Warchant TV: Norvell on FSU early signing class (w/ transcript)

FSU head football coach Mike Norvell made the most of his 10 days on the job in his first test leading the program by filling major needs on the roster in the early signing period. Norvell gushed when talking about the two quarterbacks who signed and complimented the former and current staff for keeping the class largely in tact. Norvell added he expects a few more additions in the days to come.

MIKE NORVELL: First off, appreciate everybody being here. It's an exciting day. This is one of my favorite days of the year. It's an opportunity to bring additions into the Seminole family. It's a great day. It's been an incredible last week and change, and been able to get into a lot of homes, obviously a lot of high schools. Being able to have the opportunity to spread the vision of Florida State football, the vision of not only where we are but where we're going, and I've got to start off by giving great thanks to our administration, to our coaching staff, to our current players, to everybody that was involved this weekend on our official visit weekend, from the professors to everybody on campus to all of Tallahassee for being showcased as the wonderful place that it is. It was a great weekend, and to be able to host a lot of the guys that were committed, obviously some targets that we had, and it all came into effect today. Being able to add 15 guys at this time into our football family was pretty special, and there were some signing day surprises, there were some celebrations, but I absolutely believe that the 15 young men that have joined our program are a wonderful fit for what we're looking for and a group of young men that want to be a part of a family and a culture that is truly special.

To go through some of the highlights of it, we wanted to first and foremost be able to address a need at the quarterback position, and right now we have two quarterbacks on scholarship. Very excited about both of those young men. But to go out and get what I believe are two of the best quarterbacks in the country in this year's class, young men that are a tremendous fit, being able to get Tate [Rodemaker] and Chubba [Purdy] to come together and both sign here today in December, it is definitely a dynamic group.

You know, obviously Chubba coming from the state of Arizona was a highly sought-after and highly publicized recruit, I think he's a four-star quarterback, very talented young man. I think he brings a little bit of everything to the table. He's got a great arm strength, incredible accuracy, has the ability to be able to carry the football. He's a well-built young man, physically developed. But I think the things that separates him is really the IQ, his quarterback IQ, his understanding of the game. He was the younger brother of Brock Purdy, who was the starting quarterback at Iowa State. It's a family that I've known for a long time, Coach [Kenny] Dillingham has known for a long time, just from my time when I was at Arizona State. There was a lot of familiarity there. But I'm excited to be able to have him join the program today.

Tate being from right down the road there in Valdosta, once again, another young man that's extremely talented. I think he completed close to 70 percent of his passes, really high touchdown-to-interception ratio, is a great leader, unbelievable potential there in front of him, the son of a coach. Once again, that football IQ is something that has me excited. Having him here this past week was really great for everybody involved. He had another official visit stacked up on the back end of it, but after two days of being here in Tallahassee, he canceled that trip and decided that this was home, so was definitely a big get for us.

We wanted to be able to address the offensive line. That was a need for us, and it's going to be -- there's still a couple of spots that we're excited to fill and what we're looking for there, but to be able to announce today that Zane Herring and Thomas Shrader joining our program, both young men that are kind of cut from the same cloth, tough, physical, smart, absolute desire to play the game the way it's supposed to be played with a physical mindset and attitude, those guys were both here this weekend, and just really enjoyed seeing the camaraderie that they have. I think both guys have an opportunity to come in and be able to compete early in their career, but definitely were able to check all the boxes and what we were looking for, and to be able to solidify them here for this first signing class was big.

Kind of transitioning there to the tight end position, Carter Boatwright is really what we're looking for. A young man that has great size, great potential here with what we believe he can develop to become, not only as a run blocker but what he can do in the passing game, that is going to be a big staple of our offense, utilizing backs, tight ends. You're trying to find the best match-ups possible week in and week out, being able to address that need with Carter was something that we wanted to emphasize, and we thought that he was the right fit for what we were looking for.

Looking at the running back position, obviously there is a need there, and for us that is a position that we'll continue to address throughout the recruiting process. But to start off today by getting one of the best running backs in the country, a guy that I believe has a chance to be a superstar here in his future in Lawrance Toafili, he is a remarkable young man, and to have him here this weekend, it was special. To watch him, how he interacted with the other recruits, the confidence which he carries himself with, the skill set that he shows, not only running the football but being able to catch the ball in the backfield, he fell in love with this offense the first time that he saw it, and he's done a lot of research on me, on my past, and I could not be more excited. I think he's a perfect fit for what we're looking for.

And then the position that I thought was just -- had an incredible day at was the wide receiver position. Obviously we have a great group coming back here this next year, but I think that we were able to address some needs at that position, to be able to get guys like Bryan Robinson and then Kentron Poitier were two big-time needs, great young men that are coming into our program. I believe there will be a couple of others that join here in the next few days, but those two guys, on signing day, to make their commitment and sign here at Florida State, those guys have incredible futures here in front of them, and we're definitely excited to add them to the Seminole family here this week.

To be able to jump in and build those relationships in such a short period of time, I was definitely grateful to their families for giving us the opportunity and for their choices to become Seminoles.

Flipping over to the defensive side, I think this is a great start to the class. Starting off up front, a young man that had been committed for a while throughout the process. You see Josh Griffis was a -- he's a young man that loves Florida State. Throughout this process, throughout change or throughout obviously a coaching change, there were some things that brought question, brought concern, and he had decommitted, but he gave us an opportunity. I'll forever be grateful for that. He is an incredible young man, plays with a great motor, coming from IMG. He plays fast. He's physical, has the skill set to come in, I think compete early in his career. He was excited about some of the transitions that we're going to have defensively going from a little bit -- from a three- down front to a four-down front, being able to get those edge defenders is going to be big. It's going to be a big priority for us, and Josh definitely fits the bill in every aspect.

But being able to get him on campus this weekend and just see the joy and the excitement that he has, that was a big-time addition for us today. We definitely had a lot of celebrations going on in our staff room when that announcement was made.

Working inside, looking at Manny Rogers, probably one of the most impressive builds of any player in this class. I walked into the high school and it actually startled me when I walked up on him how big he was and just the athleticism that you see on film, Coach Odell Haggins did as good of a job recruiting and identifying that young man early in the process. Odell was telling me when I got here, he believed this was the best defensive lineman in the state of Florida. After seeing him, getting to know the young man, I absolutely agree with him, and I think Manny is a player that will be able to come in, and just because of his size, his physicality, what he's able to do, we think that he will have a chance to be able to contribute early. Obviously we have some guys in front of him that are a little bit more experienced that will be able to kind of take him under their wings, but we absolutely believe that less got a special talent and a great future here in front of him.

Working back to the linebacker position, obviously we're extremely excited about Stephen Dix, Jr. Much like Manny, probably one of the most physically impressive young men that are coming in as freshmen. He'll actually start here in a few weeks as an early graduate, and this young man is all ball all the time. Being able to sit down with his high school coaches, he comes from Dr. Phillips High School, and every person in that school, their faces light up when you talk about Stephen. Just the impact that he made within the program as a four-year starter, just the things that he was able to do on the field, but also the impact that he was able to make off of it, we think that he has a special talent. He too was definitely excited about the transition of what we're going to do defensively to be able to let him run sideline to sideline and be very aggressive in his mentality of attack, we're excited about being able to add Stephen, as well as Jayion McCluster, another great linebacker that possesses great size, speed, athleticism. He was here this weekend. Those two guys were there together, and that's what we want our linebackers to look like, both size that have great stature, speed, athleticism, but also guys that embrace the intellectual side of the game. They were definitely above and beyond what you would expect from a high school senior when we got a chance to talk ball with them, which is going to provide both those guys a chance to come in and compete early.

Kind of working ourselves back to the defensive backfield, the highest rated recruit in this class and somebody that I think has an incredible future is Demorie Tate. Getting a chance to sit, to go by his high school and being able to sit down and see his family and just the presence of the young man is second to none. You see the size, you see the speed, the athleticism, the versatility that he had playing receiver, playing defensive back, the physicality that shows up, things he can do in special teams, I think he's an all-around player. He is a young man that has a chance to be a superstar in his future if he continues to progress and keep the mindset that he has here at the high school level to obviously transition into here, to Florida State. Just so excited about what he brings to the table, and he's really been a rock in this class, and we're excited about what he does and will do.

Jadarius Green-McKnight, he is probably one of the most physical players in this class. He possesses great speed. I think he's been clocked at a 10.8 100-meter, guy that can go sideline to sideline, but he definitely has the right mentality, very physical young man. I think he can play two to three different positions in our defensive backfield with the speed and athleticism that he shows but also the mentality which he plays with. He was the longest tenured commit in this class. I think he's been committed for over two years. There were a lot of schools that were trying to sway him to look at other options, but he stayed firm and decided here the last couple days that he wanted to end the process and officially become a Seminole, and we're excited for the addition of him.

And then last but not least, the young man that's going to have to travel the furthest is Alex Mastromanno, coming from Australia. We knew that there was a need for a punter in this year's class. I definitely didn't want to start the news conference talking about a punter because I hope we don't have to use him that much, but we're excited about the addition of Alex. He possesses an incredible leg, getting a chance to know him and to -- the sense of purpose that he has, to be great in all that he does is second to none in this class. The work that's going into it -- he has done an incredible job of developing in his skill set. He's a mature young man, he's definitely excited to bring his game to Florida State, and I think he's going to be a wonderful addition to what we're doing here.

For the overview of the class, obviously we're very excited. There are some key positions that we're going to look at here for the second signing period. There will be some additions here probably in the next couple days, as well, but I could not be more pleased with what we were able to get done here in such a short period of time, and I think it was the four or five additions that we were able to secure today was just incredible for our program, and definitely grateful for everybody involved, and like I mentioned, Coach Odell Haggins, Coach Ron Dugans, it was remarkable the job those guys -- Telly Lockette, those guys did an incredible job since I've been here helping put us in a position to sign a great class and what we were able to do. I'll open it up to questions.

One more, I told you there were going to be a couple of additions, so Ja'Khi Douglas, receiver out of Louisiana.

This is a young man I've known since he was in the 10th grade, and he's been committed to Florida State for a while now, and he's a special talent. He is extremely quick, has great burst, is a versatile player that can play in the slot. I think there are some things he can do possibly in the backfield. We're going to utilize more two-back sets in what we're looking to do here in the future, and so he's a guy that can possess a great versatility and flexibility to how we can line him throughout our offensive schemes. But we feel like he's a dynamic playmaker that has got a great future in front of him.

Q. Talk about the last 10 days and getting here, figuring out who was on the board, who was committed, what the needs were, and kind of navigating those waters to lead up to today?

MIKE NORVELL: Well, you know, you have to truly get a sense of the priority per position, trying to get a sense of what we have in place on the roster right now. It was a lot of information. Trying to manage that, like I said, I have to give credit to Odell [Haggins] and the staff, the recruiting staff that was in place to go through that. It was constant hours of evaluation, making sure that we were able to identify how each young man fit into what we were looking to do here moving forward, and then it came down to building relationships.

The minute that I was cleared to be able to recruit -- I was working FaceTime, everybody had a phone and everybody had a responsibility, and that was to get me in front of as many kids as possible to be able to talk about, one, who I am, and then two, where we're going. The reception has been incredible. There's not enough time to give a recruiting speech when you have 10 days. So all I try to do is just put my heart out there on the table, tell these young men why I do what I do, the importance of their opportunity and how we see them within this program, and I believe that it allows us to build a foundation to what's going to be there for their future.

Q. Coach, how quickly did you come up with a plan at the quarterback position, and how were you able to execute that in such a short time frame?

MIKE NORVELL: Oh, it's challenging. Obviously quarterback position is a unique -- every year in recruiting, usually those guys are -- make earlier decisions. They evaluate every aspect of what they do. Coming in here late in the process, I believe that there was a specific need at that position of what we wanted to attract and what we were going to go after. To be able to get two young men like Tate [Rodemaker] and Chubba [Purdy], man, I think we hit an absolute home run. Those guys have been incredible, the amount of time that we've spent in that short period of time just getting to know them. Obviously the great thing about it is I've had a previous relationship just through past experiences with so many connecting pieces. Tate we had offered at my last institution; Chubba I've known of and the family for a long period of time. It wasn't like a blind meeting, but it was definitely a lot that went into the process, and we were excited to get both those young men.

Q. In this day and age, how difficult is it to get two kids in the same class, and how do you walk that fine line to keep the egos happy?

MIKE NORVELL: You know, it comes down to being open and honest. And it's not just quarterback, it's every position. I try to recruit telling these young men exactly what the expectation is going to be. They're going to have to compete. They can look at what's in front of them, and they know what they're coming to be a part of, and so I can tell you they're excited.

I think that's one of the things that really sets us apart is we don't try to give a recruiting speech. We try to be open and honest about every aspect of how we evaluate, what we're looking for. I tell every kid that's a part of this class, this is about to be one of the hardest things they ever do. To be a part of this program, we are going to challenge them in every aspect, we're going to challenge them on the field, we're going to challenge them off the field. You truly have to have a purpose and passion to be successful in every area of your life, or it's going to be tough for you to succeed here.

That's what these kids have -- they embrace that honesty. They embrace the opportunity, and that's how you know you get the right young men. So whether it's the quarterback position, offensive line, no matter which position you're talking about, it's just about being open, transparent and honest.

Q. Looking ahead to February and filling some of those needs that you say remain, how much will you be exploring junior college or transfer options?

MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, that's something we'll always explore when you look at the needs that are in place. There's a couple positions, running back is going to be a position that we're going to continue to work hard to identify and fill with the right young men. Coming into today I would have said probably receiver. But you sit there and to have a day like we had, that changed. That changed in the last 24 hours. So you know, those are things that we're going to sit back, kind of -- once we get to Friday, evaluate exactly where we are, and then be able to have a plan of attack moving forward going after the right young men that fit the need that we have and also that want to be a part of this family.

Q. It's obviously been a long day for you, but have you had the opportunity to speak with either Tate [Rodemaker] or Chubba [Purdy], and if so, what did you say to them?

MIKE NORVELL: Absolutely. Today is one of my favorite days. It's a celebration for all 15 or 16 of these young men that have signed because now they are part of our family. It is official. To talk to them, to congratulate them, just to tell them how honored I am that they chose us, because these guys were highly sought after. They had other options. Every circumstance is unique to itself, but when a young man signs that national letter of intent and says that you are who we choose to team up with and to put the faith of their future in our hands, I don't take that lightly. So I'm grateful. I'm humbled. I'm honored for the opportunity to lead those young men, and we're going to do everything we can to put them in a position to be successful here in their future.

Q. Talk a little bit about Zane Herring. He's one of the closest guys to here. What really made you like him? What does he do that's very --

MIKE NORVELL: I know it's a simple answer, but everything. I loved everything about that young man. He was one of the first I had an opportunity to sit down because of how close he is. The minute I walked into the school and met his family, the smile that was on his face, the purpose and passion that he has for this university, this program and what he wants to be a part of moving forward. You turn on film and you see the type of football player that he is, you can see the nasty streak that he plays with, that's something that I love in those big guys up front. But you also see the athleticism, the understanding of scheme, of concept, of fundamentals. Those are all things that give you a great foundation to build upon. Then when you get a chance to meet his family and just the type of young man he is and the impact he's had on others, he's an absolute no-brainer for what we're looking for, and we're definitely excited about all aspects of what he's bringing.

Q. It sounds like distance might have been a factor with Tate [Rodemaker] the first time around when you were to recruit him the previous school. When you got this job was that one of the first thoughts in your mind, it might be different if I'm closer?

MIKE NORVELL: You know, I think with Tate, he was one of my first offers there at the beginning of the recruiting season at my last institution. Coming here, I know the skill set that he has. I've always loved the way that he's played the game. He's very intellectual, he's extremely accurate. I think his best days are in front of him. When I got a chance to evaluate where we are and when we need moving forward, I thought he was a great fit in every aspect, and so we reached out to him, and you sought to see what kind of interests he would have, and obviously it was mutual. We were excited to be able to get him down. Like I said, there were about four schools vying for him to go on a visit there this last weekend, and we actually were doubled up with one, but when he stepped foot on campus and had the opportunity to see what was in place and obviously all the opportunity that would be in front of him, it was definitely exciting to know that he canceled that second trip.

Q. Australia isn't exactly a recruiting pipeline I wouldn't think for most college coaches. There's got to be an interesting back story how he came to your attention and how that recruitment played out.

MIKE NORVELL: Well, I would like to say that I took a trip down there to go see him, but with 10 days that was going to be a little bit of a challenge. But I'd have to say that that was somebody that had been evaluated and identified by the previous staff. So coming in, this was a young man that had actually committed to another school and was still open. He had a love and a passion for Florida State, so I went through my evaluation process with him. Getting to know him over the course of a few days, it was pretty impressive, and to hear his passion of wanting to be here and wanting this opportunity, it was pretty easy on my end to see the talent that he has. Obviously the need that we wanted to address. So it really worked out, and I will tell you that the call time was a little bit different trying to match that up, but we're definitely excited about Alex [Mastromanno] and what he's going to bring to the program.

Q. With Chubba [Purdy], I know that wasn't a blind meeting, but it seemed like it was a unique amount of time where you talked to him on Thursday, got him in here. How unique was that circumstance and how much of a role did Coach [Kenny] Dillingham have in sealing that?

MIKE NORVELL: I thought everything about that process was pretty incredible, to really spark the conversation there middle of the week, to be able to get him on campus. I think Coach Dillingham did an extraordinary job, like I mentioned earlier. Our staff, what we were able to do in this short period of time was absolutely remarkable. For Chubba specifically, to get him on campus, for him to be able to feel comfortable in what we were presenting, the message and the vision that we have, I thought Kenny did a great job in that, and it was all hands on deck. For that to transpire and him signing here today, it's a great day to be a Seminole. I'm definitely fired up that he's rocking that Florida State hat.

Q. How helpful was it having Coach Odell [Haggins] and Coach [Ron] Dugans as well as some of the other coaches here to help get you on the landscape and maintain some of those connections?

MIKE NORVELL: No, it was great. Those guys have been phenomenal. I'll tell you, to all Seminoles, to go into the high schools and to see, whether it was a chemistry teacher or a principal, all the former alumni, when you walk into a school and you feel the sense of pride in the institution, it was incredible. But to have guys like Odell and Ron and obviously their experience and the relationships they have, it definitely helped tie everything together, and I was grateful for them, and there's a wonderful expectation for what's to come with those guys being a part of this staff and what we're going to do.

Q. You mentioned the offensive line obviously being a big need and you mentioned the two guys. How many more are you looking to bring in in this class?

MIKE NORVELL: You know, that's something we're going to continue to evaluate. I am expecting another addition here in the next day or so. We'll see how that plays out.

But on the flipside of it, we're going to continue to evaluate. With having the second signing day there in February, with having potential transfers that could become available, we're always going to explore options of what we can do to help improve our football team, and I think that's a position that we have a great talent base within our current roster, getting a chance to go out and watch those guys practice, I'm excited about what the future is going to be there at that position.

But competition is going to bring the best out of everybody, and that's why you look at signing two quarterbacks, you look at the receivers that we were able to bring in, some of these positions that I know are a strength, but we want that strength to continue to elevate, and so we're always going to identify guys that we feel can help our program and address those needs.

Q. You sort of answered this first part, but there's two more days left in this early period. Do you expect one or two more guys in this period? And then when you get to February when it closes out, what kind of final number range are you looking at for this class?

MIKE NORVELL: You know, for us, like I mentioned, I do think we'll probably have at least an addition. We'll see if there's more than that. But it's not so much about the number. It's about making sure we find the right fit. Everybody can go and look at a scholarship chart and say, we need one here, we need one here. I'm not looking to sign a number, I'm looking to bring the right young men into this football program that are going to elevate us to where we want to go. If that means not utilizing a number this year, then so be it. We don't have to do that. We've got a great group of young men here on campus right now that are hungry to be successful. They're going to work. They're going to do the things that we're going to ask them to do to play at a high level, and every person that we bring into this program has to fit to our standard and what we're looking to accomplish. The worse thing I could do is just go sign a young man that does not meet the need or fit what we're looking for within our football program.

Q. When you're recruiting players that you don't know or you can't tell them who the position coach is going to be, how challenging is that and how soon do you think you'll have announcements in this area?

MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, announcements will be pending. I feel very confident in where we are in our coaching search, and the men that we're going to bring in to help lead this football team. Once again, I'm open and honest with the recruits that we go after. In my four years of being a head coach, I've had to hire I think it's 25 coaches. It's the second most in college football behind Coach [Nick] Saban. With that being said, I tell these young men, my job is not only to develop them but to develop the coaches that we hire. With that being said, there is a chance that they will come and be a part of our program, and within the next four years their position coach is going to change because they're going to get promoted. They're going to get head coaching opportunities. That is what I aspire to do for every coach on our staff because that is part of my obligation. Somebody did that for me at one point. So I tell the young men that I'm recruiting, you are going to be developed, you are going to be coached, you are going to be cared about with a relationship-based position coach, but on the flipside, if they have an opportunity to take that next step in their career, then I'm going to go find you the next one. And that's something I take a great deal of pride in in developing our staff and making sure those guys are always taken care of at a high level in how they are developed at their position.

Q. We talked to a few of the players yesterday after practice, and one of the seniors mentioned that you were going to meet with him and talk to some of the older players. What's the thought process between not just interviewing or talking with players but also the players who are leaving that you're not going to get a chance to coach?

MIKE NORVELL: I mean, because they're just as important. All Seminoles are important to me. Any former player, I have a responsibility to -- in what we're doing, how we represent the brand, how we represent the foundation of what they've played. So these guys that are about to play their last game, I respect the crap out of them. I think that they've done an incredible job throughout their time here. There's been ups, there's been downs, there's been things that they've had to work through and respond to, but it's been great for me to not only hear their perspective on where we are but also to sense their excitement about where we're going.

So that's been big, and the meetings that I've been able to have, it's been kind of a balance of talking to recruits and then meeting with players, so it's been kind of a hectic week. But this is going to be a family, and this is going to be a football team that's built off of relationships. It's going to be hard. It's going to be challenging. But if I can't take the time to get to know the current team, even in the time of chaos when you look at the time that we have in a day, then my actions aren't speaking to what I say. I told these young men that all I wanted was an opportunity, and I'm trying to show them with those actions how important they are to me.

Q. I'm going to put you on the spot here a little bit. Who was the first recruit you called when you got the Florida State job? Also, who was the first recruit that committed to you as the head coach of Florida State?

MIKE NORVELL: I believe the first one -- I'm going to make this probably the best answer. The first recruit I talked to was Lawrance [Toafili], but I had about six coaches that got guys calling us. Actually the first time there wasn't a whole lot of phone calls I had to make because they were calling and they wanted to talk to me. But I talked to Lawrance there just about immediately from when I got the job, and it was special. To hear his voice, his excitement, I think each of those conversations lasted probably about four or five minutes, and they were passing phones around, being able to introduce myself.

But I talked to, I think, it was just about everybody in the class that first night, and it's pretty remarkable just how it all came together.

First commitment was actually Alex [Mastromanno], the punter.

Q. When you have so many players that were committed to a previous staff and then stayed with this new staff, how excited are you to know that these are guys that are not just committed to a person but are committed to the university?

MIKE NORVELL: I mean, it shows the strength of what we represent. The university, the community, the current players that we have that have hosted these young men and talk about the experience, and then it also shows the belief in what's to come, because I can promise you, no young man that's recruited to a place, if they didn't feel a connection, if they didn't feel like this staff was going to help fulfill their goals and dreams, then that would have changed. And the thing I'm most proud of are guys that explored other options and decided that this was the right fit, guys that maybe weren't recruited by Florida State. You look at Chubba [Purdy], up until this last week, he sees the value of what we're going to do and where we're going, and I've got an unbelievable sense of pride in that.

Q. You talked about the coaches who were retained and what they meant to keep the guys intact. Specifically with Odell Haggins, what did he do to help keep this class together during the last month or so?

MIKE NORVELL: He did just an incredible job. The work that went into it was remarkable. Odell, Ron [Dugans], they were tremendous ambassadors for our program. Coming in, they didn't know me very well, and to be honest with you, other than their reputation, I didn't know them very well. But to be able to spend the last 10 days with them, the thing that stands out, not only the skill they have as position coaches and the things they've done throughout their career, it's their heart, their character, the relationships that they've established throughout their careers and with the young men that they're recruiting, that's what sets us apart. Just like I told each and every young man that was on this campus this weekend, you're going to see a lot of great facilities, you're going to see obviously an incredible institution, wonderful traditions. The best thing about Florida State are the people. Those two guys are incredible Seminoles. They're very talented at what they do as coaches. But the thing that sets them apart is the heart that they have and what they pour into their players.

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