Two top recruits make presence felt
Five-star safety Jaiden Woodbey was the highest-rated recruit in Florida State’s 2018 signing class, and four-star linebacker Amari Gainer wasn’t far behind.
After the first week of spring drills, the two early enrollees already are making their presence felt.
Even before the Seminoles donned full pads for the first time on Monday, Gainer and Woodbey gained attention from teammates and coaches for their desire to initiate contact with offensive players.
Now that the team has had a couple of practices in full pads, there is no questioning whether the highly touted true freshmen are eager to make an impact.
Before the start of practice on Wednesday, FSU coach Willie Taggart was asked how Gainer and Woodbey are adjusting to college football.
“Pretty good,” Taggart responded, before catching himself and pausing. “I say pretty good, but we’ve still got to teach the young lads just because we have on full pads, that doesn’t mean we tackle. Those two guys were out there tackling every opportunity they get. It’s good to see, but you don’t want them doing it when we’re not tackling.”
Woodbey, a 6-foot-3, 216pound safety from Fontana, Calif., was rated the nation’s No. 3 safety and No. 29 player overall in the class of 2018. Gainer, a 6-3, 208-pounder from Tallahassee’s Chiles High School, is the son of former FSU receiver Herb Gainer. He was rated the nation’s No. 7 outside linebacker. about whom teammates told stories.
But this time it was Bryan, back on campus for Florida’s pro day on Wednesday, expressing his awe about the Gators’ new strength and conditioning program under head coach Dan Mullen and strength coach Nick Savage.
“I actually saw the guys on the team now at Florida, they’re pretty yoked. That Savage dude, that’s some next level stuff. I was wondering what they put in the water here,” Bryan said after his workout for NFL coaches and scouts. “No, they all look really good. … Savage is an unreal weight coach. Just how he changes their bodies. We looked like the Pillsbury Doughboys, and now they’re like swole.”
The tougher offseason strength and conditioning program was a pledge Mullen made in his introductory news conference and the testimonials from players having gone through it have backed up the hype.
The Gators’ old strength program was a frequent target of ire from fans, so Savage has quickly become as big a name on this new staff as any on-field assistant coach.
“I just think it’s his style. This team should be a different team for sure,” Bryan continued. “I think everybody’s really happy with the new dude. They’re very excited to get this opportunity with him, and it should be a different Florida program for sure.”
He wasn’t the only former player speaking that way Wednesday, either.
“Same, man. I swear, the first time I came in here that’s the first person I talked to, Coach Savage, just because we want to continue working out and everything,” former safety Marcell Harris said. “He showed me nothing less, and seeing guys that’s already here and how their bodies transformed, I can’t wait to see the season that they’re going to have this year.”