2025 4-star tight end Chase Loftin feels at home on FSU official visit
Of the nine official visitors to see Florida State this weekend, Chase Loftin came from the farthest away by a wide margin.
Amidst a crop of visitors from Florida and Alabama, the 2025 four-star tight end came all the way from Omaha, Neb., to officially visit the Seminoles this weekend.
"Getting here was great. They welcomed me in with a ton of coaches and coach (Mike) Norvell there," Loftin said as he left his visit Sunday. "It started off with a bang and then obviously campus tour, tons of fun activities, good food and all that stuff. It was a really good time."
A big part of why Loftin traveled the nearly 1,200 miles down to Tallahassee over the weekend was because of his strong relationship with FSU head coach Mike Norvell.
"I love the whole coaching staff, especially coach Norvell. He's been a big part of my recruitment so I really appreciate that..." Loftin said. "He stays in contact with me every week really. He continues to check up on me. That's a big deal to me, make sure the head coach is in my recruitment. He does a great job."
Loftin has also built a strong relationship with FSU tight ends coach Chris Thomsen during his recruitment.
"It's awesome. I've built a great relationship with him and I think he's one of the best tight end coaches in the game," Loftin said of Thomsen. "Continuing to build this relationship with him is important to me. I think he's one of those guys that can bring my game to another level."
Loftin, who stands at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, had 1,017 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns over the last two seasons at Elkhorn (Neb.) North High. He transferred this offseason to Omaha Millard North.
"He'd start me off as more of a receiving-type tight end who can be flexed around the field, out wide," Loftin said of how Thomsen says FSU would use him. "As I begin to gain more muscle, get stronger, become more dynamic in the offense and be able to do both, in-line and outside."
Despite the distance, Loftin says his family doesn't seem to mind the prospect of him headed to Tallahassee should he choose the Seminoles at the end of his recruitment.
"My family loves it, loves the whole coaching staff," Loftin said. "Even though it is pretty far away, they want me to be in a place that I have those relationships and it's like family and home to me."
That distance isn't an especially big factor in his recruitment, either, Loftin said when leaving his OV. He's seen first-hand from his brother Brayden's college football experience as a tight end at Kansas State that it isn't that significant because of how hectic the college football life can be.
"My brother is a tight end at Kansas State and he's pretty close and I've noticed with him in college football, it's a busy thing and he rarely ever gets to come home even though he's pretty close," Loftin said. "I try to not make it that big of a factor, knowing I'm not really gonna be able to visit much anyways. So I've got to find a place that is family for me when I'm there."
Loftin leaves his FSU visit sounding like the Seminoles could fit that criteria.
"It is one of those places that I walk in and do feel at home...They're pretty high on my list.
Loftin leaves his FSU visit with an official visit scheduled next weekend at Texas A&M and another at in-state Nebraska shortly after that.
Once those visits are finished, it sounds like his commitment decision will come shortly after that. He says he wants to commit in June.
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