Louisiana speedster Corey Wren commits to Florida State

Corey Wren's recruitment has come to a close after a very short, but exciting month-long process that brought the Louisiana speedster right back to where it all began.

Wren, a prolific athlete out of New Orleans powerhouse John Curtis Christian School, committed to Florida State on Sunday night, picking the Seminoles and first-year coach Mike Norvell over Oklahoma, TCU, Oklahoma State and Louisville.

Florida State was one of the early favorites for Wren about this time a year ago as his offer sheet began to swell up. However, the 'Noles faded into the background as he began taking closer looks at some of the other schools showing interest, most notably Georgia, Arizona State and Houston, which emerged as finalists over the summer before Wren committed to the Bulldogs. Wren backed off that pledge in December after his senior season.

Wren has a longstanding relationship with Norvell dating back to his tenure at Memphis. Additionally, he has a strong connection with new Seminoles assistant David Johnson, a native of New Orleans who recruited Wren at his previous stint at Tennessee.

Wren took an official visit to Florida State earlier this month and spent time with both Norvell and Johnson, as well as fellow 2020 Louisiana athlete Ja'Khi Douglas, who was a mid-year graduate and already in Tallahassee. The combination of Douglas, familiar coaches and a longtime affinity for the 'Noles throughout his recruitment led Wren to announce his commitment 10 days prior to National Signing Day next month.

"I've been committed to Florida State for about a week now. I called them last week and let them know I'd be committing. I trust Mike Norvell, his vision, Kenny Dillingham and his vision, and the whole staff, including Coach (David) Johnson, the running backs coach. The reason I was ready to commit early was to take attention away from me and National Signing Day so the rest of my teammates could have their own moments. They deserve their individual attention for signing and not just me."

"Look at their resumes. They have used guys like Kenny Gainwell up at Memphis right now, Darrell Henderson with the Los Angeles Rams. They've put guys of my caliber and brought them to the NFL to have great success, and what place better to do that than Florida State. The brand, the school itself ... it's the best of both worlds. It's just an opportunity I couldn't let slip."

"The last time I visited Florida State (last summer) I planned on committing, but my pops told me to hold back and not knocking the other staff, but we didn't click off-the-field with the coaches, so I didn't commit to Florida State when I visited over the summer. Now, the right coaches are in place, the right brand, the right school, it worked out perfectly for me and my family. Tallahassee is five hours away and my dad can come to games. It's an opportunity I couldn't let pass."

"The vision never changed with Mike Norvell. He told me he'd use me the same way while he was at Memphis. That stood out to me. He didn't contact me or pressure me to commit. He told us to give them a chance, to bring us up there and if I liked it, I could jump aboard. I enjoyed talking to him, so it was a no-brainer. This was a place I should be at. Coach Johnson and I have been building a relationship since before he recruited me at Tennessee. We're from the same area of New Orleans, so it doesn't get better than that. He understands where I come from and the lifestyle down here. Now, the two come together and for them being to coach me is the best of both worlds."

"Looking at their resumes ... a coach can show you better than they can tell you. They've had guys just as big as me, just as small as me, and they find a way to get the ball into their hands to make plays. Coach Dillingham's offense is about getting the ball in space and making a play, and that's what I love. That's been my life at John Curtis -- except running between the tackles all the time. I'm just scratching the surface with this football thing and I have a lot to learn with great coaches who have a great mindset to win. I'm gonna go there and get developed on and off the field and become a better man. They kept it real with me at Memphis. They knew they weren't gonna be a top-five school for me, but still recruited me even when I was committed to Georgia. They kept in touch with me and Coach (Carlos) Locklyn stayed in contact. I felt the love from the whole coaching staff."

Wren is a chameleon in the truest sense of the word and it's necessary to point out just how high his ceiling could be on the football field. That includes a ton of untapped potential in the right fit.

At 5-foot-10 and just under 180 pounds, Wren plays the "split-back" role in the infamous John Curtis split-veer offense, which means that the speedster uses his speed out of the backfield to beat defenders to the edge a good chunk of the time.

A dual-sport standout, Wren had a bogus spring a year ago in which he clocked multiple 10.4-second 100-meter times. That includes his personal best mark of 10.41, the second-fastest time in that race nationally. It shattered a school record, which became routine for Wren last spring. And in terms of football jargon, it equates roughly to a 40 time close to 4.3 seconds.

That speed is perfectly evident on Wren's tape. While he plays a version of running back in his high school offense, teams like Florida State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Arizona State love how his speed translates to a slot, where he can make plays downfield and in space, as well as in the return game.

Wren has incredible straight-line speed and is a home-run threat every time he touches the rock. He runs with a ton of twitch and wiggle, which keeps defenders off-balance. He sees the entire field well and his ability to get to the boundary and also cut is devastating for defenders that want to keep pace.

Wren is a mismatch in the open field, which is what Florida State will try to accomplish with Norvell's offense.

Additionally, Wren is a dangerous kickoff and punt returner. He doesn't rack up too many receptions in the split-veer offense, but he may be best suited in catch-and-run situations in space. He's flashed the ability to make catches in traffic and certainly on vertical plays up the seam.