FSU football: Gilber Edmond dishes on acclimating after transferring

FSU football has used the transfer portal to help fill needs at the defensive end position over the past three recruiting cycles. The latest addition came from South Carolina in the form of Gilber Edmond.

Edmond enrolled at FSU in the spring after three years at South Carolina, with two years of eligibility remaining. He was quite productive at South Carolina last season, racking up 39 tackles, and leading the team with nine tackles for a loss. I’ve pointed it out several times, but Edmond played over 600 snaps last season, which is an incredible amount for a defensive end.

He likely spent a lot of time playing exhausted, and I knew that wouldn’t be the case with Jared Verse and Patrick Payton, and why I got excited about the addition. However, some FSU media were critical of Edmond in spring camp, just as they were with Johnny Wilson and others last year. Some also did the same with Fentrell Cypress.

For some reason, some FSU media expect guys to join a new program and hit the ground running like it’s a video game or something. It’s a new environment, new coaches, new language, new techniques, new philosophies. LSU wanted him from the transfer portal for a reason.

It helps to have experience, but there’s still an acclimation period. Edmond spoke on some of that process with media after practice Thursday:

Translation

Edmond needed to learn how the FSU coaches used their defensive ends, and how they wanted him to play in different situations. FSU only got 15 practices in the spring, so it’s virtually impossible to learn everything in that time.

However, the summer provides more time for players to work on things, and it looks like Edmond finally feels comfortable in his role as they have transitioned into week two at fall camp. Folks have to stop writing guys off after small snapshots.

The guy put up some numbers at South Carolina, and I think he’s going to have more of an impact than folk think in 2023 for the Noles.