Four-star California linebacker officially signs with the Seminoles

Florida State is bringing in talent on both sides of the ball in the 2023 class during the Early Signing Period. Though smaller in numbers, #Tribe23 will be instrumental in the Seminoles continuing to build a stable of young talent.

There aren't many incoming true freshmen that have a higher ceiling than four-star linebacker Blake Nichelson, who committed to Florida State earlier this fall over Oregon and UCLA.

On Wednesday, Nichelson signed his Letter of Intent and was officially announced as a Seminole. He's the highest-ranked linebacker to sign with the program since Xavier Peters in 2018. Nichelson is the third recruit from the state of California to join Florida State out of high school/JUCO under Mike Norvell (AJ Duffy, Koby Gross).

From the West Coast to #Tribe23 - welcome @NichelsonBlake to the #NoleFamily!

🔗: https://t.co/LS13DvYwZ0 pic.twitter.com/FbHPtHYgPB
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) December 21, 2022

Despite the distance from California to Tallahassee, Nichelson and his family felt comfortable around the people at Florida State. That didn't include just the coaching staff or players in the program, it also extended to the fanbase.

"I feel like the people around FSU, honestly, or just around town. Like I got recognized by some people, and that has never happened to me," Nichelson said. "Especially being this far from my hometown. Getting recognized by FSU fans in general is just different. You can just tell the people are different.”

General Manager Darrick Yray opened the door for the Seminoles with his ties to Manteca. Head coach Mike Norvell and linebackers coach Randy Shannon closed it out down the stretch.

Nichelson plays both ways in high school but he'll focus on linebacker at Florida State. He recorded 209 carries for 1,719 yards with 27 touchdowns on the ground and 29 catches for 703 yards and 14 more scores through the air. Nichelson also totaled 44 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 7 pass deflections, and one interception during his senior season.

It's anticipated that Nichelson will enroll at FSU during the summer.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound linebacker is regarded as the No. 131 overall prospect, the No. 15 LB, and the No. 12 recruit in the state of California in the 2023 class according to 247Sports.

As of now, Florida State holds 15 commitments in its 2023 class, which ranks No. 15 overall in the country according to 247Sports.

NoleGameday will continue to follow Florida State's Early Signing Period finish throughout the day. You can check out our prospect tracker for all of the upcoming announcements HERE.

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