Top-100 Safety Ricardo Jones visits Florida State, meets with Patrick Surtain Sr. for first time
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Florida State's recruiting efforts lasted all weekend ahead of a dead period that will span the entire month of February. While the majority of recruits were in town on Saturday, a couple of high-profile targets dropped by on Sunday as well for a more personal experience with the coaching staff.
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Top-100 prospect and four-star safety Ricardo Jones was welcomed to Tallahassee on Sunday morning by head coach Mike Norvell. The greeting caught his attention right away and he was also able to meet defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr. for the first time.
"It was great," Jones said to NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis. "Meeting coach Norvell, meeting coach Surtain for the first time. It was great."
"I had to meet coach Surtain, come see the facility again," Jones continued. "I came down here for a game but you know, it's gameday, there's a lot of recruits, a lot of people here. I wanted to come get the 1 on 1 time."
Florida State hired Surtain Sr. earlier in January. Since then, there have been a lot of talented recruits coming to campus to meet with the coach. Jones described their meeting.
"Real laid back dude. He pointed out my pros, he pointed out my cons," Jones said. "And that's the thing I want from a DB coach. I don't want him to always tell me good job. I want him to criticize me too, like what I need to work on, and coach Surtain did that. He showed me some good film of some Florida State safeties, what I can be like when I get here. I like coach Surtain."
Prior to departing from campus, Jones sat down with head coach Mike Norvell for a meeting. He likes a coach that will keep it straight up with him.
"It was great. We sat down in his office and he gave it to me straight," Jones said. "He was like, 'a lot of coaches will sugarcoat it to you' and he sat there and was like 'I'm going to push you from the first day you get here' and I like coaches like that who keep it blunt with you, who keep it straight with you."
The Georgia native believes that Florida State's coaching staff will push him if he chooses the Seminoles.
"They're actually good coaches. They're not just about football, like outside of the field I can tell they're all going to be there for me," Jones said. "They're all going to push me, they're some great coaches."
The main factor in his recruitment will be his relationship with the coaches that are recruiting him.
At this juncture, the Seminoles are one of the top options for Jones.
"At the top. They up there, they up there in the mix. They up there for sure."
Outside of Florida State, Michigan, Texas, Tennessee, and Auburn are a few other programs that are heavily involved. He plans to cut things down over the summer with a potential commitment in October.
Jones will take some of his Official Visits during the summer and others during the season.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound safety is regarded as the No. 75 overall prospect, the No. 6 S, and the No. 15 recruit in the 2024 class according to 247Sports.
READ MORE: Florida State's full 2023 football schedule released
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