Growing up as a Florida State fan and getting an early offer from the Seminoles, it made sense to Gavin Nix that FSU would get his last official visit.

The four-star 2025 linebacker from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy closed out a month of OVs this past weekend in Tallahassee with a visit that lived up to his high expectations.

"I feel great about (FSU). I love it every time I come back," Nix said as he left his visit Sunday. "There's a reason I came here last. It is most definitely top being back and everything from top to bottom was amazing. No complaints at all...Growing up a Florida State fan, it was definitely full circle and a blessing to be back."

This visit to FSU was Nix’s second time on campus this year after an unofficial visit he took in February. With more time around the team and coaches this weekend, he especially relished the opportunity to spend an extended amount of time around two FSU staffers who he views as mentors, FSU linebackers coach Randy Shannon and defensive analyst Ernie Sims.

"Being able to be hosted by coach Sims and coach Shannon, that was great. Those are two guys that have been in the shoes of a place I aspire to be in," Nix said. "I've just been soaking up everything that I can. It's truly a blessing to be in a position to be mentored by those guys. Being able to be around them this whole weekend was a blessing for sure."

FSU was among Nix’s first offers in June 2022, just before the start of his sophomore year. That was right when Shannon was set to begin his first season as FSU’s linebackers coach after spending the 2021 season as a defensive analyst on the FSU staff.

Of FSU’s on-field coaches, Shannon is one of just two guys who hasn’t been on staff for Mike Norvell’s entire tenure in Tallahassee, joining ahead of his second season. That continuity is something that stands out to Nix as he ponders his decision in the near future.

“Florida State was one of my first offers my freshman year and I talk about it all the time, that basis of the staff is still here. It might have been like two full-time coaches that's been gone. For me to go through almost my entire high school career and that staff is still here, that means a lot. That continuity of the staff means a lot,” Nix said. “You can tell that these guys love working for Coach Norvell, working with him. That's huge and that'll be a huge piece as me considering this program and this program continuing to build a legacy. That's what they're doing. Coach Norvell is going to be able to do great things for the people that's with him, they love working with him. So that's most definitely huge."

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This past season at IMG, Nix had 42 tackles, seven tackles for loss and a sack in eight games. Entering his senior season, the 6-foot, 227-pound linebacker is ranked by Rivals as the No. 143 overall prospect and No. 6 inside linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class.

Asked about how Shannon coaches linebackers within FSU’s defensive scheme, Nix says he appreciates the freedom they are provided to make plays.

“Coach Shannon is old school, but he's big on just letting guys play freely and make plays. He's not so structured on, 'Alright, this is the scheme, I'm only letting you guys play like this.' He's more of like, ‘To get to the next level, you have to make plays,’ ” Nix said. “He lets his guys play in a system where you can play freely and let them be like themselves. That's what I love a lot. As far as fit, that's why I'm here right now. I feel like this would be a great fit. It would be a tremendously good layover for me transitioning to Florida State if I did come to this institution."

During his recruitment, Nix has occasionally voiced concerns about FSU’s usage of the transfer portal. The Seminoles brought in a pair of linebacker transfers this offseason (Alabama transfer Shawn Murphy and Auburn transfer Cam Riley) and much of the program’s rebuild under Norvell has been accelerated through a heavy and effective use of the portal.

That was a major talking point during Nix and Norvell’s 1-on-1 meeting during his official visit and the linebacker left the conversation with many of his concerns on the matter assuaged.

“I had a long talk with Coach Norvell about it (Saturday) night and he was very informative with that. When you really do your research and look at it, a lot of those guys were developed while they were here. A lot of those guys weren't huge, highly-sought-after recruits coming here,” Nix said. “But with Coach (Josh) Storms and all of the development that poured into these guys, Florida State has most definitely developed them the right way. That's why I feel like they've had a lot of success and, obviously, people have seen what they did in the draft. So it's been great, for sure …

“(Norvell is) a very, very great dude. He's real, man. It was good being around him, allowing us to be around his family and things of that nature. It was just great. I have a great relationship with him. He's a great dude so being around him was definitely dope."

After taking official visits to Miami, Oregon and FSU this month, Nix said exiting his FSU visit that those are his final three schools. Now he enters deliberation mode to see which of them is going to land his commitment. He didn’t share an official timetable for his decision, but it sounds like it is coming at some point in the near future.

“When the time is right, I'll have that internal conviction of where I feel like I need to be, where is the best place for me,” Nix said. “When the time is right, that's when I'll be making my decision. But it'll definitely be sometime soon."

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