Florida State among teams standing out with 2023 defensive tackle Darron Reed
At this point of the year, the high school football season is nearly over as the remaining teams around the country prepare for their respective state championships. 2023 defensive lineman Darron Reed is one of the select few whose season is still alive in early December.
Carver High School has won its first four playoff games and is set to face off with Benedictine High School for the Georgia 4A State Championship on Friday night. Reed has been a key piece on a Tigers defense that has allowed just 12.5 points per game in the postseason.
"It's been going great," Reed said to NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis. "It got off to a rocky start with me straining my groin but ever since I got back, I've been dominating. I think my junior season has been one of my best so far."
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Reed has a longstanding relationship with Florida State. The Seminoles were the first team to extend him a scholarship back in March. He's been communicating with the staff multiple times a week.
"I talk to them about three to four times a week," Reed said. "I talk to coach Odell, coach Ryan Bartow, coach Mike Norvell, coach Atkins, pretty much the whole staff."
The Georgia native has built a strong relationship with defensive line coach Odell Haggins. He's the type of coach that Reed is looking to play for in college.
"Our relationship is going great right now, I love it," Reed said. "He's kind of a father figure as a coach and that's kind of the thing that I'm looking for."
The coaching staff sees Reed as a defensive tackle at the next level. They like what he offers as an athletic interior lineman that can make plays in the backfield.
"They're recruiting me as a defensive tackle and they told me they love my game," Reed said. "My get off, my hands, how I disrupt plays, and all of that."
Two of the standout stars on the defense in 2021 were defensive ends Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas. After transferring into Tallahassee over the offseason, the pair wreaked havoc off of the edge all year and likely made some money in the process.
"That makes me very confident," Reed said. "Seeing the type of players they produce, hands-on, and doing what they do."
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When asked what he likes about Florida State, Reed was straightforward with his answer.
"The love I get from the staff is like no other."
Some of the teams that are standing out early on for Reed include the Seminoles, Clemson, Auburn, and Tennessee. He says that Maryland, USF, UNC, Mississippi State, and Alabama have been communicating with him and could join his recruitment in the near future.
Reed took visits to Florida State, Clemson, Auburn, and Tennessee throughout the fall. He was in attendance for the Seminoles season-opener against Notre Dame.
"Those were great, I loved them," Reed said. "Florida State, it's at the top of my list as one of the best games that I've gone to see so far."
The Carver High School product is teammates with fellow 2023 prospect and talented offensive tackle, Kelton Smith. Reed says that the two are good friends and have talked about playing together at the next level. Smith also holds an offer from Florida State.
"We talk about playing together at the next level all of the time," Reed said. "We have a great relationship, we've been close since ninth grade, and we've just been on the grind, making each other better."
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Since he's got the state championship coming up, Reed will likely not make it back to Florida State until after the new year. He's considering making his commitment on May 18 in honor of his mother, who passed away when Reed was 14.
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive lineman will be one of the best prospects in the Southeast in the 2023 class.
Keep up with NoleGameday for the latest on Reed throughout his upcoming senior season.
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