Clash of the Titans: 4-star linemen Hall, Kearney put on show in FSU camp

All great football teams are strong in the trenches, and two of the marquee performers at Florida State's Elite camp on Saturday were guys who the Seminoles hope will be a major factor in their return to that level.

FSU already had developed strong relationships with Rivals250 defensive tackle Jordan Hall and four-star offensive lineman Roderick Kearney, and Saturday's event was another very positive experience.

Both players got to display their strength and skills against very good competition -- including some epic battles against each other -- and they also got to spend quality time with their possible future position coaches. Once it was over, we caught up with both players from the Jacksonville area to discuss their performance, their relationship with each other and the latest in their recruitments.

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One of the top performers at Saturday's Elite Camp was clearly Rivals250 defensive lineman Jordan Hall, who was fired up about this visit for several reasons.

Not only did he get to go up against good competition, but he got to see Mike Norvell and FSU's coaches work on the field, and he got to show his teammates what he likes so much about Florida State. This was his third visit to see the Seminoles.

"It was great," Hall said. "We didn't do a lot different. I mainly wanted my teammates to see it for themselves. We chilled and got some team meetings with the coaches and got around Coach Norvell again. Best part was my teammates seeing it all.

"In the team meetings, we went over what Coach Odell [Haggins] wants to see in the camp ... and what he does with his four down guys. Coach Norvell was showing me the intensity of everything they do. It's a big family here."

This was almost like an anniversary weekend for Hall since FSU and Haggins were the first ones to offer him -- long before he was considered one of the top defensive tackles in the country.

Since that time, he has come a long way with his skill level and technique, and he was happy to show that off on Saturday.

"Excuse my language, but today was about working my ass off," Hall said. "Competing against some great offensive linemen and showing how much I've improved from the last time I was here. I see the changes in my game and felt really good about the one-on-ones. I feel like my pass rush improved a lot."

Hall credited Haggins with providing tips that have taken his game to another level.

"I would say the help Coach Odell has given me with my get-off," he said. "We talked about getting faster off the ball. He keeps it really easy with how he teaches things and a lot of it is the basics of focusing on even small things with your hands."