Brewster scores win after win for FSU

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Preseason camp is designed to present challenges so coaches know what they're getting, or not getting, out of their players.

Doing ladder drills should not be complicated at all. Tim Brewster knows this to be true. So do his players. It still doesn't stop Florida State's tight ends coach from handing out some advice.

"Sign your name to what you're doing," Brewster shouted to his players during a recent practice.

That's Brewster. Always active. When he's not teaching players, he's on the road serving as FSU's recruiting coordinator, chasing down the Seminoles' next big-name prospect. Or if he can't be on the road, he'll hop on the phone or social media sites like Twitter instead.

According to some high school football coaches and recruits, particularly in the talent-rich South Florida area, Brewster's ability to connect with people on social media -- the same way he does in person -- has given FSU an edge over most other schools. They say his personable nature, honesty and ability to relate to players has made him more than just another polo shirt on the recruiting trail.

"He understood the guys from [South Florida]. He understands the 305," said running back Amir Rasul, an FSU commit. "He understood the recruiting process and how it works for us. He explained everything he knew and he explained it very well."

Rasul, a senior at Coral Gables, was committed to his hometown Miami Hurricanes until he backed out of that pledge in late July. After Rasul's decommitment, the nation's No. 13-rated running back said Brewster provided the four-star recruit with "really good information."

Rasul said Brewster also was more accessible than most coaches.

"Coach Brewster is on Twitter a lot," Rasul said. "He's always hitting me up every two days."

Brewster also knows how to adjust. For more than six months, the Seminoles appeared to have their tight end of the future in Isaac Nauta, a five-star prospect from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. But Nauta, the nation's No. 1 tight end, backed out on his commitment in late July.

Nearly a month later, Brewster replaced Nauta with four-star Naseir Upshur on Tuesday. Upshur, the No. 4-ranked tight end in the nation, chose Florida State over Michigan. The Seminoles now have 18 commitments for the class of 2016 and have moved up to No. 3 in Rivals' team recruiting rankings.

Although FSU had a need at tight end, Brewster is particular about who he recruits. Miami Central head coach Roland Smith said Brewster doesn't pursue players based on talent alone. He looks at other attributes, such as character and personality.

If any coach could attest to Brewster's work as a recruiter, it would be Smith.

FSU has four former Miami Central stars -- Calvin Brewton, Dalvin Cook, Frederick Jones and Da'Vante Phillips -- on its roster. The Seminoles also have commitments from Jamel Cook and Keir Thomas for the class of 2016.

It's an impressive haul from one school, especially considering Central has won two consecutive Class 6A state titles and could very well win a third in 2015.

"He knows what kind of kid he wants," Smith said. "It is probably the same mentality he had when he was a head coach. He asks, 'Would this kid fit into what we do at FSU?'"

The 54-year-old Brewster, who goes by "Coach Brew," was head coach at Minnesota for three-plus seasons before being dismissed midway through the Gophers' 2010 campaign. He spent the 2012 season at Mississippi State as a receivers coach before coming to Tallahassee in 2013.

Since then, he has enjoyed one success after another.

The Seminoles won a national title in 2013 and rode a 29-game win streak into last year's College Football Playoff. Brewster got to coach Nick O'Leary, who won the 2014 Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end. And FSU's last two signing classes have ranked No. 4 and No. 3 in the nation, respectively.

Even rivals have taken notice.

Miami-based rap star Luther Campbell, who is one of the Hurricanes' most vocal supporters and also coaches high school football in South Florida, has not been shy about his affection for Brewster. Although the two trade playful jabs on social media from time to time, Campbell tweeted in February that he would like to see Brewster become the Hurricanes' next head coach.

"When you get your first girlfriend and it didn't work out, you learn from it," Campbell, who is entering his second season as a defensive coordinator at Miami Norland, said of Brewster's failed tenure at Minnesota. "You do have experience in being a relationship. With him, I think it is a matter of time before he takes over another program."

Campbell, who previously coached at Miami Northwestern and Miami Central, said he's had a relationship with Brewster going back to when the energetic coach was still at the Big Ten school. When Brewster came to Florida State, the two reconnected and it has led to Campbell finding greater respect for both Brewster and the Seminoles.

Campbell, who has been a vocal critic of UM's current coaching staff, actually started warming up to FSU even before Brewster's hire. As a mentor and former coach of tailback Devonta Freeman, Campbell was impressed that the Seminoles were one of the first major programs to offer the current Atlanta Falcon.

"Wish I could say something different, but [the FSU coaching staff] are really on point," said Campbell, whose recently authored a book titled, "The Book of Luke." "They don't come with any shenanigans. They're going to teach your kids how to be men. You don't have any problem sending your kid to that school.

"When they ask for your opinion, you cannot say anything bad about them."

Having that sort of credibility goes a long way in a recruiting hotbed like South Florida.

Trying to sign players from Palm Beach County can be a battle. Broward County might be even tougher. But recruiting in Miami-Dade can be as treacherous as it is rewarding.

"There are a ton of street agents running around who have no relationship with the kids and parents but they claim they do," Campbell said. "That's one layer you have to deal with."

Campbell said Brewster and FSU have been able to slice through the nonsense, identify the right players and then make the best connections. The Seminoles have four commitments from South Florida right now and grabbed four from the area last year, including five-star cornerback Tarvarus McFadden.

"Me being a Miami guy, I live here, and I go to the cigar bar with the Miami coaches, so don't think I am not telling them about these kids," Campbell said. "It's what happened with Devonta Freeman. I told them he was the real deal and they may want to think about offering him.

"[FSU] comes around the corner, jumps on the kid and before you know it, Miami wants to come behind him."

While some FSU fans feared that the Seminoles' pipeline from South Florida might dry up following the departures of former assistant coaches James Coley and Eddie Gran -- Coley is now offensive coordinator at UM and Gran is offensive coordinator at Cincinnati -- head coach Jimbo Fisher and Brewster seem to have it flowing just fine.

While Campbell pointed out several of Brewster's positive qualities, he said his greatest strength is his ability to relate without being fake, something that can be pivotal in the recruiting process.

"Being an older guy, he knows the lingo and he has the gift of gab," Campbell said. "He does not come across as a white guy trying to act black. He's going to keep it 100 with you."