Rivals250 OL Putnam impressed by FSU, talks official visits & more

For Rivals250 offensive lineman William Putnam, recruiting is important, but it doesn't control his life or cause him a lot of stress when thinking about the future.

That doesn't mean the Tampa Plant product isn't serious about where he'll go to college. He just wants to keep it in its proper place.

The main schools Putnam is focused on are Florida State, Auburn and Clemson, each of which will receive a visit. Putnam has already visited Auburn, and next up is Florida State.

"I don't really think about recruiting all the time," Putnam said. "Sometimes, I actually forget about it and then realize, 'Oh man, I'm going to choose a school later this year.' It hasn't been stressful for me, and that's because I don't think about it all the time. If recruiting was all that was going on, I probably might stress a little more about it. But it's been an easy process for me."

This season has already been a good one for Putnam, whose team is 5-1 with its only loss coming to Armwood. Earlier in his career, Putnam dealt with a nagging ankle injury, but he said that now has completely healed.

While he plays offensive tackle in high school, the Plant standout is projected to play guard or center on the college level. He is rated by Rivals as the nation's No. 6 offensive guard.

"All the schools want me inside, so that's probably where I'll play," he said. "But it doesn't matter to me. Wherever the school I choose wants me, I'll do it."

Florida State has been a key figure in Putnam's recruitment for quite some time, and that hasn't changed despite the Seminoles' slow start to the 2018 season. Putnam said he was pleased by what he saw from FSU in last weekend's 28-27 loss at Miami -- especially from the offensive line.

"I was pretty impressed," he said. "Obviously, it's a tough loss, and I personally think FSU played really well, especially in the first half both with run-blocking and pass-blocking. I thought that was some strong improvement for sure that you can see clearly, and they did it without their starting tackle Landon Dickerson."

Putnam also chimed in on what looked different about the Seminoles' offensive line in this game, compared to earlier contests he's watched.

"I would say the main thing is they looked much more comfortable and felt good about what they were running," he said. "There was less confusion ... I think it's very positive from me on what I see with FSU, and it makes me feel more comfortable with what I see on the field. I already have a great relationship with the staff."

FSU's offensive line will experience some attrition after this season, as senior center Alec Eberle, senior guard/tackle Derrick Kelly and senior backup guard Arthur WIlliams will all wrap up their eligibility. That means at least two starting jobs could be open on the Seminoles' offensive line, although Putnam said that won't be a determining factor in his recruitment.

"For me, it's not really a big deal to me for playing right away," he said. "Now if that opportunity arises for whatever team I select, then I'm going to attack it and want that position and try to take it. But that's not a big part in my decision. Doesn't mean I won't try to get that playing time right away, but I know it's a journey at the college level. So I'm aware it might take time, and I'm all right with that."