Smith still figuring out leaders
Saivion Smith is one of the top cornerbacks in the 2016 class so taking two visits to Florida State this early has not gone unnoticed.
The five-star from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy said he's been impressed by the Seminoles so far and he's already drawn some major comparisons to stars there.
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"I loved it," Smith said. "The coaching staff treats me right. I love the atmosphere up there. Just being in Tallahassee is just fun.
"They just really talk about the tradition, Deion (Sanders), there are some big shoes to fill. Jalen Ramsey is there now. They say I can be the next Jalen Ramsey. Those are some big shoes to fill and that seems nice."
Smith, rated as the second-best cornerback and the No. 16 prospect overall by Rivals.com, took a visit to Florida before Will Muschamp was fired. Even with the recent coaching change, Smith said there is a lot of interest in the Gators because of the environment in Gainesville.
"I loved it up there," Smith said. "The Swamp is like no other place in America, college football-wise. It's a great atmosphere like Florida State."
The five-star has also taken trips to UCF, Miami and Clemson and he seems to like the coaching staffs at all three of those programs.
"Coach (Al) Golden is a really nice dude," Smith said. "He talked to me before and after the game and that meant a lot.
"Clemson was great. I talked to coach (Tony) Elliott before the game. I talked to a lot of coaches before the game. Coach Dabo (Swinney) talked to us and told us what Clemson is all about."
No unofficial visits are scheduled this off-season for Smith yet but he said one school that has captured his attention is UCLA. The IMG Academy standout talks with position coach Demetrice Martin and assistant Noel Mazzone regularly and there is interest in the Bruins.
"They're sitting pretty high," Smith said.