“You know, I can play the slot machine and go outside. I therefore admire how their offense will employ me more versatilely.”
Freshmen and transfers are getting a first-hand look at Florida State’s 2024 recruiting class as they meet with the media in garnet and gold. While the NCAA Transfer Portal has received a lot of attention nationwide, high school recruitment is still essential to the success of any program.
Since arriving on campus in December, former Colquitt, Georgia, 4-star tight end Landen Thomas has gotten to know his teammates and staff while also mastering the playbook. He picked Florida State over schools like Georgia, Alabama, and Michigan in large part because of head coach Mike Norvell’s use of the tight end position in his offense.
Regarding the offensive, Thomas stated, “I just like how they spread everybody around the field, like how they just don’t keep somebody in that one specific spot.” “You know, I can play the slot machine and go outside. I therefore admire how their offense will employ me more versatilely.”
Jaheim Bell, a former tight end at Florida State, was a versatile player who had a similar role in the offense. Thomas had 114 catches for 1,917 yards and 21 touchdowns at Colquitt County, and he was impressed with how they deployed Bell.
“I noticed that they used Jaheim a lot, moving him all over the field and passing him the ball. I was thinking, “I can do that too,” because that’s what I was liking as well.”
According to Thomas, it takes more than just catching passes. But he believes that playing blocking is the best method for a rookie to get on the field, which is in line with Norvell’s mindset.
“I think that’s a better approach for me to enter the game, blocking-wise. Since not everyone is able to block in real life, I believe that if I can master blocking, I would be able to sense things more quickly.”
Thomas will still be on the field in 2024 even if players like Kyle Morlock, Jackson West, and Jerrale Powers will be playing more at tight end now that Bell is gone.
