Recently offered three-star ATH Ricky Knight III checks out FSU, meets with Patrick Surtain Sr.

Florida State's coaching staff has been extending scholarship offers to a plethora of prospects across a multitude of prospects during the month of January - which is being used for evaluation and furthering relationships.

On Sunday, the Seminoles became the first program to join three-star athlete Ricky Knight III's recruitment. It didn't take long for Penn State, Miami, Pittsburgh, FAMU, and others to follow suit.

"Honestly, it was very heartwarming. I felt like I've worked so hard and it's finally getting noticed," Knight III said to NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis. "Fun fact, FSU was the very first college that I've ever been to. When I was a kid, that was the first college I went to."

"Right now in these weeks that go by, it's going to show me who is really caring for me and who is trying to recruit me as a player," Knight III continued. "I really want to be a part of something that's a family and not just a team. I want to have a bond with these people outside football."

Shortly after picking up an offer from Florida State, Knight III decided to drop by Tallahassee and ended up spending nearly eight hours on campus after arriving on Friday morning. Some of the highlights were meeting with the coaching staff, learning more about the school, and viewing a Tour of Duty workout.

"Honestly, this was a great experience. It was really amazing to meet all the coaches. All of them were loving and caring. They all really moved me," Knight III said. "The city and the town is just amazing. Everything is so compact and you could just see everybody and the way that they work, it all seems like a family. Inside the practice [conditioning], everything was intense. You could tell that they were trying to get better and move as one."

The Florida native is being recruited by the Seminoles as a defensive back - which is the side of the ball that he prefers to play. Knight III offered some insight into his mentality and thought process.

"Not a lot of people can go out and play defense. Some people, they always want the ball, they don't want to be the ones to go get the ball from the other team. They want to be the one scoring a touchdown," Knight III said. "Well, you can score touchdowns on defense, too. Defense, it takes a lot of heart, because you're going to get beat. You are a defensive player, you have to backpedal, guard somebody who knows where they're going, so you've got to have heart, you've got to have that mentality. And not everybody has that."

About halfway into his visit, new defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr. arrived on campus alongside defensive line coach Odell Haggins. Knight III became one of the first prospects to sit down with Surtain Sr. for a meeting at Florida State.

"Coach Surtain is a very cool guy, very cool guy," Knight III said. "We talked about 7-on-7. We talked about school, football. It just felt like I've known him forever."

"So he started off at high school and also he has a son that's come up. Also, so you can tell that he knows his stuff. Especially when he is working in the NFL," Knight III continued. "When we talked, he told me that he came back down here because he really wanted to develop a player. The NFL guys, they're already making millions of dollars, he wants to develop somebody who can go make millions of dollars."

Prior to the conclusion of the trip, Knight III met with head coach Mike Norvell in his office. Norvell made it clear about what he expects from his players at Florida State on and off the field. The message clicked with Knight III.

"I didn't know Coach Norvell was such a cool guy. Coach Norvell is definitely a cool guy. He's a loving guy," Knight III said. "You can tell that he actually truly cares for his team, and not only on the football field, but off of it. He wants them to be the best that they can be.

"We sat in his office and talked. It was a great time," Knight III continued. "We talked about the expectations that he has for his players, who he is looking for, and what is he looking to do to better the team not only on the field, but off the field also."

Though his recruitment is just getting started, Florida State has set a high benchmark for Knight III moving forward.

"FSU is amazing," Knight III said. "It's going to be real hard to top it."

Knight III is also scheduled to visit Miami on Saturday. He mentioned that he has plans to return to Tallahassee in the spring, likely in March. Knight III will visit Penn State and Pittsburgh during the same month on back-to-back days.

The 6-foot, 170-pound athlete is regarded as the No. 75 ATH and the No. 82 prospect in the state of Florida in the 2024 class according to 247Sports.

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