Florida State in good shape for offensive lineman Jake Slaughter

Thursday, we profiled Trinity Catholic OT Caleb Johnson.

Today, we take a look at his line-mate, Jake Slaughter, who stands 6’4, 300 pounds.

The Class of 2021 prospect has an 86 rating (3*) from the 247 Sports Composite List, and they have him 585th nationally (6th best center and 86th best player in Florida).

Slaughter holds offers from Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Miami (FL), Missouri, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia, among other.

He received his FSU offer last July (pictured with Johnson and Zane Herring):

TN caught up with Slaughter recently to dig deeper into his recruitment:

We’re obviously going back a bit, but how was the visit to FSU?

“[The] visit was great. [I] got to watch practice and talk lots of football with Coach (Alex) Atkins (OL) and talk about finding the right fit for me with Coach Norvell.”

What’s Coach Norvell like?

“He’s so energetic, and he just seems like a real genuine, good man who wants what’s best for me.”

What was the conversation like with Coach Atkins? Did you talk technique?

“[We] talked a lot about technique, and the way he coaches and develops players.”

What does he think of your game and how hard is he recruiting you?

“He thinks I’m a developmental player with a good mindset, [who possesses] all the physical assets to be a really good center, but needs work with technique. He’s recruiting [me] fairly hard.”

You obviously mentioned AA and your time with him as position coach, but have you been able to meet any of the other coaches?

“I’ve talked with Coach (Kenny) Dillingham (OC) and Coach Dugans briefly. I also spent a good bit of time with Coach (Manrey) Saint-Amour (OL grad asst.).

We haven’t heard anyone mention Manrey. What’s he like?

“He’s a real good guy. Seems like he knows a lot about playing center, and he’s also real energetic.

Watching him at practice is great, too. [He] works a lot with the centers and is very hands-on and does all the work with them.”

Could he be another selling point for you to choose Florida State, then?

“I don’t know if I’d call it a selling point, but I really like him as a person and a coach.”

So is center definitely the position for you?

“It’s most likely going to be from what [AA’s] said.”

How would you describe your game? Are there any centers you model your play after?

“I like to think of myself as a physical and smart player. I try to model my game after Bryan Stork. He played at FSU when they won the last national championship. He was just a great leader and a hard-nosed guy.”

Stork’s a great guy to model your game after.

“My dad and I used to love to sit down and watch him play. He offered my buddy at East Tennessee State recently, and I got to talk with him on the phone, and it was a really cool experience for me.”

I’m assuming you grew up an FSU fan if you know Bryan Stork?

I grew up just watching a ton a football and I did really like watching them play a lot.”

What schools do you have the most interest in at this moment?

“I really don’t have any kind of list, but I like Florida State a lot.”

Would you say FSU is on top at this time?

“I don’t really have an “on top,” but I like them a lot and once [COVID19] is over, I can’t wait to get back.”

That was my next question. When were you planning to get back to Tallahassee?

“I was planning on going back up for a later practice, and the Spring Game, if possible.”

What was it like to try on the FSU uniforms when you visited? Do you have a favorite color-combo? And what number do you wear and why’d you choose it?

“I got to wear the white jersey and gold pants. That stuff really doesn’t matter to me—I just like to play football. I wear 66 because my dad wore 65, and I wanted to be one better than him.”

That’s classic. How good was your dad?

“He was pretty good back in the day, from what I’ve been told. He played at UT-Martin in the mid-90s.”

How close are you with Caleb (Johnson) & Garner (Langlo)? Have you guys talked about potentially playing together in college?

“We’re all really close buddies. It would be really cool for us all to play together on Saturdays but we’re not sure yet.”

What are the main things you’re looking for in a school when making your final choice?

“[I’m] really just looking for a place where I can go and get better. I’m looking for a good law school, and a good coaching staff who cares about players.”

So you’re all about law? What gave you that interest?

“I like to read, and I like history—and lawyers make a lot of money.”

When do you hope to have your final decision made?

“I wanted to have it figured out by this summer, but I’m not sure now.”