Florida State football state of recruiting: Tight Ends

Following the announcement that all sporting events have been suspended, the next big decision was that all recruiting activity was also placed on hold until April 15th (it’s now been extended until the end of May). We’ll use this newly enacted dead period to evaluate Florida State’s recruiting position by position. This isn’t meant to be an all-inclusive list; rather, it’s a snapshot of which players we believe are trending with FSU.

In this series, we’ve already covered quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. Today, we’ll look at tight end. In the 2020 class, FSU signed one true tight end in Carter Boatwright. The Florida State Seminoles also brought in Markeston Douglas, who has the potential to play several positions, including tight end. Coach Mike Norvell has a history of making this position a key part of his offense. The expectation is that Florida State will bring in at least two tight ends, with potential of a third from the JUCO/transfer ranks. NoleThruandThru and TimScribble break down the prospects:

Current commit(s): None

Trending target(s):

Michael Trigg. 6’4 220 pound 4-star out of Seffner Christian Academy (Seffner, FL). After being offered, Trigg visited Florida State at the beginning of February.

NT&T: Trigg is accurately ranked a 4* and is the most likely to don the Garnet and Gold in college, which is great because he’s my favorite of this bunch (by far). Trigg is a WR in a TE frame and has the ability to add another 25-30 pounds without losing his athleticism. He has excellent hands and can shake defenders in multiple sets, fighting through blocks and overwhelming smaller defenders. He’s a basketball player and isn’t afraid to get physical, although his blocking needs refinement. Trigg has a high ceiling and will likely remain a receiver first and foremost, who can still chip defenders and line up at H-back every so often. If he’s able to add good weight/strength and become a better route-runner/blocker, he’ll eventually hear his name called in the NFL Draft.

Gunnar Greenwald. 6’5 220 pound unranked (3-star by 247) out of Satellite Senior High School (Satellite Beach, FL). He visited Tallahassee for an unofficial at the beginning of March and has yet to be offered by the ‘Noles.

NT&T: Greenwald is accurately ranked by 247 as a 3* right now, and the first thing that comes to mind when I watch him is intelligence. I’m not just talking about his reported 3.9 GPA, or his plans to enroll early, either. He’s just a smart, savvy player who knows how to find openings in the defense, figures out the weaknesses of his opponents and exploits them, and is a reliable target for his QB. Greenwald is a sneaky good athlete who started out as a WR before growing into his current frame, and those WR tendencies are still apparent when he runs routes and makes tough grabs. He’s an above-average blocker, but needs to put on more weight/strength. Another guy with a high ceiling, and a potential multi-year starter after a couple years in the S&C program. An offer from FSU should materialize eventually.

Miles Campbell. 6’3 220 pound 3-star from South Paulding High School (Douglasville, GA). Campbell was offered by FSU in February, but has yet to visit Tallahassee.

NT&T: Miles Campbell is a guy who’s blowing up many TE boards across America, and one I feel deserves a 4* ranking for his versatility. Much like Trigg, Campbell is an excellent athlete. However, unlike Trigg, Campbell has impressive speed for a TE, clocking a 4.59 40-yard dash, while hauling in over 120 catches the past two years. Campbell uses leverage well and can be physical, despite being a bit undersized. He can be a gadget TE, at times lining up as a WR, or in the backfield, and he’s a reliable target who’s unafraid to go across the middle and do the dirty work. While some WRs and TEs try to turn every catch into a first down and seemingly put more effort into “touchdown routes,” Campbell will work just as hard on a 3-yard route as he does a 15-yarder. He brings his lunch pail every day.

Cane Berrong. 6’4 230 pound 4-star who plays his high school football at Hart County (Hartwell, GA). The Notre Dame commit received an offer in June of 2019 and visited the campus soon after.

NT&T: Berrong is committed to Notre Dame, but that commitment should be considered shaky at best. FSU is pushing very hard to get into Berrong’s top group, along with Clemson and Georgia, while the Fighting Irish hope to retain him. Although Florida State fans may cringe when I say this, Berrong reminds me a lot of Isaac Nauta. He isn’t great at a couple things, but weak in others; rather, he’s good at just about everything. He’s very polished as an all-around football player. Running routes is his strength, but he also excels in the cerebral component. Berrong has good hands and above-average athleticism. He isn’t afraid of blocking and has decent technique; however, he needs to add much more strength to avoid getting overwhelmed by rushers and tangled up with LBs and DBs who jam him. The least likely of this group to end up in the Garnet and Gold at this time, but the FSU staff will keep fighting for an OV.

Erin Outley. 6’4 245 pound 3-star out of Parkview Magnet (Little Rock, AR). Outley received an offer in February from FSU, but has not yet been on campus.

NT&T: There may not be a hotter name at TE in the Midwest right now than Erin Outley. Outley and Campbell received their FSU offers on the same day (NSD) and share similarities in their playing style, namely using their athleticism to their advantage. While Campbell relies on speed and shiftiness, Outley is a bulldozer in open space and is unafraid to lower his shoulder into incoming traffic, or (literally) hurdle over opponents (seriously, watch his tape). He’s a hard-nosed player with an attitude similar to the throwback fullbacks of yesteryear. Outley is perhaps the most raw prospect of this group, but he possesses a high ceiling. He’s built like a tree trunk and has a good frame to shed some bad weight and add muscle. It would be surprising to see him leave the Arkansas/Louisiana region, but get some honey-fried chicken in him, and you never know!

Coach Mike Norvell was a big believer in utilizing tight ends at his previous stops, and as you can see by the sheer number of offers, his strategy hasn’t changed. Our belief is this staff will make tight end a priority this class in order to help build depth, likely bringing in 2-3. Expect FSU to continue contacting these names and more as the year progresses.