Previous Spring Tour Stops
Stop 1: FSU making push for Fields, other top Georgia prospects
After starting our Spring Recruiting Tour in Georgia, it's time to check out some areas closer to home, including Tallahassee and the surrounding areas.
We'll kick this stop off with Chiles High School, the home of Rivals100 linebacker Amari Gainer. The FSU legacy recruit talks about preparing for his senior season under a new coaching staff, the latest in his recruitment and more.
Next, we'll check in on Madison County and visit with an emerging star who so far has been flying under the radar. From what we're hearing, that is about to change in a big way.
Tallahassee Chiles -- LB Amari GainerÂ
For outside linebacker Amari Gainer, there's a familiar feeling this spring because this will be his final session of spring drills at Tallahassee's Chiles High. It also feels like a new beginning as the Timberwolves are being led by first-year head coach Kevin Pettis.
If the Pettis name sounds familiar to FSU fans, it's because his son Trey was an offensive lineman with the Seminoles earlier in Fisher's tenure. Trey Pettis is on his father's staff at Chiles as the OL coach, and he tells Warchant he was quickly impressed by Gainer's athleticism.
"What's unique about him is he's very fast for a linebacker," Trey Pettis said. "He's got that quick-twitch muscle fiber and has a great motor that never slows down. But his speed immediately jumps out at you."
Gainer, who is rated the nation's No. 2 outside linebacker and the No. 10 player in the state of Florida, said the new Chiles staff has expressed a desire to use his versatility as a weapon.
"I think me getting after the quarterback will be a big part of my role, but when teams move receivers out, I will do a lot of coverage, which I'm very comfortable with," Gainer said. "The 7-on-7 has helped me improve on coverage. I think the key is get my hands on them early and control the route,"
The talented linebacker is juggling a busy spring with baseball and football, and he also is dealing with college recruiters from around the country.
"It's not that hard for me because I communicate a lot with different people," he said. "Texas has been texting some with me lately ... and I'll visit there this summer."
Although some believe Gainer's FSU bloodlines will be the biggest factor in his recruitment -- his father, Herb Gainer, played receiver for the Seminoles -- Amari said the Seminoles' coaches never really bring that up. His closest tie actually might be with FSU defensive coordinator Charles Kelly, who was one of the first major college coaches to spot his talent.
"I talk with Coach Kelly a lot," Gainer said. "He, along with FSU, were the first big offer for me. I think I had like FAU and Indiana at the time, so he's loved me from the start. That really hits home for me when I think back on the recruiting process. He's a great man -- that's the best way I can put it. He's real."
Gainer said he currently checks in at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, although he hopes to be about 215 by the time his senior season starts.
When it comes to recruiting, Gainer said wherever he goes, he plans to enroll early so that he can get a jump on learning the defensive system. There's certainly a case to be made that Florida State would be the easiest transition for him, considering he has visited the school several times and already has several close relationships.
"I feel very comfortable there," Gainer said. "I mean, I have so many people I know ... I have a great relationship with Coach [Lawrence] Dawsey, Coach Kelly, Coach Jimbo [Fisher] and probably all the coaches, but also the people at FSU. They are certainly up there with me."
Other schools that are strongly in the mix for Gainer are Texas, Alabama and Auburn. As far as a decision goes, that plan hasn't changed -- Gainer plans on announcing his college choice before his season starts.
