FSU is making it hard for Kaliq Lockett to say no to being a Seminole
It's getting harder and harder for wide receiver Kaliq Lockett to say no to the Seminoles. After an impressive unofficial visit made Florida State a contender in the recruitment of the high four-star, a return official visit has solidified the Seminoles as a serious threat to pull Lockett away from Texas.
"It felt different here than all of the out-of-state schools, in my opinion. It's going to be hard for me to leave the state of Texas, but Coach (Mike) Norvell and Coach (Ron) Dugans are really making it hard for me to say no to them. Their recruiting pitch was, in my opinion, wasn't recruiting. It's building a relationship. I feel like I would be successful here."
Lockett is one of the most coveted wide receiver prospects in the country but even he alluded to the fact that it would take a lot to pull him out of the state. Yet, the Seminoles have turned a puncher's chance into a genuine shot to land Lockett following his official visit.
"I loved it, actually," Lockett said of his visit. "I got a lot of my questions answered, like all of my official visits. I got to hang out with a lot of the current players like Malik Benson, Hykeem Williams, Jalen Brown, guys like that. Getting to be in the film room with Coach Dugans, he showed me a lot of his philosophy and seeing how he'd use me in the offense — put me in slot, boundary, all of that."
Lockett has already taken official visits to LSU, Texas A&M, and USC prior to his official visit to Florida State that wrapped up Sunday. A common thing that Lockett had heard (presumably from other programs) was that Florida State only had receivers from the state — insinuating that he would not fit in with the room. Lockett explained that it was a concern heading into the visit but he learned that was not the case.
"It was a lot of people in my ear telling me that Florida State don't have anybody but Florida (receivers). But that's not true and I learned that over the course of this year. A lot of people in the receiver room are from different states. Malik is from Kansas. Guys from Georgia and Tennessee. There are some guys from Florida but there is a lot of diversity," Lockett said.
Those same players were from programs that Lockett is also considering in his recruitment. It allowed them to give him a fresh perspective on why he should consider Florida State.
"Malik came from Alabama, Hykeem being a former five-star from the Fort Lauderdale area and Jalen Brown coming from the portal from LSU ... Their main thing was that when they got here, they had more of an opportunity to carve their name out and be something special in Doak. Getting the chance to shine here," Lockett said.
Even Norvell being from Texas has played a major part in Lockett's consideration of Florida State.
"He's a receiver guru," Lockett said. "Him wanting to coach me says a lot about me as a player and me as a person."
Lockett will next travel to Tuscaloosa for a late addition to his official visit schedule in the Alabama Crimson Tide. He then finishes off his schedule with an official visit to Texas. From there, Lockett will narrow it down to three to four schools and release a commitment date.
Florida State has improved its stock with the official visit and while being out-of-state clearly bears importance, the Seminoles have given themselves a true shot and will likely make the final cut prior to his commitment.
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