Speedster Kermit Whitfield pledges to Noles
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Orlando Jones High athlete Levonte Whitfield can do a little bit of everything. Many opposing defenses found out about his best attribute, speed, the hard way this past season
Now come February, Florida State will be faster.
The 5-foot-9, 176-pound athlete and renowned track star verbally pledged to Florida State on Monday morning.
"I committed to Florida State. My family was very excited and I surprised my granddad because that's where he wanted me to go, so it feels really good," Whitfield told Warchant.com.
Whitfield, who decommited from Miami in March, said the choice came down to two teams, but not the two many people expected.
"It came down to two schools - Ohio State and Florida State," said Whitfield, the No. 75 ranked prospect in the state of Florida. Whitfield is the cousin of current FSU receiver Marvin Bracy, the fastest high school player in the nation in the 2012 class. "The support system (was the difference for both of those schools) they just kept calling," he said. "The players stood out with FSU. I felt like I was at home and just felt like I was in high school again. I can't really say, but I was just mesmerized and fell in love with the atmosphere."
Last year, Whitfield had an ankle injury that slowed him down and kept him from having the type of season he hoped for. However, that didn't stop FSU coach Jimbo Fisher from making a huge push for Whitfield through the camps season in July. The dual sport athlete isn't just a big time play maker at slot receiver, but also one of the top track athletes in the country.
"He (Coach Fisher) said he wants the fastest team in the nation and I liked hearing that because I want to win and I want to come in there playing as a freshman," he said.
Whitfield said that Fisher went into detail on how he'd like to use one of the nation's fastest sprinters.
"Coach Fisher wants me right here, my cousin (Bracy) in the middle and Kelvin Benjamin on the other side, then have or Tony (Stevens) or someone else on the other side to spread the ball around, then open up the middle running the ball for Freeman or Wilder," he explained.
Whitfield is Florida State's 19th confirmed commitment for the 2013 class. He is being recruited as a slot receiver and special teams. He also plans to run track for FSU.
Earlier this year at the state championship track meet, he won the 200 meter dash in 20.96, the fastest time in the country by a junior. He also won the 100 meter dash title.