Florida State Football flips highly-regarded specialist from Clemson Tigers

Seminoles land late commitment from one of the nation's top special teams prospects.

Sep 23, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell looks on during the first quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

One of the bright spots for the Florida State Seminoles last year showed up on special teams. The ability to flip the field, block and make field goals, and make explosive plays in both the kicking and return games has always been an emphasis for the 'Noles under the Mike Norvell era, and they produced two All-Americans last season in kicker Ryan Fitzgerald and punter Alex Mastromanno.

A position group that can sometimes go unheralded is the long snapper who helped put Fitzgerald and Mastromanno in the position to earn those honors last season and now the 'Noles have flipped one of the country's highly regarded "upside-down quarterbacks" to Tallahassee, FL.

Five-star long snapper Alex Nocco announced on Sunday that he would be joining the Seminoles after originally committing to Clemson in February.  The 6'2'' 205-pound, Tampa, FL native also held an offer from USF but decided to commit to the 'Noles after an unofficial visit last weekend.

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“I appreciate that I get to compete now rather than wait. Also, I have the ability to play in my home state, and with my academic scores, I have Bright Futures, which is a Florida scholarship that pays my tuition," Nocco told The Clemson Insider.

FSU offered him the opportunity to be on the roster starting this summer rather than waiting until 2026.

Nocco is rated a five-star prospect by Rubio Long Snapping, ranking as the 12th-best long snapper in the nation overall, and will enroll this summer as a preferred walk-on. He will join a position group that includes redshirt senior Mason Arnold, who started in 12 games last season, redshirt sophomore Peyton Naylor, and redshirt freshman Weston Edwards.

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