How Charles Lester III recruitment differs from Travis Hunter
By Kelvin Hunt
Relationships
Charles Lester III has been to FSU more than any other school. I know Travis Hunter was similar and lived at FSU for much of his recruitment.
The Noles offered Lester on January 3rd, 2022, and had him on campus the the fall of 2021. Colorado didn’t offer until April 2023, and Lester’s visit this week will only be his second time visiting Boulder.
It’s true Deion Sanders could have been communicating with Lester while he was head coach at Jacksonville State, but he’s been the head coach at Colorado since January, so why wait until April to offer if you’re already in communication?
One other aspect is FSU’s defensive backs coach, Patrick Surtain. I’m not trying to disrespect former FSU defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson, but Patrick Surtain has accolades and credentials he couldn’t match.
Some folks love to point to players like Travis Hunter and Cormani McClain going to play for Deion because he’s the best to play at his position. That’s true, but the likelihood Deion spends his time coaching the defensive backs is minimal.
Plus, what defensive backs has Deion developed and sent to the NFL? Patrick Surtain’s son was a five-star recruit and NFL First Round Draft pick. I wonder who helped prep him to become a five-star recruit?
Similar to Asante Samuel Jr., most players of former NFL guys come to college with advanced skills and techniques, and Patrick Surtain Jr. was no different. Surtain can’t match Deion in terms of career accolades, but he was one of the best in the NFL for a time, and that’s something Marcus Woodson couldn’t counter.
I also believe FSU has been in the know regarding Lester’s plans and have not been caught off guard in this situation.