Florida State, as has become the custom, hosted some of the top players in the country on Thursday to watch the Seminoles practice. Among those in attendance were 2025 prospects Peyton Joesph, Isaiah Gibson and Rowan Byrne.
There were also some top 2026 prospects at practice including Cam Brooks, Corbyn Fordham, Rodney Dunham and Dominic Turnbull.
The Osceola caught up with Joesph, Brooks and Fordham before they left practice. Here are our recruiting notes and quotes from practice No. 7.
The big news here is that Joesph has attended the last two FSU practices and plans to be on campus again on Saturday to watch the team scrimmage. The Florida commit now has family ties on the FSU team. Could that help Mike Norvell and Alex Atkins flip the four-star prospect? It certainly can't hurt.
Gibson committed to USC at the end of March. However, he continues to visit other programs, he attended FSU's practice on Thursday and was at Florida last week. Gibson does plan to take an official visit to Florida State this summer with a date to be determined.
Florida State is sitting in a really good spot with the four-star prospect at this early stage his recruitment.
Brooks on being back on FSU's campus for another unofficial visit: "It's great. I love seeing Coach Norvell and the energy he has."
Brooks on is impressions of how FSU's practices: "Everything is fast flow ... They didn't get a break, one halftime break, but other than that everything is fast flow."
Brooks on the purpose of his visit: "To build better relationships, the more I come the better."
Brooks on where FSU stands with him at this point: "Every time I come (for a visit) it just shows me why. Right now, I would say they are No. 1. Close to home, everything I need, everything I want. The coach is great, the players are great. Great competition as I saw today."
Fordham is a Florida State legacy. His father, Todd Fordham, played offensive tackle for FSU in the early 1990's before heading to a long NFL career. The rising senior was offered last summer during one of the Seminoles' high school camps. The lanky tight end prospect is actively engaged in conversations with some of the top programs in the country.
Fordham on the schools he has been building relationships with: "Right now, I am talking to Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State, Auburn, Texas A&M, Miami, a lot of schools but I am still keeping the process going because I want to find the right place for me."
Fordham on his impressions of tight ends coach Chris Thomsen: "Coach is a really good coach. He knows what he is talking about, he has been doing this for a while. And just watching the tight ends get chippy with the other players and I like that scrappiness and the mindset he has. That's just the way I like, it's the way I've been taught by my dad."
Fordham said he wants to pick a school that he feels he will be happy attending if his football career ended prematurely. He also stated that the culture of a program and in the locker room are important.
He plans to camp at FSU again this summer because he wants to work with Thomsen more.
Byrne will wrap his two-day stop in Tallahassee on Friday. He has taken multiple unofficial visits to Michigan and Penn State since the start of last season, but this was his first time on FSU's campus since being offered last summer. FSU is the only school in the deep south the rising senior has reportedly visited.
Bankowitz was back for his second unofficial visit since the beginning of the year. He plans to be back to watch FSU's Spring Showcase on April 20.
There were some other notable recruits that attended practice on Thursday that include:
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