Spring Recruiting Tour Stop No. 5: Largo High (Jayion McCluster)

LARGO, Fla. -- Long before he was a highly sought-after major college football prospect, Jayion McCluster was like a lot of freshmen at Largo High.

He wasn't quite sure where he would fit in on a high school football team, and his athletic frame was in need of some extra bulk.

But that's where the similarities between McCluster and other high school freshmen ended, according to Largo head coach Marcus Paschal.

"He came in as a freshman and made an impact right away," Paschal said. "Came in with a big body, wasn't as muscular, but was lean, athletic. Came in and played running back and safety right away. I knew he would grow into a linebacker."

Paschal is almost at a loss for words when talking about what McCluster has meant to the Largo Packers football team. But he said the linebacker's impact on the program will be felt for a long time.

"He's one of the few building blocks for this entire program, and there's only a handful," Paschal said. "He's a big piece into what this program has turned into. He's a heart to this team. What you see is what you get. He leads by example. He's the same as he came in as a ninth-grader."

Now, McCluster is hoping to make the same type of mark on Florida State. While he obviously had his choice of several schools during the recruiting process, he said Florida State won out for a variety of reasons.

One of the main ones was the way he was embraced by the Seminoles' current players when he came for an unofficial visit.

"When I got there, from when I checked in, they welcomed me with open arms," McCluster said. "They weren't even talking about football. Jaleel (McRae), Jaiden Woodbey, Cam Akers all came by. They didn't say anything about football. Seeing Cam Akers and him walking through and being so casual and knowing, 'That's Cam Akers right there. Big-time running back.' Also seeing Jaiden Woodbey, this is real. The family visit was what really put us on top. Those two days I felt it."