If you follow me on social media, you know high school recruiting isn't the same as it was 10-15 years ago. High school recruiting IS important, but the rate at which players can enter the transfer portal or commit to multiple schools before signing seems to be more commonplace. If a highly-rated player enrolled and never contributed, did it matter than you signed him? No, much less gaining a commitment and not signing him.
Exhibit A
Nevertheless, high school recruiting must be done, and it's official visit season as we near the six-month mark away from the Early Signing Period in December.
Players officially visiting doesn't mean they'll sign with a program, but it's a solid indicator there's mutual interest. It's better than a player NOT officially visiting.
FSU hosted one official visitor earlier this month but will welcome the first wave of recruits this weekend. They have six guys scheduled, three of which have committed elsewhere. Five of the six are from Florida or Georgia, which have been the areas we've wanted FSU to recruit the hardest. Four of the six play in the trenches, another area of focus for the FSU coaching staff.
Here's a list of the players scheduled:
- Uncommitted, Samuel Roseborough (OL), No. 133 nationally (composite blue-chip)
- Uncommitted, Johnnie Jones (OL), No. 141 nationally (composite blue-chip)
- Uncommitted, Kendal Guervil (DL), No. 146 nationally (composite blue-chip)
- Mississippi State commit, Jakobe Green (OL), No. 565 nationally (composite-three star)
- Mississippi State commit, Camden Capehart (WR), No. 647 nationally (composite three-star)
- GT commit, Traeviss Stevenson (DB), No. 770 nationally (composite three-star
Will FSU gain a commitment from a player visiting this weekend? There's no telling, but I've been saying for the longest how they play this season will dictate how well they do in recruiting. If they gain commitments from official visits, it'll be incumbent on them to play well so they can keep those commitments.
The other part will be continuing to build those relationships if players don't commit so that if they play well this season, it'll provide some evidence to support the message the coaches have been telling these recruits, which could make it possible to land some guys closer to the Early Signing Period.