Norvell flexes recruiting muscle by getting Tate, Wideman to sign early
While Tate Rodemaker will always go down as Mike Norvell's first official commitment as Florida State's head coach, he is far from the only big catch of Norvell's first week on the job.
During a huge recruiting weekend that saw the Seminoles host more than a dozen prospects, perhaps no players were more important to FSU's 2020 class than four-star defensive back Demorie Tate and four-star wide receiver Malachi Wideman.
Not only are Tate and Wideman the Seminoles' two highest-rated commitments in this class -- they're both members of the Rivals100 -- but they also were both thought to be reconsidering their options following the dismissal of former head coach Willie Taggart in early November.
But after spending the weekend in Tallahassee and getting to know Norvell and his new staff members, both Tate and Wideman appear to be completely locked in with the Seminoles.
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Rivals100 DB Demorie Tate shuts things down after visit
Although he loves FSU and says it has always been his dream school, Demorie Tate admitted on Sunday that he wasn't sure what he was going to when Taggart was fired with three weeks to go in the Seminoles' regular season.
But after an in-home visit from Norvell last week and then an official visit to Tallahassee this weekend, the nation's No. 6-ranked cornerback said he's ready to sign with the Seminoles.
"It was great, man," Tate said. "I wanted to see what has changed because I've always loved FSU. Coach Norvell is a fired-up dude. He's my kind of coach. Said he's putting my faith in me, and I'm putting mine in him. I also liked Coach Fuller (defensive coordinator Adam Fuller) a lot. Great defensive coordinator."
Tate said FSU's new coaches told him they think he could play either cornerback or safety, and he added that nickelback could be an option as well.
While his future position might still be up in the air, one thing that's not is his college destination.
"Yes sir, I will be signing with the 'Noles on Wednesday," the Orlando product said. "It was a little crazy [after the Taggart firing]. I still felt confident this weekend about FSU, and I just wanted to finalize it and wrap it up."
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