Quarterback commit Chris Parson ready to lead Florida State's 2023 class
Looking back into recent history, Florida State has had a couple of players that stood out as the leaders of their respective recruiting classes. Names such as Derwin James in the 2015 class and Travis Hunter in the 2022 class come to mind. James committed to the Seminoles in 2012 and never looked back while Hunter has publicly spoken on the strength of his pledge multiple times.
2023 Florida State quarterback commitment Chris Parson is on that path. After the legacy became the fourth member of the class in July, he locked his recruitment down. Parson will not visit any other school except for FSU during his upcoming senior season.
"I'm not visiting any other schools, strictly FSU," Parson said to NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis. "A lot of schools, they kinda realized that [I'm locked in] midway through the season. They would send me invites to games and I would respectfully decline. A few other schools have shown up to Ravenwood since the offseason hit. It's been good conversations, short conversations. They know what the deal is. My head coach has been letting them know that 'his mind is not changing.' They kind of understand. As far as visiting other schools and going to other places, that won't be happening for me."
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The Ravenwood High School product put together a standout junior season. He helped lead the Raptors to a 10 win season and an appearance in the quarterfinals where his team lost to the eventual state runner-up. Parson completed 68% of his passes for 1829 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions during the regular season. He also ran 60 times for 760 yards and 13 more touchdowns.
Following the conclusion of the season, Parson was named Offensive Player of the Year for his region.
"I feel like we had a pretty good year," Parson said. "10-win season, made it to the quarterfinals, lost to a really good team. But, we had a really good season. Offense, we got so much better, starting from the first game to the last. We were clicking, man. It just felt good, getting a full season in, starting in a great offensive system. We put up some points this year and it was real fun. I've still got some things that I can work on. I know that there are some areas that I need to be better. I look at that as excitement because I've still got one more year left. Now it's just putting in the work, getting ready this offseason, and just handling business when we get the opportunity to get back on the field."
Throughout the offseason, Parson will continue to train with his new quarterback coach at his high school. He also plans to run track and attend a few camps.
"I'm going to be running track to stay in tip-top shape," Parson said. "QB training with my new QB coach here at Ravenwood. I'll go to my trainers that I've been working with before. As far as camps, I'll probably only hit the Adidas, Nike Camps, UA Camps, Elite 11, things like that. There's no point in me going to any college camps except for Florida State. I won't be visiting any other schools. Last year I was visiting places during the offseason so I didn't get as much work as I wanted to get in. Now, with me being committed already, I'll have a lot of time to be back home and working out. I feel like this year will be a more complete offseason for me. That'll give me a lot of time to just keep getting better.
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Florida State had a slow start to the season but finished strong. The Seminoles went 5-3 over their final eight games and showed a lot of positive signs for the future. Parson can tell that this program is getting close to turning the corner.
"They started off 0-4 but eventually they got on a roll," Parson said. "I saw a tweet, it was coach Norvell talking when we were 0-4, and he was saying that they only want the guys that can believe in this program and know where this thing can go. After that, I saw another tweet that said we went 5-3 after that. Florida State, there's just so much to be excited about with the guys that they have there, the guys that we have coming in for the 2022 class, and the guys that we're about to start getting rolling in for #Tribe23. I'm excited, especially for next year because I'll be one year closer."
"I also love how they didn't give up," Parson continued. "They were 0-4, things weren't going their way at first. They kept fighting, they started winning football games. You can see it. We play games like Clemson or Notre Dame, we're right there, we're close, we're not that far away. I know for a fact this thing is going to be something special for years to come. You've just got to trust the process and it'll all follow through."
During his visits to Florida State, Parson has built a friendship with starting quarterback Jordan Travis. He has seen the progress that Travis made since the spring and is excited to watch what he delivers in 2022.
"I remember when I first committed to Florida State, people were saying 'man, Florida State. Jordan Travis, the quarterback they've got there. He's an athlete, he can't really throw that well, they might try and move him to receiver.' And then he comes out this year and you see him throwing the ball downfield, making throws, timing routes," Parson said. "You see him just out there balling, man. Then, he's using his legs and making plays. He's really hard to stop. I feel like he had a really good year, it was fun to watch him play. I remember when I went back down for the Miami game and just the plays he was making throughout the game, especially the drive where we went up. I'm excited to see how he does next year. There's a lot of progressions I've seen from him. Knowing the kind of guy he is, I know he's not satisfied."
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Does seeing Travis develop make Parson confident that head coach Mike Norvell and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham will be able to do the same thing with him in a few years?
"It really does," Parson said. "I was watching an interview that Jordan had, getting ready for the Miami game. He was just talking about how much his confidence has grown since he's been with coach Dillingham and coach Norvell. For a recruit like me, especially playing the quarterback position, that puts a smile on my face because I know that he's learning and progressing throughout his time with the coaches. That gives me something to look forward to because one thing about me is I love to be coached. The coaches here at Ravenwood do a great job of working with me. I see that with coach Norvell, I see that with coach Dillingham. That makes me know that I'm going to a place that's going to help me get better and get ready for the NFL one day."
Speaking of Dillingham, while flying all over the country during the past week, the offensive coordinator stopped in Tennessee to meet with Parson. The two spent some time catching up and Parson was happy he got to miss some class.
"It was great," Parson said. "We had a good conversation, good talk. We were just chilling. Since he was there, I got to miss two class periods so I was happy about that, especially on a Friday. We were chilling with my head coach in the lobby and just chopping it up. We ended up going to the coach's office and talking some more. It was fun, it was great getting to see my future coach. Just spending time with him talking about life, school, things like that. I appreciate him coming for sure."
#Tribe23 is off to a solid early start with Parson, defensive end Lamont Green Jr, tight end Randy Pittman, and wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs already in the fold. Parson has known Green Jr. dating back to his childhood and he's also friends with Pittman.
"We've all been trying to build a relationship," Parson said. "I've known Lamont Green Jr, Boots, I've known him for a long time. We used to go to Florida State camps together when we were kids. We've been cool. Our dads have been cool with each other since sixth grade. Randy [Pittman], that's one of my closest friends as far as all of the commits in 2023. Him and I are really cool. Every time we see each other we chop it up for a minute and we text on snapchat. He's a guy that I can't wait to play with."
The Mississippi native has put on his recruiting hat and he's doing everything that he can to sell Florida State to players in his class. One guy that he's focused on is another Seminole legacy, wide receiver Santana Fleming.
"I know Randy does his recruiting and Boots has a few of his teammates that we would really love to join #Tribe23," Parson said. "As far as recruiting, there are some dogs that are really considering Florida State. We're just letting them know that this is the place to be. We're going to turn this thing around, you can see it happening already. Just imagine how it will be once we get there. I know what coach Norvell can do, I know that coach Dillingham, as far as the offense, wants to get the ball in the play-makers hands. If you're a play-maker, this is the place you want to be. I've been talking to receivers, linemen. I feel like this is going to be a special Tribe."
"Santana Fleming, that's my dog," Parson continued. "We talk a lot. There are a few other guys, a few other receivers as well. I've been acting like a coach as far as recruiting. I know where we can take it, I'm just trying to do my part. Me being the quarterback of this class, it starts with me. It's mine to build. I want the best players, I want the best guys on and off the field. This is a family. This is a four-year decision for those guys. I know this is the right spot for me for the next four years. Not just a four-year decision but a 40-plus. As far as us leaving college, graduating with a degree, hopefully playing in the league, and things like that. That's been my pitch to these guys. Great head coach, great offensive coordinator. I don't know why some of these guys haven't committed yet. I feel like this is the spot to be for years to come."
Parson is looking for the right guys that believe in the Seminoles and what head coach Mike Norvell is trying to build the program into. He's ready to do his part to make a difference at Florida State.
"To be honest, I want guys that believe in Florida State. If you don't believe in Florida State, if you don't believe in what we're doing, what coach Norvell has planned, then this might not be the right place for you. You might have to look somewhere else. We're not here to fool around. We're here to win games, we're here to make a difference, we're here to make a big impact. I believe in Florida State. I feel like a big thing when it comes to recruiting is getting guys to believe in the system and what we're all about. Once the 2022 class signs, I feel like a lot of things are going to be changing and it's going to work out well for FSU."
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound quarterback plans to be back in Tallahassee a few times over the offseason. He definitely wants to be in attendance for the spring game and will make his way to campus during the summer.
After putting an outstanding season on tape, Parson is expected to be a steady riser in the recruiting rankings.
Stick with NoleGameday for the latest on Parson throughout his upcoming senior season.
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