who committed to the Noles on Monday.

However, the coaches understand having a good preferred walk-on program is important to the overall success of the team.

Sometimes programs can find hidden gems that evolve into productive players who earn scholarships. Treshaun Ward comes to mind as the most recent example.

CJ Campbell is another. FSU added several preferred walk-on players from Florida and Georgia Wednesday:

Grant Fielder is an LB/DE from Smyrna, Georgia. He had 61 total tackles and 17 sacks as a senior.

Xavier Perkins is a 6’4″ and 220-pound defensive end from Tampa, Florida. He had offers from Furman, Harvard, Holy Cross, Fordham, and Dartmouth.

Michael Grant is a local product from Tallahassee who completed 215 of his 334 pass attempts (64.4 percent) for 2,960 yards with 32 TD and 10 interceptions. He lists at 6″3′ and 190 pounds.

Hiebert played safety at 6’2″ and 197 pounds. He recorded 103 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a sack last season. He finished his high school career with 13 interceptions.

Brandon Torres is from Naples, Florida, and played RB/LB in high school.

Zamari McKenley was a high school teammates with five-star signee WR Hykeem Williams.

Overall Thoughts

It’s possible FSU coaches could add more preferred walk-ons as some players may decide to forgo scholarship offers at smaller universities and colleges to walk on at Florida State.

These players participate in practice and spend a lot of time on the scout teams. The better the competition on the scout teams?

The better the practice reps are for the scholarship players. Often, walk-on players get noticed for their performances at practice and go on to earn a scholarship. Welcome to Tallahassee, fellas!