Mike Norvell gains 2027 momentum by beating out SEC rivals for Mississippi's Eric Vaulx Jr. after a standout official visit centered on authentic coaching connections.
The Florida State Seminoles' recruiting class is finally getting the momentum it desperately needed.
On a Sunday filled with OVs, Mike Norvell secured a massive commitment for his Class of 2027 in Lake Cormorant product Eric Valux Jr.
The 3-star Mississippi target was already in Tallahassee over the weekend for his official visit. After wrapping up his visit, Vaulx Jr. communicated his decision to the reporters.
Securing Valux’s commitment had become non-negotiable by this point since the prospect had essentially handed Norvell the cheat sheet to his list of priorities. All that the Seminoles staff had to do during his official visit was convince him that the program checks every single one of his priority boxes.
“I’m looking forward to bonding with the coach and the players, getting comfortable with them,” Vaulx told Warchant before hitting the road to Florida. “The main goal is, ‘Do I feel like this is home?’ And that’s for all the other schools as well.”
Eric Valux Jr. asked and Florida State Delivered
Norvell made sure that the three-star DL “feels at home” during the weekend, and based on Valux Jr.'s response, they did a good job.
“The visit was like nothing ever before,” Vaulx said. “That’s what I committed yesterday to the school. The player relationship, the personal intimacy that the coaches have with the players, including myself.”
Now, the goal shifts from making sure the school “feels at home” to actually making it his home.
“The initial goal is to stay here and make this home,” he said.
Early on in his recruitment, the three-star prospect had just three Power Four offers — from Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. However, his stock started to soar in the spring when he got five more big-time offers in March and April.
Towards the end, FSU was locked in a serious recruiting battle with Missouri and Tennessee over Vaulx Jr., but came out on top in the end.
DL Coach Terrance Knighton Played a Crucial Role
Valux mentioned forging a bond with DL coach Terreance Knighton since the last time he visited FSU. That relationship turned out to be the key for the Seminoles locking down Valux.
“He real straight-forward, real cool dude. He’s always going to keep it 100 with me, even when he wanted to get on my head about me and film or just me as a player or soon as a man,” Valux said about Knighton.
The FSU commit mentioned the one-on-ones bring the biggest selling point that convinced him to put pen to paper with the Seminoles.
“The players, the coaches, how the coaches are … trying to get close to the players, the intimacy, the one-on-ones, a lot of one-on-ones. A lot of personal talk with the guys and just trying to get a real connection on not just the football player but the soon-to-be man,” Valux added about the recruitment.
And for Norvell, he mentioned, “His normal reaction, hype, crazy, loud. It was awesome.”
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