Andre' Otto certainly wasn't the biggest splash in Florida State's 2023 recruiting class.

And he certainly didn't have the list of final schools that many players FSU lands had.

The three-star offensive lineman from remote Key West, Fla., chose the Seminoles in December 2022 over fellow finalists Princeton, Stanford and Syracuse.

These were the four schools he favored out of his desire to attend a school that had a prominent film school where he could grow in his favorite off-field hobby, filmmaking, as well as on the football field.

But on the football field, FSU was certainly the school of those four that provided the most prominent opportunity, along with being the in-state school.

And although Otto was a late addition and far from the most prominent member of FSU's 2023 signing class, it's impossible to deny that he's knocking on the door of being a contributor on the FSU offensive line entering his second season with the program.

"Andre' Otto has had an incredible week. Very excited about what I'm seeing out of him," FSU head coach Mike Norvell said. "His versatility playing center and guard has been really good. I think he's definitely put himself in that mix of guys that we can count on."

FSU's offensive line room has come a long way in the last few years. Not too long ago, Otto's success on the practice field would have made him a surefire contender for quick playing time with the Seminoles.

Now, though, FSU has a markedly better offensive line unit loaded with experienced vets and transfers as well as promising younger players. Despite that depth, Otto has played his way into the conversation of being in that rotational mix at offensive line after redshirting and appearing in one game last season.

Entering his second season as a Seminole, Otto has already worked as a tackle, guard and center on the practice field. While he never snapped in high school, he's taken to working at center this preseason and could be a backup contender (and potential successor in 2025) to longtime center Maurice Smith.

He says working at center this offseason has helped him gain a much more comprehensive understanding of FSU's offense and the duties of every spot on the offensive line.

"It's been great. I've been really pushing myself this season. I feel a lot more comfortable, especially with our offense..." Otto said. "It really started coming together as soon as I got comfortable at center. I kind of see everything in a little bit bigger of a picture now."

While Otto may be Smith's successor, he's actually drawn more comparisons to Darius Washington, the do-it-all offensive lineman who has played often and all over the OL during his first five seasons at FSU before settling in as a preseason All-ACC offensive tackle this year.

"Darius is one of my people that I look up to so that's a huge compliment to me," Otto said. "I respect Darius, I like to work under Darius. We've worked a lot, especially this summer, going over drills at tackle and center ... Darius is a really good tackle. He kind of taught me how to be more patient with my hands. I used to fire out a lot more and now that I'm patient, I can gather myself and control people better."

With FSU limiting some of its offensive line starters in scrimmages so far this preseason, Otto has had the opportunity to get some reps with the first team unit in scrimmages. How he has performed in those settings has only validated the coaching staff's belief in how good a player the redshirt freshman could be sooner rather than later.

"Otto can jump in there and play," FSU offensive coordinator Alex Atkins said. "He went with the 1s a little bit (in the second scrimmage) and showcased his ability."

It seems like the FSU coaching staff knew pretty quickly upon his arrival that Otto was going to be a standout player for them because of one key trait, something that can't be taught.

"Otto's biggest character trait is willpower. He is going to will himself to be a good player. He's going to know it. He's going to challenge himself. He's going to push himself to the edge," Atkins said. "I know coach (Norvell) talked about guys that were pushing themselves to almost full body cramp in Jacksonville. He was one of those guys that knew his body was failing. He just kept pushing, going to celebrate with teammates."

"I'm a known sweater so I lose a lot of body fluids," Otto quipped.

It seems like the rest of the FSU roster has also taken note of how quickly Otto has grown. Atkins sees that as another telltale sign of a player who will be a key contributor in the near future.

"I was walking into the cafeteria the other day and the defensive line starters were saying, 'Otto is going to be a good player,' " Atkins said. "I think anytime those guys are complimenting a young O-linemen like that is a big, big badge of honor."

Otto may not enter the 2024 season as a starter. FSU has quite a few older players who are likely ahead of him in the pecking order. However, he may be the first guy off the bench at a few spots if the starter were to go down.

So does he have a preference of which of the many positions he's worked at he wants to play at?

"I don't mind as long as I get to play," Otto said.

Sign up for the Osceola's free daily email newsletters

Follow The Osceola on Facebook

Follow The Osceola on Twitter

Subscribe to the Osceola's YouTube channel

Subscribe to the Osceola's podcasts on Apple