2023 OT Roderick Kearney details interest in Florida State, upcoming visit
Orange Park, FL offensive tackle Roderick Kearney is one of the nation’s top tackle prospects for the 2023 class. With over twenty offers in hand and others knocking at his door, Kearney should be one of the most heavily recruited players in Florida for his class.
Roderick Kearney’s Orange Park High team didn’t have the greatest season this past fall, but his 60+ pancake blocks and personal development have caught the attention of college coaches from all over the country.
“I have 22 offers now, from schools like Florida State, Miami, UCF, Maryland, Oregon, Michigan State, Michigan, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Florida,” Kearney said. “I am surprised by it, but I’ve worked so hard and think I deserve this. LSU and Clemson have been talking to me a bit, and I’ve talked to a coach from Alabama. I’ve talked to Ohio State, too. They want me to visit - I am going to visit as many as I can but I am not going to be able to make it to them all.”
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Florida State is a program that has caught Kearney’s attention. The work that new offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, as well as head coach Mike Norvell, have put in set the in-state program up heading into Junior Day visit season.
“I like FSU a lot and they are one of the top schools on my list,” Kearney said. “They are up there because of Coach Atkins and Coach Norvell. Coach Atkins is a really good person and we relate on a lot of things. I like how we can talk away from football person to person - I love that. I can talk about how my day is going type stuff.”
“Coach Norvell, we have a wonderful relationship,” Kearney continued. “I like how he doesn’t promise stuff. I was there last summer for a camp and he came by my school. While I wasn’t able to talk to him, from what I was told he seems so down to earth.”
FSU is recruiting Kearney as a tackle or center. They’ll be hosting Roderick for a visit on January 15.
“FSU is recruiting me as a tackle or center,” Kearney said. “My heart is at tackle because I like to protect the edge, but I am going to play where I can help and where I can get on the field. I just love football in general so it doesn’t matter. I’m excited for this visit because FSU is up there for me. It’s going to be a good visit. I want to see more of the campus, spend time with the coaches and players and just hang out.”
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When you watch Roderick play on video you see a smart player that is versatile and aggressive. While he’s a top 300 player and a blue-chip target in the 2023 class he is working hard to be as well-rounded as he can before he gets to the collegiate level.
“I am a hard-wrking player and I am willing to do whatever it takes to get better,” Kearney said about himself as a player. “I am a fast learner. I want to do whatever I can to be better and help the people around me be better. I am fast and I have a motor that doesn’t stop. Once I get going I never stop blocking moving the defender from one destination to another. I play with passion and aggression, but I use it smartly. In the run game it’s okay to get out and be aggressive, but in pass protection it’s more about technique. I’m working on getting better at that.”
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Kearney plans to make visits soon and has an idea of when he wants to make a decision.
“I am going to UCF on the 29th and I want to see schools like Georgia and Arkansas, good programs like that,” Kearney said. “With FSU it’s right there so I can always stop there especially if I like the visit. I am looking for a brotherhood and a good area, and of course, good coaching that can get me to the next level. I’m not going to rush anything but I am going to be an early enrollee. I will have a top 10 and sort it out from there and sign on early signing day.”
We’ll follow up with Roderick after the FSU visit this weekend.
