The relationships were already there. Keon Coleman is from Louisiana, and the receiver had been recruited by Florida State and assistant coach David Johnson in high school.
When Coleman opted to transfer from Michigan State, he found the right fit with familiar faces in Tallahassee — as well as a program on the rise.
“First, just the culture that they’ve been building over the last past few years,” Coleman said on Wednesday morning. “… They have a great quarterback, great receiving room, most of all the coaching staff. They have 90 percent of the team coming back this year. We have a chance to do something special. I just want to be a part of that.”
FSU is a popular way-too-early pick to not just compete in the ACC but win the league title for the first time since 2014. And with all of the returning talent, as well as the majority of the coaching staff, the Seminoles are climbing and building a contender for the College Football Playoff.
This is attractive to the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Coleman. FSU might not have been the right pick for him coming out of high school, but an offense that returns Jordan Travis, Trey Benson, Johnny Wilson and a veteran offensive line welcomes yet another playmaker in Coleman.
At Michigan State, Coleman enjoyed a breakout 2022 season with 58 catches for 798 yards and seven touchdowns. Coleman is confident he can put up those types of numbers again even with a loaded group of receivers and tight ends.
“Those guys are great at what they do too,” Coleman said. “We help take the pressure off each other. It’s just a push and pull effect. We all are going to work and do the same thing.”
The Seminoles’ receiving room went from a sore spot to one of the best in the ACC in one calendar year. Wilson returns, Kentron Poitier has emerged as a dependable option after an impressive spring and there are a large group of veterans, including Ja’Khi Douglas, Winston Wright Jr. and Darion Williamson, who will be in the mix for playing time.
But it’s also clear that the departure of Mycah Pittman (32 receptions, transferred to Utah) and Malik McClain (17 receptions, transferred to Penn State) opened up an opportunity to add a veteran receiver who can be impactful in 2023. Coleman could be just that, and he recently posted on Twitter that he’s looking forward to spending about eight months in Tallahassee, which means with another season like 2022 he would be very attractive as an early entry in the 2024 NFL draft.
FSU’s stability at quarterback was also a selling point. Travis returns for his sixth year, coming off a 3,000-yard passing season with 24 touchdown passes and just five interceptions.
“There wasn’t much to be said: The tape speaks for itself really,” Coleman said. “And everybody wants to play with a great quarterback.”
The same could be said for Coleman’s tape. He had a number of big games, notably eight receptions for 91 yards at Penn State, five receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown vs. Michigan and five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns against Wisconsin. And he was quite consistent, recording four or more catches in five of his last six games.
“Big-time players make big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games,” Coleman said. “That pretty much sums it up at the end of the day. The bigger the game, you got to really step up.”
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