Former North Carolina commit and Rivals250 prospect Zavion Griffen-Haynes has been trying to check out Florida State for a few months now. The four-star prospect was expected on campus during the FSU-UNC game in Doak Campbell Stadium last November but couldn't make the trip.

Griffin-Haynes finally got down to Florida State on Friday to take part in a multi-day junior day visit on campus, as the Seminoles looked to make a good impression on one of the nation's top edge rushers.

"It was a great feeling," Griffin-Haynes said on his junior day visit. "They've been trying to get me down here for a long time. We finally came up and it was a good experience."

While the Seminoles have been courting Griffin-Haynes for a while, new defensive line coach Terrance Knighton traveled to Rolesville (N.C.) High School to meet Griffin-Haynes in person. Knighton's in-person visit set the ball in motion for Florida State to be Griffin-Haynes' first stop on the recruiting trail this January.

"Coach Knighton came to see me two weeks ago. That was a great experience. We are going to continue building this relationship. Once he got hired, he came up (to see me). I had to see FSU for what it was, so I came up," Griffin-Hayes explained.

"It's really his development," he later added on Knighton. "The schools that he came from. He played in the league so he has a lot of experience coaching guys and playing with guys. He's a great guy. He wants the best for the kids he coaches. He's just trying to get kids where they need to be and provide for their families."

While Griffin-Haynes has primarily been in contact with Knighton, it's a combined effort from the full staff in his recruitment as he has become a prospect that Florida State wants to prioritize.

Griffin-Haynes would be playing the 'Jack' role in new defensive coordinator Tony White's defense. Griffin-Haynes also met White for the first time on Saturday.

"That was my first time meeting him. He was actually recruiting me when he was at Nebraska, too," Griffin-Haynes said. "He's a great guy, a very intelligent guy on the defensive side of the ball. His schemes and everything just come together. (They see me) basically as the 'Jack'. They're going to see how my body develops and just go from there."

Griffin-Haynes' time in Tallahassee matched everything that he previously thought about Florida State prior to his visit. Following his junior day visit, he said that he will definitely be back in the spring to see how the coaching staff instructs during a spring practice. He also expressed interest in taking an official visit this summer.

While Griffin-Haynes mummed on a top group of contenders for his services, he did say that Florida State has boosted themselves up as a top option.

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