Rivals100 RB Barnes breaks things down after visits from FSU, USC

It has been a very eventful week for Rivals100 running back Jovantae Barnes.

The four-star prospect has been hosting college coaches for in-home visits -- Mike Norvell and Florida State's staff was among that group -- and he found out just a few days ago that one of the top schools he was considering, Oklahoma, was losing its head coach to Southern Cal.

Barnes spoke with Warchant.com about those visits, the time he spent with Norvell, how Lincoln Riley's departure from OU affects his recruitment, his plans to be an early enrollee and more.

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Barnes got a very close look at the Seminoles in November when he took his official visit to FSU for the Miami game. This time it was Barnes' turn to do the hosting when FSU head coach Mike Norvell and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham came to visit.

"It went pretty good," Barnes said. "They know I'm one of the players graduating early and enrolling in my school of choice in January. They came over and told me what they thought of me and what I can do for the program, and we really just sat down and had a lot of fun.

"It was fun. It felt like they have always been here before. Lot of smiles and cracking jokes. Coach Dillingham even showed me a couple of magic tricks he knew, so it was a great time. With dinner, my mom loves to cook, and she was telling them everything she was making and we had some pie from Thanksgiving. Mac and cheese. They loved it."

While Barnes is a national recruit today, that wasn't always the case. And one of the big reasons he has such a strong connection with Dillingham is that the FSU offensive coordinator was the first college coach to offer him a scholarship.

"He's such a great person," Barnes said. "He makes sure his players are themselves. When I was down at FSU, no matter how much the player had Instagram followers or whatever for social media, all of them treated me like I was already apart of the team. For Coach Dillingham, he's the same way. He's a young coach, and even though he doesn't do a lot of social media, he just makes everything perfect. If you are with him, you have straight smiles and feel very comfortable with everything."

When Barnes visited Florida State, he got to see a dramatic comeback victory for the Seminoles in the final minutes. What also grabbed his attention was the way FSU's running backs were featured in the ground game and the passing game as well.

Barnes believes he is a back who can be a weapon in both phases.

"It was very exciting," he said. "With this team, they really rely on that running game, so for me to see it was really exciting. FSU has always been one of the schools I've been in love with. Even when I took the visit for Midnight Madness [during the summer]. I fell in love with the whole environment and how the people treat you there. I felt like I was back home."

Barnes' current home is in Las Vegas, but he actually lived in Orlando when he was younger and still has family in Florida.

"For sure it helps being from that side of town and being from Florida," Barnes said. "It was a special feeling. Felt like I was back in Orlando. It was a good feeling. They (Norvell and Dillingham) bring that up a lot, saying you have family here so your family can see you play, being only three hours away."

Now that FSU has visited Barnes' family in person and he has been on campus multiple times, is there anything else he needs to see from the 'Noles before signing day later this month?

"Everything I needed to see from FSU is certainly checked off," Barnes said. "I've seen the connection with the coaches, the players' connection, education, and everything I was looking for was there. Everything. I'm just taking my time to make sure I make the right decision."

The talented back says his decision timeline isn't set in stone, but he is planning to make his choice privately and then announce it in January at the Under Armour All-America game. However, Barnes added there's a chance he could wait until February.

At one point in the recruiting process, there were rumors that Barnes was leaning toward Oklahoma. But with Lincoln Riley bolting for Southern Cal, how does that change things?

"It was pretty shocking to me," Barnes said. "It didn't change my mindset though about Coach Riley. One of the main reasons I liked Oklahoma so much was DeMarco Murray's story and how I could relate to it. Then with Lincoln Riley, his mindset of the offense and how he can use his running backs I liked a lot. He's bringing that to SC, and it did kind of open my eyes. I backed away from SC [earlier] because I wasn't feeling the coaching staff or the type of play. So it makes me want to see what they have to offer."

Barnes actually received a visit from Riley on Wednesday.

"It went good," he said. "Lincoln Riley is a nice guy. He sat down and apologized because he knew I was one of the guys that liked Oklahoma a lot, and he was one of the reasons. He felt like he let a lot of recruits down. He just saw something special at SC."

With the early signing period just a couple weeks away, Barnes has a lot to think about. Riley is now at Southern Cal, Murray is still at Oklahoma, and the 'Noles are still in the mix.

"It will be a tough decision with any of these schools," the four-star running back said. "I would say the factors for me on the decision are, is the place where I feel can they develop me and help prepare me for the league? And any place I fell in love with as a school before I fell in love with the football program, if that makes any sense. That's pretty much what I'm looking for.

"FSU fits in perfectly. I was always watching Dalvin Cook, and I loved everything he did. A lot of people see me wearing No. 4 on my visit, and I had a lot of people sending me his jersey [on social media]. FSU has a huge fan base and family vibe, no matter where I went -- in the airport, FSU campus or the city. I love FSU. It is certainly going to be a tough decision, but FSU fits in everything perfectly. I love Coach YAC (running backs coach Davis Johnson), Coach Dillingham and Coach Norvell."

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