Despite not yet hosting a big recruiting weekend in January, Florida State already has made its first splash of 2018, landing a commitment Saturday from California four-star tight end Camren McDonald.
McDonald is a jack-of-all-trades type of tight end, but he is especially impressive as a wide receiver. In this Impact Analysis, we'll take a closer look at McDonald's game, why he chose Florida State, and how he'll fit in with the Seminoles' offense.
McDonald breaks down the FSU commitment
Although he comes from clear across the country, Camren McDonald knows plenty about the Florida State football team.
He knows about Willie Taggart's offensive attack. He knows that Taggart likes to score quickly and score often. And he knows that the Seminoles have lost their top two tight ends from last season -- starter Ryan Izzo left early for the NFL, and backup Mavin Saunders transferred to Kansas.
Those were some of the key factors that led McDonald to commit to the 'Noles -- a decision he said he actually made about a week before he announced on Saturday.
"I'm excited to be a 'Nole. They aren't deep at the tight end position, and the guys that they do have aren't spread-type guys," McDonald said. "I feel I can stretch the field with my skills and have a good chance at playing as a freshman, and that's exciting."
McDonald, who Rivals rates as the nation's No. 9 tight end, brings diverse skills at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. At Long Beach Poly, he frequently played outside as a wide receiver, but he said he's more than happy to mix it up as a run-blocker.
"That's a strong point of my game is being a big receiver, but also help the running game with my blocking," he said. "Overall, I feel I can be a match-up problem for a lot of teams."
It has been a wild few months for McDonald, who previously was committed to Southern Cal before changing his mind and opening the recruiting process once again. Although he had been considering several schools, he said he was interested as soon as new FSU coach Willie Taggart called with a scholarship offer.
It didn't hurt that former FSU and NFL great Deion Sanders apparently mentioned to Taggart that he should give McDonald a look.
"I then talked with Coach Taggart, and they offered me," the talented tight end said. "Now I visit there next weekend, and I'm excited about it."
McDonald's main recruiter for FSU has been assistant coach Raymond Woodie, who has a track record of recruiting prospects from California.
"Coach Woodie is really persistent in how much he wants you," McDonald said. "That's what I loved so much about him, and he's real with everything. He told me there is an opportunity here, and we will treat you well."
Florida State has had some hits and misses when it comes to signing prospects out of California, and things didn't go well with the Seminoles' last signee out of the Golden State -- quarterback Malik Henry. But McDonald believes FSU soon will have more luck out west.
"It was huge to see (five-star California DB) Jaiden Woodbey jump on board," he said. "There are going to be a lot of 2019 guys here in California that I'm going to hit up and start that pipeline to FSU."
