Attention is nothing new to Chad Mascoe

THOMASVILLE, Ga. — He threw for 2,253 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. He added another 312 yards and half a dozen touchdowns rushing.

When you see those numbers, you would not think they are those of a freshman quarterback playing varsity football in south Georgia.

Chad Mascoe, a 6-foot-1, 202 pound quarterback out of Thomasville put up those numbers in 2018.

In between big games, Mascoe, still, only a freshman had to start to deal with recruiting. The first school to offer was Tennessee-Chattanooga in the spring of his eighth grade year. He has added offers from Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Oregon, South Carolina and Tennessee among others since.

He is used to the attention.

"I'm not going to lie; all my life, it has been, Chad this, Chad that, all-star quarterback and stuff like that, so I have had some success, but this is something different," said Mascoe. "I am getting offers from big-time schools, so it is on another level now.

"I am taking it all in right now. My dad (Chad Mascoe) was a five-star in Florida growing up, so he just tells me to stay humble and to keep working. He has been through this, so I listen to him. I am not getting ahead of myself. I still have a lot of work to do."

His childhood favorite was Florida State. The Seminoles got Mascoe to down to Tallahassee just days after he completed middle school. He picked up the offer in June and he fought off a few tears.

"I went to the camp, did my thing at quarterback, and after the camp was over, they offered me. I was so excited. I almost cried. It has been my dream school my whole life, so it was a great feeling. My hard work paid off."

When taking the emotion out of it, Mascoe still has the Seminoles high on his list.

"What stands out alot is the history at Florida State. I met coach Willie Taggart at the camp and I like him a lot. I got to work with coach [Walt] Bell and he is a cool guy. The coaches stand out to me too. I am still a big fan of the school now as a recruit."

Mascoe had visited Florida State numerous times, so he was familiar with their program. He couldn't say the same for an in-state rival of the Seminoles.

The Gators impressed surprised him.

"I was at Florida for the Kentucky game, it was my first time there and I have to say that I really liked it," said Mascoe. "I had visited Florida State a lot, but never Florida, so I did not know what to expect.

"The fans are crazy and I loved it a lot more than I expected to. I liked the atmosphere and how loud it was. They really impressed me. I was not expecting to like it as much as I did."

The 2020 talent has visited Athens a couple of times this year. Once for the spring game and then when Georgia faced Austin Peay. The Bulldogs' head coach had made a strong early impression on Mascoe.

"I love Kirby Smart. He really impresses me. I like him a lot as a coach and I have been following him since he was at Alabama. I love his energy and just how he is as a person.

"I also like how close the team is at Georgia. I have been there to see how close they are, how the energy is positive and how crazy the crowd is. I like how they have made my parents feel too."

With the Early Signing Period for the 2019 class right around the corner, Mascoe knows his time is still a ways away. It is very early in the recruiting process for him and he is just taking it like he should — slow.

He does not plan to go through this alone.

"I am just enjoying it all right now, but I know as I get older, I will have to get serious about it," said Mascoe. "My parents will be with my me the whole way and help me with my decision when that gets here.

"I am going to get out, meet coaches and just see how everyone is with my family with these visits. I am in a great spot and I am so blessed. My parents are going to be very important, so I want them to visit with me, then I want to hear what they say about this school."

We know his father is a huge Florida State fan. He had an offer from the Seminoles coming out of high school, but had to go the Junior College route instead.

There is definitely some love for Taggart's program there for the younger Mascoe, but he is going into this journey with an open mind.

"I am wide open now. I hear about Florida State because everyone knows what I think about them, but I hear about Oregon and I hear about Georgia too. I am really open though.

"I do not have any favorites now. Florida State was my dream school and I still love that program, but as a recruit now, I am looking at everyone."