Noles land first commitment for 2006

It took a while but Florida State finally landed its first commitment for the class of 2006. Offensive lineman Chad Roark from Ada, Oklahoma made a verbal pledge to the Seminoles during an unofficial visit on Friday afternoon. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound center prospect visited Tallahassee for the first time in the spring and loved what he saw. This time he brought his father along and it didn't take them long to figure out that FSU was the right school.

"I wanted to commit a long time ago but my dad wasn't with me," Roark told Warchant.com. "He came this time and he loved it. We went on a tour in the morning and when we had lunch I said 'I want to commit' and he gave me permission."

The No. 9 ranked player in Oklahoma was quick to point out that the opportunity for early playing time and his respect for new offensive line coach Mark McHale played a big role in his decision.

"Coach McHale told us he is putting together the best offensive line in the nation and I want to be a part of that," Roark said.

Roark also had offers from schools like LSU, Florida, Colorado and Iowa State.

Verbal commitments are not binding, but based on Roark's comments it sounds like he is pretty sure about his decision.

"I'm not taking other visits," he said. "This is where I want to be."

However, he does want to take at least one visit this fall and that's to Florida State. If all goes well, he hopes be in Tallahassee on Labor Day for the FSU-Miami showdown.

As a junior last season, Roark registered 117 tackles, nine sacks, and 32 tackles for loss on defense. As a part-time player on offense, he tallied 47 pancake blocks.

Roark is already on track to qualify and carries 3.6 GPA and scored a 24 on the ACT.

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