Four-star quarterback Luke Kromenhoek ready to step up as a leader of Florida State's 2024 class
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Winning a state championship is something that few high school football players will ever experience in their lifetime. Well, how about winning two rings while having an opportunity at a run for a third?
That's exactly the scenario that Florida State quarterback commitment Luke Kromenhoek finds himself in as he enters the final offseason of his prep career.
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In December, Kromenhoek guided Benedictine High School to its second consecutive state title, surviving a 14-13 contest against Cedartown High School. In total, the Cadets compiled a 13-2 record behind a breakout campaign from Kromenhoek, who completed 171/263 passes (65%) for 2,576 yards with 24 touchdowns to three interceptions. He also rushed 139 times for 453 yards and seven more scores.
"It was a phenomenal year. I was surrounded by a lot of great athletes and great coaches who helped me along the way," Kromenhoek said to NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis. "I would say that the biggest thing for me this year, that I took away from it, each game I was getting better and better. Kind of just getting more comfortable in the scenarios, playing at that type of level, and getting used to the speed. As the year went on, I just kept getting better and better and so did our team. I think that played a huge part."
Last year, Kromenhoek won a state title while backing up now Auburn quarterback Holden Geriner. He contributed at wide receiver, safety, and on special teams, displaying a grittiness that most players at his position lack while putting his body in harms way.
Regardless, to follow in Geriner's footsteps and come away with a ring as a first-year starter at quarterback meant a lot to Kromenhoek. It allowed him to prove to himself and his doubters that he could perform at a high-level.
"I mean, you win a state championship, most of the time it's going to feel amazing, you're on top of the world. I would definitely say yeah, this one meant a little bit more to me because I was at the position that I'm going to be playing in college," Kromenhoek said. "You know, at the beginning of the season there was a lot of speculation that maybe I couldn't do it and this and that and I had a lot of people hating, telling me that I couldn't. Kind of just being able to prove them wrong and seeing that I can succeed at this level and at the quarterback position, it definitely made it real special."
Though the offseason is just getting started, Kromenhoek already has an idea of a couple of things he wants to get to work on. One of his goals this is to develop into a film junkie over the next couple of months.
"Just getting in there and watching more film, stuff like that. Being able to recognize defenses better and knowing what they're trying to take away, so definitely being a film junkie," Kromenhoek said. "As well as just fix up some little things, throwing mechanics, all that good stuff. And then getting the connection with my receivers, getting that down and being on the same page with them."
Florida State is coming off its best season since 2016 as the Seminoles compiled ten victories and ended things off with a victory against Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl. Norvell promised Kromenhoek and his family over the summer that he would turn the program around. The head coach is holding up his end of the bargain.
"It was an unbelievable season. The guys, they worked their butts off all year to get here," Kromenhoek said. "There was a lot of hate in the beginning year saying that coach Norvell and the staff couldn't get it done. A lot of people were hesitant, even a lot of recruits were hesitant to make the commitment because if they had another year like last year, it probably would've been some trouble. Just to be able to come in there with all the hate and criticism that they were getting and to be able to pull out that ten win season, to have a quick turnaround like they did is unbelievable.
"It means a lot because coach Norvell brought me and my family in after an Elite day over the summer and he was like, 'I promise you that I'm going to fix this and we're going to get this program back to where it's supposed to be. I'm going to fix this and I'm going to bring it back to the winning culture' and I feel like he held his promise. He kept it to me and that means a lot," Kromenhoek continued.
Quarterback Jordan Travis put together a special season, completing a career-high 64% of his passes for 3,214 yards with 25 touchdowns to five interceptions. He also added 417 yards and seven more scores on the ground. Kromenhoek was excited to see how the coaching staff plays to the strength of its quarterbacks.
"100%. Coach Norvell was calling the plays this year and he played a big part in that. I think that coach Norvell, he does a really good job at knowing his quarterback and their strengths. He puts them in the best position to success," Kromenhoek said. "I mean, even with Tate, when Jordan went down in the Louisville game and Tate came in, I felt like coach Norvell called a great game for Tate and played to his strengths. It ended up working out. I feel like he's done the same thing with Jordan all year. It's just super exciting to see the success that they're having from play-calling and I think coach Tokarz does a great job at developing his quarterbacks. I just can't wait to get there and I'm super pumped."
Throughout his recruitment, Kromenhoek has built strong relationships with quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz and head coach Mike Norvell. Graduate assistant and assistant quarterbacks coach, Alex Eleyssami, is also in constant communication with Kromenhoek.
"That's my guy. He's [Tokarz] been super involved in my recruiting process. Coach Dillingham actually offered me and he kind of took over but we've always had a great relationship," Kromenhoek said. "He's always calling, checking up on me, checking in with the family, he's just a great dude. I really love being around him and I can't wait to be in that quarterback room with him as my coach and just continue to learn from him."
"Coach Norvell is just unbelievable to me and my family. We love him, he's unbelivable, everything about him," Kromenhoek continued. "His energy, how he holds himself, it means a lot. My family, we really like that about him."
The Georgia native is ready to step up as a leader of Florida State's 2024 recruiting class. The Seminoles already hold the No. 4 class in the country according to 247Sports and are in the running for talented prospects across the nation.
"The quarterback is the leader of the team, so I have to be the leader of this class as well. I have to go out there and get some guys to make this class one of the top in the nation," Kromenhoek said. "Get a lot of talent so we can perform on the field and have the talent we need to hopefully make to the National Championship, into the playoffs, and all that. I definitely feel like I have to go out and recruit. I've done a little bit of that, I've made some great relationships with Camdon Frier, Kam Davis, and Jordan Pride. I'm working on some other dudes right now, trying to get them to just make the move and commit to this class. I really do feel like the 2024 class is going to be something special at FSU."
One recruit that Kromenhoek is focused on bringing to Tallahassee alongside him is five-star defensive back Charles Lester III. A top target for the Seminoles, Lester is expected to be on campus this weekend.
"One of the big dudes I'm trying to recruit right now is Charles Lester. We've actually formed a great relationship, meeting at Florida State," Kromenhoek said. "I know he's a big-time target on a lot of peoples boards. I'm just trying to do my best to get him here because we need a play-maker like that. That dude is a freak of an athlete, he's a specimen, and getting him committed to this Florida State class would be unbelievable."
A unique aspect of the recruiting class is that four current pledges - Kromenhoek, five-star running back Kam Davis, four-star wide receiver Camdon Frier, and four-star defensive back Jordan Pride - all play on the same 7-on-7 team. That experience is allowing the four recruits to build chemistry on and off the field before they even get to college.
"I think it can be huge, especially with a quarterback, a wide receiver, and a running back. It's all about relationship and having that sync together," Kromenhoek said. "I definitely feel like us being together, working together, we can know each others strengths and weaknesses and really help each other out. Kind of just be on the same page when we go into Florida State as freshmen and go in there and succeed together."
The Seminoles were the first team to offer Kromenhoek in 2021 following his performance at a summer camp. The rising senior elected to commit to Florida State last March over programs such as UCF, Penn State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Florida, and others. What is that keeps the 'Noles at the forefront of his mind?
"Just the culture and the family that they bring. In the Cheez-It Bowl when one of our players went down, the whole team ran onto the field and tapped him goodbye and made sure he was all good," Kromenhoek said. "I think that speaks a lot about the culture there. That's just one thing I love about Florida State; the culture. As well as like the family, everytime I come there with my family, we're always treated like royalty. It's the place for me."
Kromenhoek is planning to visit Florida State multiple times throughout the offseason, including later this month. He'll also check out a couple of other programs but says that he plans to shut down his recruitment when his senior season rolls around in August.
"I do think that I might go and visit another college here and there. Just in case something crazy thing happens, I don't want to completely shut everyone out. I will say once senior year rolls around and we're getting into football season, I'm definitely going to shut down my recruitment," Kromenhoek said. "I'm all in on Florida State. There's nothing more to it. It's Florida State or nothing right now and that's how it's going to be unless some freak thing happens. Everytime I go and visit somewhere, I'll call Tokarz first and let him know. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound quarterback is regarded as the No. 95 overall prospect, the No. 9 QB, and the No. 17 prospect in the state of Georgia in the 2024 class according to 247Sports.
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