1/27/2024 football Edit

FSU 2025 OL commit Solomon Thomas reassured by visit, updates recruitment

FSU commit Solomon Thomas returned to campus for junior day on Saturday. (Bob Ferrante)

Nick Carlisle • TheOsceola

Writer

Florida State four-star OL commit Solomon Thomas made his first visit to Tallahassee since he committed to the Seminoles in December. The Jacksonville (Fla.) Raines High School prospect attended junior day at Florida State and had a few days to reconnect with his future coaching staff. Thomas defined his visit as reassuring.

"It was reassuring," Thomas said. "It's work. If you come here thinking it's gonna be a cake walk, you aren't going to play. This is a job, it's the expectation. I know Coach Atkins is invested in me and I'm invested in him."

Thomas talked frequently about his developing relationship with Atkins.

"My favorite thing was catching up with Coach Atkins. It wasn't a workout or him telling me I was the best — that's the thing about Coach Atkins. He'll never tell you that you're the best thing since sliced bread. The thing I like about him the most is that he's there for you and he'll push you to be the best you can be. Yell at you and cuss at you, but it'll do nothing but make you better. And that's shown by a 13-0 record."

Speaking of workouts, Thomas did get to witness one of the 'tour of duty' workouts that the team goes through every year.

"It's crazy. My school does something a little similar but it's NOTHING like Florida State," Thomas said. "A '24 offensive lineman who signed and is now here, he tells me what it's about. He told me 'once you get here, it's gonna make you a man'. It's no joke. I'm ready for it, I know it's going to kill me but that's why it's great."

Thomas committed to Florida State on Dec. 22. His decision was heavily influenced at the time by the fact that the Seminoles were excluded from the College Football Playoff. For the first time since his decision, Thomas got to sit down with coach Mike Norvell talk about their vision for the future.

"Every time I come I feel like I learn something different," Thomas said. "I gained more trust with the coaches. As much as recruits are evaluating schools as far as which one they want to go to. It's the same process with them — they are evaluating us. It gave them a chance to come and see me, get to know me better and build that relationship."

As for what's next, Thomas expressed that he was done taking visits until his official visit to FSU in the summer. Thomas visited Florida the previous week and had received in-person visits from multiple coaches including Georgia's Kirby Smart. But for now it seems that Thomas wants to slow down and focus on getting back into the swing of things at Raines High School.

"It can be a lot," Thomas said. "I'm trying to get back on my regular school schedule because when coaches are coming in and seeing you in class, you aren't in class like that. So I'm just trying to slow it down."

Thomas will do his best to slow things down and will return to Tallahassee for an official visit in the summer.