Florida State's coaching staff was already having a very solid run of success in the transfer portal before Friday evening. Now, the Seminoles have taken things to another level.
Former Albany star defensive end Jared Verse, who has been courted by dozens of programs since entering the portal, announced Friday that he has chosen to finish his college career with the Seminoles.
After making his decision, Verse spoke at length with Warchant.com about his decision, the recruiting process, what stood out about FSU and more.
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As it turns out, two of the best recruiters for FSU were a pair of players who were only in the program for one year.
"One huge selling point was Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas, who were additions last year -- about to go out and live their dreams in the NFL," Verse said. "Both of them went off on the field. That was a huge selling point. But also, the coaches were amazing, and the connection I had there was so special. FSU also had a very clear plan for me in how they would use me that I liked a lot."
Johnson and Thomas transferred in around this time last year and both went on to have the best seasons of their college careers. Johnson, in fact, went on to be named ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
But Verse said it wasn't just their success on the field that made an impact with him. It was their honesty when describing the entire program.
"They never lied," he said. "And I know the coaches want Jermaine to sell the program with him leaving. He sat there to my face and told me the good, bad, ugly, everything. And I really respected that a lot. It meant a great deal. It was amazing.
"Those two players weren't going to be a part of the team next year, so they had no reason to do that. They came in and told me about why they picked FSU. It was a huge factor in the decision."
While Florida State had plenty of competition for the standout defensive end transfer, one of the other factors that weighed heavily in the Seminoles' favor was the official visit he took in December.
"One thing that blew me away on the visit was they (the FSU coaches and players) didn't treat me like a high school recruit," Verse said. "Schools at other places gave me the same treatment they would give a guy out of high school. FSU didn't do that. They treated me like a grown man -- showed the academics and everything with the school. I loved that and gave me a lot of respect for them."
Verse, who hails from Pennsylvania, also took a very mature approach to the recruiting process.
He said that he contacted all 37 schools that tried to sign him at the end of the process to thank them for everything they did. He said he appreciated all of the effort they devoted to him and he wanted to show his appropriation.
Bringing it back to Florida State, Verse shared more about his relationship with defensive ends coach John Papuchis and the Seminoles' plans for him when he arrives next week for the spring semester..
"Coach J.P. got to come out to Albany and meet with me," Verse said. "First, he got lost getting there, so it kind of started off on a funny note. But I got to sit down with him. He was very detailed about what he was thinking and we really got to know each other. Seeing who he is was a big deal.
"I think FSU and Coach J.P. see me as a jack of all trades, where they can put me on the edge or wherever on the defensive line. Obviously, pass-rushing is a big part of that in replacing Jermaine. But I can play all over, taking on double-teams, whatever they need. So there's not an exact position. Little bit of everything."
Verse said he knew Florida State's coaches would be excited to hear the news on Friday, so he decided to have a little fun with them.
"I called Coach J.P. first and I kind of messed with him first and felt bad for doing it," he said. "But I told him I want to thank you for everything you did for me and you could see there was a little disappointment. I then told him I've decided on a school ... and it's Florida State. He just laughed because I got him a little.
"Then with Coach Norvell, I did a similar thing to him. When I told him [I was committing], he was going crazy, and I think he was in Publix. So I think he had to calm himself down because he was so excited about the news."
FSU fans also were extremely excited once Verse announced his college choice on social media.
"I could not believe it," he said. "Those fans were so excited, and I'm so excited to be a part of this family."
Along with speaking to FSU's coaches, Verse also caught up with recent linebacker transfer Tatum Bethune. The talented pass-rusher said all of the transfers -- there are now eight in all -- are fired up about what they could bring to Tallahassee.
"I'm so excited. All these guys are real dogs and play at a high level of energy," Verse said. "They are all great players. A lot of schools wanted them, and the fact that we all landed at FSU is going to be great -- and go to the next level. Not just reaching a bowl game but beyond that. Once we get out there and work together, learn the patterns, it can be special and we can be tough to stop."
"Me and UCF [transfer] Tatum Bethune talked when he committed to FSU, and he talked about why he chose FSU. It was really cool. It helped me with my decision too, seeing a different player and the way he felt about FSU."
Florida State's coaches also had a major impact, obviously.
"I didn't see any practices. But talking to the coaches and players, you could hear the passion in their voices," Verse said. "These guys want to fight and they want to win. They won't settle for anything less. Even players that play my position at FSU were telling me, 'We want you here!' And that mentality was something I want to be a part of. I think when we get together as a team, being around the guys and we are all on the same wavelength, we can be unstoppable.
"On Coach Norvell ... oh man, he fires me up about Florida State. You could talk with him at 5 a.m. or 11 at night, and he will give you the same energy. He fires me up, the vision he has and what he wants to get done. That guy gets me ready, and he makes you ready to run through a wall for him."
So when did Verse actually know he was going to be choosing Florida State?
"I actually made the decision yesterday," he said. "I was sitting around, and I turned my phone off for the last two or three days because I wanted to break everything down in my thoughts. I went on a drive and went hiking and stuff to get my mind away from it.
"Yesterday, I came to a decision: 'It's definitely Florida State.' But then I said I want to sleep on it, and I woke up this morning and I was even more fired up about FSU than when I went to bed."
Verse says he's expecting to be at Florida State on Monday or Tuesday for the spring semester, and he will be enrolling then.
While his exact role on the defense is to be determined, we asked the former Albany star to break down his game.
"I feel like there's no one thing that I can't do," he said. "Obviously, my speed, quickness and power are huge factors in how I play. Then with my strength, it's overwhelming because I'm stronger than a lot of offensive linemen. I do think I have things to work on. But I have speed, and strength is very high for me."
Because he is coming in as a redshirt sophomore, Verse has three years of eligibility remaining. And he said he already is focused on team goals.
"I want to help the team reach another level," he said. "Whether that means me doing whatever I can do to help, strengths I can bring. Whatever it takes to go to the next level."
The new FSU commitment also confirmed that he's currently 6-foot-4 and 252 pounds. He said he would like to get up to 260 pounds as long as it doesn't hurt his speed.
"When I got to Albany, I was 6-foot-3, 207 pounds," Verse said. "I give a huge thanks to the Albany strength program. They elevated my strength a lot and even my game. At that time, everything was quarantined, so everyone went home. But I didn't. My dad went out and bought me weights, and I would work out two or three times a day because that's really all you could do.
"Then I would go to the field to work out on position stuff because I was terrified about looking the same the next year when things opened back up."
As a player who loves the weight room, Verse said he is particularly excited about getting to work out with FSU director of strength and conditioning Josh Storms and Storms' staff.
"Oh man, I can't wait," he said. "I got to speak with him a lot on the visit and what his plan is and that was also another big factor for me in my recruitment. Mine and his ideals were similar in working out. I would say when I get to Florida State, it's more about toning my body up with strength. My body fat is really low right now. I think it's around 5 percent. Then I also want to work on my get-off getting faster."
While many recruits and transfers are focused on NIL deals during the recruiting process, Verse said that wasn't a driving force in his decision.
"I'm hoping to learn a lot of lessons from the coaches -- not just being a football player or athlete," he said. "With the NIL deals, I'm not big on that. I want to learn more about being a man to be quite honest. There's a difference in being a man and really being a man, and I think these coaches can help me get there."
He also can't wait to practice and play with the returning players he has seen on the FSU defense.
"They have a lot of talented guys coming back," he said. "These guys are going to fight and compete, and that's the part of the team I'm so fired up to play with."
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