Sam LeJeune wants to let FSU fans know that he's ready to do what it takes to win

There hasn't been much for FSU fans to look forward to over the past few seasons. Struggles on the field and on the trail have led to some fan apathy and put Mike Norvell on the perpetual hot seat. But the Seminoles' newest commitment wants to be one of the players that turns things around.

Sam LeJeune said that Florida State was the school that was in his heart even though Cal made a huge late push for the big athlete from Poplarville, Mississippi. After making his pledge to the Seminoles, LeJuene told 247Sports' Kolby Crawford that he had to follow his dream.

READ MORE: Sam LeJeune is finally the recruiting splash FSU fans have been begging Mike Norvell for

"I thought I was going to Cal 20 minutes ago, honestly," LeJeune said. "What solidified it was just... I don't even know. I love Florida State. Just the environment. Doak Campbell. Regardless of the staff, regardless of NIL, I would play football at Florida State."

4-star DL Sam LeJeune gives FSU a big win on the recruiting trail

There were a few things working for FSU in this recruitment. The Seminoles were LeJeune's first offer back in September 2024, a few months after LeJeune participated in the OL/DL camp. From that point on, he was a regular around Tallahassee, attending Junior Day events and visiting campus last season for the Miami game. As the offers continued to roll in, LeJeune's interest in Florida State stayed consistent and his relationship with the coaching staff, most notably Mike Norvell and defensive line assistant Terrence Knighton, were big factors. 

"They've been there the whole time. Ups and downs through the process....they just stuck with me, and I'm going to stick with them," LeJuene added. 

LeJeune had a wide range of offers, with Nebraska, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU, Auburn and a host of others. He took official visits to Cal, Washington and Auburn before heading to Tallahassee, where Norvell sealed the deal. 

It's been a solid June of commitments for Florida State and LeJeune becomes the eighth commitment of the month. That has included a few players that can move the needle a little bit, like four-star wide receiver Sean Green and four-star running back Jayden Miles. The class ranking, however, remains extremely low at 54th nationally because of the overall lack of blue-chip recruits among the 13 pledges. It's a ranking that shocks many Seminoles fans because even though Norvell hasn't shown that he's a great recruiter, FSU classes should never rank in the 50s. That's something he needs to take back to Memphis. 

But LeJeune is a dog and if Norvell is going to hang around long enough to see FSU get back to a place of relevancy in college football, he needs some more dogs on that roster. 

"They're getting a guy... I'm not going to be like these other fat linemen that go to these schools. 290 [pounds] lean. I'm coming to play early. I'm trying to play. I'm putting it in. 

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