FSU Football's David Kelly talks recruiting, criticism, summer surge & more
After an extremely impressive summer on the recruiting trail, the Florida State football team now has 21 commitments for the 2020 class, and the Seminoles rank No. 7 nationally in the Rivals team rankings.
The only schools above them currently are LSU, Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia and Michigan -- six teams with a combined record of 73-11 one year ago.
Florida State was 5-7.
So while the early signing period for football is still four months away -- and a lot can happen between now and then -- no one could blame FSU recruiting coordinator David Kelly for smiling when asked about this class.
"We've positioned ourselves in a great position," Kelly told Warchant during the Seminoles' annual Media Day on Sunday. "And that, along with us knowing that we're going to have an outstanding football season, I feel really good about our recruiting class."
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Kelly credits Florida State's impressive recruiting haul to three primary factors:
* The leadership of head coach Willie Taggart, who Kelly believes is the best recruiting head coach in the country
* The work ethic of the coaching staff and support staff;
* And the strength of the Florida State brand.
At the same time, Kelly readily admits that the Seminoles must produce better results on the field this season to keep that class intact, let alone make a strong finish in the final months. He points out that FSU also had a highly rated class going into the 2018 regular season, but the Seminoles finished up at No. 18 after enduring the program's first losing season in four decades.
As much as Kelly loved that class -- he proudly proclaims that FSU hasn't had one "bust" in either of Taggart's first two recruiting cycles -- he also understands that winning on the field is an essential ingredient.
"I'm happy with where we are at this point and where we've positioned ourselves," Kelly said. "Now, it comes down to winning football games, and we understand that."
The Seminoles have certainly come a long way in a short period of time.
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