Although he was thrilled to finally receive an offer from Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher last week, DeMarco Artis didn’t want to make a rash decision.
The Sanford (Fla.) Seminole star already was committed to UCF, and he didn’t want to back out on the Knights without being sure that FSU was truly the best place for him. It took less than a week to come to that realization.
“It’s just a dream come true,” Artis told Warchant.com after announcing his decision Tuesday evening.
The talented pass-rusher said he was overwhelmed by the support he has received from FSU fans on social media and from Florida State’s current players and recruits.
Once he made the switch, Artis said he received text messages from FSU running back Jacques Patrick and other Seminole recruits, including Stanford Samuels III and D.J. Matthews. He said the messages from Samuels actually have been coming fast and furious since FSU extended its offer last Wednesday.
“He let me know he wants me to be part of the fam,” Artis said of Samuels.
Although he has listed several things he likes about Florida State -- the coaches, campus, tradition and more -- what Artis sounded the most excited about was the opportunity to play with the other talented, physical athletes on Florida State’s defense.
“Their defense is a bunch of dogs,” Artis said. “And I feel like I’ll fit in with them. Dogs want to play with dogs.”
And when he talks to other recruits about joining him at FSU, Artis said that will be his message.
“If you’re a savage and you want to play with savages, then you need to be at FSU,” Artis said. “That’s it.”
How will Artis fit in at Florida State?
At Sanford Seminole, Artis is known primarily as a pass-rusher. But as he showed at FSU’s 7-on-7 tournament earlier this summer, he certainly has the skills to drop into coverage as a linebacker.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder described himself as a versatile player who can fill many roles for Florida State’s defense.
