Four-star OL Roderick Kearney raves about Atkins, Seminoles: 'I love FSU'
JACKSONVILLE — The Florida State football staff landed a very impressive group of offensive linemen in the class of 2022, and now the Seminoles are turning up the heat for several 2023 prospects such as Roderick Kearney.
Our Warchant staff sat down with the four-star talent to discuss the latest in his recruitment and his most recent thoughts on FSU.
Kearney praised the 'Noles staff and described why he holds FSU in such high regard.
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Measuring in at 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, Kearney plays a little bit of guard but mostly tackle for Orange Park.
“I feel like you’re on an island, it’s just you and that dude — dude against dude,” Kearney said. “So you’ve gotta have, it’s not solely base off strength and speed, you’ve gotta have the knowledge of the game. And the technique.”
Kearney called FSU offensive coordinator Alex Atkins a great guy and said he focuses on much more than just football when talking with recruits.
“He separated himself from a lot of other coaches and recruiters,” Kearney said. “Everybody is going to do a little recruiting speech, everybody is going to do this and that to try and show you all the nice stuff they have. It comes down to real situations like in football and life.”
The four-star lineman then delved deeper into his prior visits to FSU and the feeling he gets with ’Noles.
“I am not a big city type of guy, even though I grew up in Jacksonville. Its like a home feeling when I am on the campus,” Kearney said of Florida State. “Everybody greets you with that home-type feeling. I feel like everything is legit and real.”
FSU head coach Mike Norvell is also obviously factoring into Kearney's recruitment.
“I feel like he is a real genuine dude as well. I feel like the whole coaching staff just all kind of go together,” he said. “Everybody has that genuine but real at the same time type of attitude. And Coach Norvell, I feel like he is going to be hard on you, but it is all for a good reason.”
Other visits Kearney took this spring included Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Clemson.
What factors during the recruiting process will be most important to the talented lineman?
“Of course, you have to have, I feel like every school I have been to has great education. They have a lot of great programs I can get into,” Kearney said. “It’s going to come down to who is going to really help you develop to the player you want to be.”
When it comes to his personal time, Kearney said he loves to lift weights and enjoys hanging out with his mother, who he credits with keeping him focused. “I’m blessed to have her.”
Kearney doesn’t have a leader and says, “as of right now, everybody is on an even plane.”
But he added that Florida State certainly has his attention heading into an important summer.
“I love FSU. I am just kind of going through the process,” Kearney said. “Letting everything play out. Led God lead me and don’t rush anything.”
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