Florida State's NFL Draft Prospects Describe Their Paths Ahead of Pro Day
Plethora of former Seminoles speak with the media prior to Pro Day on Friday.
Florida State is set to host its annual Pro Day on Friday which will bring a number of Seminoles back to Tallahassee to demonstrate their skills as they prepare for the 2023 NFL Draft.
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Former standouts Jammie Robinson, Dillan Gibbons, Robert Cooper, Camren McDonald, Ontaria Wilson, Wyatt Rector, Jazston Turnetine, Jarques McClellion, Leonard Warner III and Mike Roussos are all expected to participate and gave insight and expectations to the media ahead of their showcase.
— Jammie Robinson, Safety
- Went into NFL Draft prep right after Florida State's season, "right after that, I was in Phoenix, Arizona, and that's where I started training for the NFL Combine."
- Going into Pro Day to football drills. Doesn't think he'll participate in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and bench press
- Says that he talked to every team between his time at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine.
- Met with head coaches, GMs, and defensive coordinators during ten formal interviews with teams.
- Informal interviews included all football personnel, including scouts. Doing zoom interviews with teams to show them who he is as a person and a player.
- "One thing about me when it comes to football, I'm a student of the game. That stood out to a lot of teams."
- Robinson played in a different alignment during the Senior Bowl, "just to show my versatility honestly. A lot of teams haven't seen me in the middle of the field."
- Keir Thomas, Jermaine Johnson, and some other former Seminoles have talked with him throughout the process.
- Robinson mentions Jaheim Bell's versatility after playing with him at South Carolina "that's my little brother for real. I already know he's a dog, he's from south Georgia."
- Also gives his thoughts on Gilber Edmond, "he was young. From his freshman year to his sophomore year to now, he's gotten way bigger, faster, strong."
- "I don't know why he's getting all those boys from South Carolina but he's doing it. He's doing a great job too."
- "Built by Storms. The relationship I have with him is like the relationship I have with a position coach."
- Winning ten games during his last collegiate season will always mean a lot to him.
— Dillan Gibbons, Offensive Lineman
- Trained with OL Masterminds in Texas for 14 weeks and cut 27 pounds.
- "Tomorrow means a lot for me."
- Wants to show off his athleticism, moving his feet, lateral movement.
- A couple of local teams have reached out to Gibbons about workouts and he's hoping to hear from more franchises on Friday.
- "I feel like a newborn baby. My joints feel well, I'm jumping great."
- Gibbons has been spending his extra time watching film and working on recovering after a physical season. Mentioned reprioritizing certain things
- "It's been incredible to see the development of the offseason...I really like forward to watching some more of the competition. I'm really proud of those guys."
- He's excited to watch the team in 2023, "there's a little bit of magic here in the air at Florida State.
- Planning some events with Big Man, Big Heart this summer. Will continue to do charity work as he transitions to professional football.
— Robert Cooper, Defensive Tackle
- Cooper says he's about 70% right now after having shoulder surgery in January. He's got about nine to ten more weeks of rehab in front of him to get back to full health. Said he's around 70% and won't be doing anything at Pro Day.
- He's proud that the Seminoles have continued the race with Mike Norvell to start off practices, "I loved it. I love watching every video."
- Cooper discusses Joshua Farmer, Darrell Jackson, and the defensive line, "I'm excited. Just watching them and even talking to them, those are different guys. You can see they're trying to bring their best every day."
- "You've got guys willing to work every day no matter what the days look like."
— Camren McDonald, Tight End
- Performed so well at the Tropical Bowl that he was invited to the NFL PA Bowl. Both of those experiences helped him improve his draft stock.
- NFL Scouts were impressed by his reps against linebackers and he also did well in pass-blocking drills.
- "They appreciate the way that I win my one-on-one matchups."
- He's excited about participating in the bench press, 40-yard dash, and on-field drills at Pro Day.
- McDonald is ready to contribute on special teams and as a good locker room presence for an NFL team.
- Appreciates his relationship with tight ends coach Chris Thomsen.
— Ontaria Wilson, Wide Receiver
- Wilson has been working on gaining weight and getting faster over the last three months. Main thing he wants to display is his 40-yard dash.
- Trained in Miami and wants to show off his explosiveness.
- "I'm not tense, I don't have any adrenaline right now but I probably will tomorrow."
- Looking to run a sub 4.4 40-yard dash.
- "I never thought about just getting up and leaving and taking my talents somewhere else."
- One of his favorite moments was scoring his first touchdown at Florida State.
- "Definitely a blessing to be able to go out with a bang during my senior year."
- Mentions Johnny Wilson, Kentron Poitier, and Winston Wright as wide receivers he expects to play a big role in 2023.
— Jarques McClellion, Safety
- McClellion plans to participate in all athletic testing and on-field drills at Florida State's Pro Day.
- He's not locked into a position at the next level, loves cornerback but spent most of his time with the Seminoles at safety.
- "At Florida State, being a defensive back, you've got to be something special to come here."
- Was proud of his preparation throughout the season despite not playing a huge role on the defense. That showed up when he was inserted into the lineup, such as the regular-season finale against Florida.
— Wyatt Rector, Tight End
- Rector got married a couple of weeks ago. He found out prior to the Cheez-It Bowl that his wife was pregnant which went into his decision to chase his dreams. If it doesn't work out, he'll turn to being the best father he can be.
- "I've focused on being the best version of myself every single day."
- Looking forward to the agility drills and the 40-yard dash. He's up to 240 pounds and is feeling very confident.
- Has talked to five or six different NFL teams. They're looking at him in multiple positions such as tight end, full back, and every unit on special teams. Rector has started long snapping too to have something in his back pocket.
- "It's kind of shown me what life is all about. Life is all about changes every day and how you adapt."
- Has talked to Gabe Nabers, Asante Samuel, Cam Akers, Hamsah Nasirildeen about transitioning to the NFL level.
— Jazston Turnetine, Offensive Tackle
- Turnetine has been recovering from the leg injury that he suffered against Oklahoma since the conclusion of the season. He's improving day by day.
- The moment where the team surrounded him while he was being carted off is a memory that he'll remember forever from his time at Florida State.
- Turnetine comments on spending a year under Alex Atkins, "he was a great coach to be around. He truly made me better as a player and a person and a man overall."
- Has watched a couple of spring practices so far and said the defense has been standing out. The offensive line is still building chemistry.
- Turnetine offers his thoughts on Gilber Edmond, "very gritty. I can say that about him. He's here to be a sponge...he's here to grow, he's here to make a difference."
— Mike Roussos, Wide Receiver
- Roussos will run with the wide receivers on Pro Day and also plans to work on special teams as a returner.
- "I wanted to compete with a bigger team and better competition. I thought I did pretty well. It's a lot different, a lot faster obviously but I think getting exposed to this kind of competition made me a better player, a better receiver."
- Roussos thinks his work on scout team against the first-team defense helped him improve.
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