South Carolina DE transfer Gilber Edmond recaps Official Visit to Florida State

South Carolina defensive end transfer Gilber Edmond announced his decision to explore the NCAA Transfer Portal in the middle of December. Since then, a variety of programs have reached out to express their interest in Edmond following a breakout campaign in 2022.

With a short window to host transfers open from January 4-8, Florida State became the first program to bring him in for an Official Visit since hitting the portal. After spending just over 24 hours on campus, Edmond reflected on the trip while speaking to reporters outside the Moore Athletic Center.

"It was good. I got to come down, meet all the coaches, just confirm everything that I already thought about them," Edmond said to NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis. "All the good things, just getting here in person to see for myself."

The Seminoles actually briefly built a relationship with Edmond when he was a high school recruit. Head coach Mike Norvell and his staff began arriving at Florida State late in 2019. They made a run at the class of 2020 prospect but he elected to sign with South Carolina on National Signing Day, a program that had built a deeper bond.

Regardless, it meant something for Edmond to see how it has all come together three years later.

"It was cool because we kind of went our separate ways in high school but somehow we both grew," Edmond said. "Like, me personally and them as a program. To see it all come back together, it was real cool to rekindle the relationship."

Florida State finished the season with ten victories after only compiling eight total wins during Norvell's first two years with the program. The trajectory that the Seminoles are on makes them an attractive destination.

"It's amazing what they've done in the past season," Edmond said. "For them to go through adversity, from going whatever their record was before to winning ten games, that's huge for the program."

FSU has had success with multiple defensive ends out of the transfer portal over the past couple of years, including Jermaine Johnson, Keir Thomas, and Jared Verse. Johnson and Thomas are currently playing in the NFL while there's no doubt that Verse has a professional future ahead of him.

The coaching staff wants Edmond to be the next man up in that lineage.

"They said that I could come in and be an impact player and that's what they need," Edmond said. "They need another impact defensive end out of the transfer portal."

"They showed me their history with transfer portal ends and how they develop them," Edmond continued. "That definitely played a big impact, it's going to play a big impact into my decision as well. That's just more fuel to the fire, being able to see that and the success that they've had."

Though he was only on campus for a shorter period of time than your typical Official Visit, the Florida native was able to meet with Verse and was hosted by tight end DJ Daniels. They provided him with more information about the Seminoles.

"I was asking questions, what the coaches were telling me, if it's genuine and they confirmed everything," Edmond said.

Prior to departing on Thursday afternoon, Edmond sat down with Norvell in his office for a message. Norvell believes he's a fit for Florida State both on and off the field.

"His message was that he felt like I was the right person and not just the right player for the team," Edmond said. "My personality and the way I carry myself, I can bring something not only to the field but to the locker room as well."

Was there anything that surprised him throughout the course of the visit?

"They're going to have a bar at the student union," Edmond said. "That's pretty out of ordinary for a college."

Coming out of the visit, Edmond isn't quite sure what's next. He wants to make a decision on his new home "in the next couple of weeks" and will enroll for the spring semester. It's possible that he takes other trips but nothing is set in stone just yet.

"I'm thinking about just going through the process and getting the best information, the best feel for me," Edmond said. "Where I fit best with the team."

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive end is expected to have three years of eligibility remaining at his next stop. Edmond finished the season with 39 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and two sacks while appearing in 12 games, with 10 starts at South Carolina. In total, he appeared in 21 games, recording 44 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks with the Gamecocks.

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