Florida State camp an example of contrast between Taggart, Fisher
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State’s prospect camp has been over for nearly an hour. There are no more whistles, no more cones and no more instructions being shouted by coaches. A handful of prospects still linger around the program’s indoor practice facility, however. Off to the side, touted linebacker target Rian Davis plays quarterback in a makeshift 7-on-7 game, throwing less-than-impressive passes to players such as defensive tackle Tyler Davis, who has lined up as a wide receiver.
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The vibe is laid back. Jubilant, even. And five yards away stands the man that has cultivated it. New FSU head coach Willie Taggart is still here, in a mostly empty building, chuckling at every wobbly pass heaved by a linebacker and every go-route run by a lineman. He chats with players and trainers as he mills around the building. A few feet away from him, four-star athlete Avantae Williams extols the virtues of discount tattoo artists that work out of hotel rooms, yucking it up with a group of reporters. The entire scene’s soundtrack is a loop of loud laughter.
The contrast between this and the Florida State of years past isn’t lost on defensive back target Brendan Gant, who lounges in the passenger seat of Taggart’s Florida State golf cart, which is parked on the field. He, too, laughs and shakes his head at the silliness unfolding 20 yards away. This is not a workout. It’s not a evaluation period, either. This is pure, unadulterated fun.
“Jimbo (Fisher) would have been long gone by now,” Gant notes, looking in Taggart’s direction.
It doesn’t take a secret agent to sleuth out the differences between this camp and the ones in years past. The same can be said for the school’s recruiting efforts as a whole. Some of said differences are significant and some are subtle, but they’re apparent at every turn.
This year’s prospect camp was fueled by hip-hop, as current FSU players working the event shared the auxiliary cord and determined the playlist. In years past, the event came and went without music – not so much as a single note. Sure, it’s a detail that matters almost none to the grand scheme. Music at a camp won’t land a recruit and certainly won’t help win any games this fall, but it’s presence is notable because of what it represents.
“There are a lot of differences,” said Michael Langston, who has covered Florida State recruiting for years at Warchant.com. “You have to factor in that the camp is set up differently with just skill guys and that gives the coaches more personal time with these recruits. That’s a big difference. You see that the coaches here are now allowed to do their thing. Jimbo had his hand in a lot of different stuff. Willie gives them more freedom.”
A new coaching staff doing the inverse of its predecessor is certainly nothing new. You can almost set your watch to it. It’s the degree to which the differences are notable that makes this case interesting.
And that’s all before Taggart has coached a single game in garnet and gold.
“There’s more energy and stuff around here now,” Gant said of Florida State. “You can see that just right now right here. It’s obvious. I come from a tight family. So, hearing from these coaches every day almost … well, they stay in touch better. Like I tell people, I’m a family man so I’m used to being around people that care about me and stay in touch with me. That’s how it feels here now.”
By the time Taggart drives off in his golf cart to begin preparations for post-camp tours for the elite prospects that have now gathered in the practice facility, Tennessee-based four-stars Woodi Washington and Adonis Otey have arrived and joined the gathering, which evolved to resemble a backyard barbecue more than the aftermath of a football camp.
“Willie’s always around, but at the same time he lets his guys do their thing and do their stuff,” Langston said. “He’s really savvy with this stuff and about his passion for FSU.”
