University's new self-guided campus tours could also help FSU in recruiting

Typically at this time of year, Florida State University features a steady stream of high school seniors criss-crossing the campus to get a better feel for what it's like to attend college in Tallahassee.

They visit student dorms and classroom buildings. They check out the recreational amenities at the Leach Center, walk across Landis Green and even sit inside Doak Campbell Stadium. And tour guides are there to answer any and all questions from the prospective students and their families.

None of that is taking place this fall, however, because of COVID-19 safety protocols.

Not in official groups, anyway.

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What many students are doing, however, is planning their own personal visits to FSU.

And to help with those efforts, the university's Office of Admissions recently unveiled a "Self-Guided Campus Tour" on its YouTube channel. It's a series of 10 videos that provide families an opportunity to watch and listen to current students describe key attractions on campus while checking things out on their own.

The school is even posting QR codes at each of the 10 campus locations so students and families can scan the codes with their phones to pull up the videos in an instant.

While the self-guided tour was designed to benefit the entire university, it could provide important assistance to Florida State's football recruiting efforts as well.

Like all college programs, the Seminoles haven't been able to host recruits for on-campus visits since mid-March. As it stands now, that NCAA-mandated "dead period" will continue until Jan. 1, at which point it could be extended again if COVID-19 numbers don't decrease significantly.

That means most recruits will have to make final college decisions without ever taking official visits to the schools they are considering.

FSU's self-guided tours could certainly help in that regard since many recruits are taking unofficial visits at their own expense to at least see the various colleges in person. And the Seminoles' assistant football coaches have done their part to improve that experience by recording videos that are nearly identical to the ones hosted by students for the self-guided tours.

So, for example, if a prospective student or student-athlete scans the QR codes at the Westcott Building, they can either listen to a description from a current FSU student or from wide receivers coach Ron Dugans. Same thing at Landis Green, where there's an option to watch and listen to offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham. Or CollegeTown with offensive line coach Alex Atkins.

All 10 assistant coaches have recorded a video on the FSU Admissions YouTube channel.

Three weeks ago, FSU head coach Mike Norvell lamented the challenge the Seminoles have faced this year in recruiting due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"We've had kids that have come to games; they send me messages afterward," Norvell said. "They said they were here and they enjoyed the atmosphere. They enjoyed what they got to see. But it's so different.

"We can't have any contact with them when they're on campus. When they come here during the middle of the week or they come for a game, we can't have any contact with them -- even a phone call while they're on campus."

Instead, the Seminoles' coaches have to wait until the recruits head home to get their feedback on the experience.

"It's definitely unique," Norvell said. "Ready to get past it."

FSU, of course, is not alone in this predicament. Other schools are also struggling to deal with the restrictions on in-person recruiting.

And while the self-guided tours will undoubtedly help, FSU recruiting coordinator David Johnson said the Seminoles know most decisions are going to come down to relationships.

"Once they've had a chance to take a tour of the campus with their families on their own, you get a chance to talk to them when they get home," Johnson said. "And you just kind of talk to them about what they liked, what they thought, different buildings that they had a chance to go to. But the biggest things is always going to be the relationships.

"Even though it's on the phone or it's on Zoom, they have a feel for who you are as a coaching staff. And once they get on campus and get a chance to see it for themselves, I just think Florida State will sell itself. This school, with the tradition and the national brand, it's gonna sell itself. So we really just want kids to get on campus and see it for themselves with their families."

Here are the coaches' videos on the Admissions YouTube page:

* Tour Stop 1 -- Unconquered Statue -- DL coach Odell Haggins

* Tour Stop 2 -- Leach Center -- DBs coach Marcus Woodson

* Tour Stop 3 -- College of Medicine -- LBs coach Chris Marve

* Tour Stop 4 -- Legacy Walk at Dirac -- TEs coach Chris Thomsen

* Tour Stop 5 -- Integration Statues -- RBs coach David Johnson

* Tour Stop 6 -- College of Business -- DEs/Special Teams coach John Papuchis

* Tour Stop 7 -- Westcott Building -- WRs coach Ron Dugans

* Tour Stop 8 -- Landis Green -- Offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham

* Tour Stop 9 -- Student Success Center -- Defensive coordinator Adam Fuller

* Tour Stop 10 -- CollegeTown -- OL coach Alex Atkins

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