The Florida State Seminoles hosted 2028 linebacker Jay Schell on a visit Thursday this week. It marked his first time on campus, and he was extended a scholarship offer in the process.
During his visit, unsurprisingly, Schell got to spend a lot of time with linebackers coach Ernie Sims. 2026 will be his first year as the head guy in terms of the linebacker group, which makes the next couple of recruiting cycles very important for him to establish a good reputation. He certainly succeeded with Schell, as did the players already on the roster at the linebacker position for FSU.
“Coach Sims is awesome,” said Schell via Noles247. “I really enjoyed spending time with him today and seeing him and the guys get after it. The message I got was he is a coach who has walked in the exact shoes I want to and been the best at it, so he understands what it’s like to be in the cleats and the way he coaches aligns with that to set his players up for the most success.
“I also was very impressed by the bond between his linebacker room. I got the chance to pretty much talk to them all and they are all really good guys with the same mindset and that’s to win. Coach said he wants guys with the same mindset and mentality and that was the case for sure.”
Whether anyone likes Seminoles’ head coach Mike Norvell or not, what can’t be denied is his energy and passion when it comes to recruiting prospects, as well as his transparency. That was no different when he spent time with Schell on his visit.
“Coach Norvell was great,” Schell said. “I enjoyed my time with him and the thing the stuck out the most was his authenticity. He stressed to me the importance of me not changing who I am because the person and player I am is why they are recruiting me.”
Schell was a productive player for Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School last season. He logged 77 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, three sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
When it comes to his recruitment, Schell has 25 offers. The list includes schools such as Florida, Georgia, Texas, Auburn, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and more. So, Florida State will need to continue keeping the lines of communication open as well as getting him back on campus soon.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder isn’t ranked by 247Sports at the moment.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Florida State makes great impression on LB target from Georgia
Reporting by Matthew Lenix , FSU Wire / FSU Wire
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