FSU Football lands commitment from rising JUCO TE standout
Florida State head football coach Mike Norvell has made it clear that the tight end will play a very big part in his offense, and he continued to show that on Wednesday by landing his second tight end commitment for the 2021 class.
Junior college standout Koby Gross announced Wednesday night on Twitter that he is committing to FSU after receiving an offer last week.
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Before he made his announcement, Gross explained what stood out about the Seminoles and how he knew FSU was the school for him.
"I actually told FSU a few days ago that I'm ready to be a Seminole," he said. "Then today, we just made it official. I'm shutting down my recruitment to other schools. I actually recently took a virtual tour [to FSU], and it was amazing. And I could see myself there for sure."
Gross said he's been talking with other recruits and FSU players about the school. He mentioned recent wide receiver commit Joshua Burrell and offensive lineman Jalen Goss specifically.
He also said that he loves the Seminoles' tradition of success.
"It fits me in every way," Gross said. "I've always wanted to play at a school in the state of Florida, but I also felt such a strong comfort with FSU."
*ALSO SEE: Michael Langston's analysis of the Gross commitment, what he brings
The interest between Gross and Florida State has been apparent in recent months as he has posted numerous FSU-themed "edits" on social media. There also was frequent conversation between the two sides leading up to FSU extending an offer, which is believed to be Gross' first.
"It's a major offer for me," he said. "I really like what Coach Norvell does with the tight end position, and I think it would be a great fit for my skill set.”
Gross, who played defensive end earlier in his career before switching to offense, said FSU was one of several Power 5 schools to make a push in recent days.
"It started to get crazy the last [few] days with Florida State," he said. "Then after FSU offered, a lot of other schools have been calling and texting me. Louisville, TCU, Nebraska, Arizona, California and USF were the teams hitting me up."
As for his connections with Florida State, Gross said it all started when tight ends coach Chris Thomsen made the move from TCU to the Seminoles.
"Coach Thomsen, the tight ends coach, is the one I speak with the most," he said. "When he was the coach at TCU, I took a visit out there, so I knew about him from there. Then when he got to FSU, he reached out to me because he said they were looking for a JUCO tight end, and I was the first one to come to mind."
Gross said he has done his research into Mike Norvell's offense and is excited about what he's seen from the tight end position. It also helps that he has family ties to the state of Florida.
"I've been watching a lot of Memphis and what he does with the tight ends and how they are used," Gross said. "It's almost too good to be true when you watch the offense. So with how versatile I am as a receiver and blocker, it is a perfect fit.
"My Grandpa lives in Miami, and then my Grandma and Granddad live in Tampa. I've always loved being in the state of Florida, so I've always wanted to play in that state."
The JUCO standout said he graduates next May and will be part of the Seminoles' 2021 class.