Any time an elite college football program locks in a four-star recruit, it's a small victory worth celebrating. However, in the case of four-star cornerback Gregory “Zae” Thomas and the Florida State Seminoles, there's an extra layer to all of it that makes Thomas' commitment even more special. In the 122 year history of the Florida State football program, a member of the Seminole Tribe has never suited up for the Florida State Seminoles… but that will change in the Fall of 2025, when Zae Thomas steps on the field in Tallahassee.
Zae Thomas, who is ranked by On3 as the 291st overall recruit in the class of 2025 and the 29th-ranked cornerback, made his decision to commit to Florida State after being recruited and offered scholarships by various powerhouse programs in the southeast such as Clemson, LSU, Miami, Texas A&M and Tennessee among many others. On Sunday, Thomas explained to On3's Chad Simmons why he felt Florida State was the best choice for his promising collegiate career.
“The staff made me feel like a priority from the beginning, they never stopped the communication, and on Thursday, I made my final decision to commit to Florida State,” Thomas said. “They answered my questions, they showed me a lot about the fit and Florida State is a perfect fit.”
Part of the reason why Florida State is the perfect fit for Zae Thomas is because the cornerbacks coach at Florida State, Patrick Surtain, was once Thomas' high school coach.
“My old head coach will be my position coach. I have known him since third grade and we have a great relationship. He made an impact on me when he coached me in high school, me and my dad have had some great conversations with him and he knows how to coach his players. Coach Surtain is a tough coach, but he also knows how to love on you as a player or a person.”
But equally important to Thomas' decision was head coach Mike Norvell, who since coming to Florida State in 2020 has facilitated a football renaissance in Tallahassee.
“Coach Norvell has completely turned around the program. Anyone with eyes can see that Norvell has flipped things at Florida State and he has the belief back. Not many believed in him when he came in to try and fix things, but they do now. He is a great coach, his energy never changes and he is a winner that is there for his players.”
Mike Norvell sparks a turnaround at Florida State
After a four-year tenure as the head coach at Memphis, where he went 38-16 with four bowl game appearances, Mike Norvell came to Florida State with the goal of returning the Seminoles to national prominence after Willie Taggart's two-year stint had seemingly set the Noles back to before the Bobby Bowden days.
Mike Norvell suffered losing seasons in his first two years in Tallahassee, but has gone 23-4 in the two seasons since. Last year, despite a perfect regular season and an ACC Title, Florida State missed out on the College Football Playoff in controversial fashion because of the injury to starting quarterback Jordan Travis. As anyone would expect, Norvell lambasted the NCAA, saying that the CFP selection committee's decision to leave his team out of the four-team Playoff, “goes against everything that is true and right in college football.”
That minor setback hasn't stopped Florida State from trending in the right direction. According to On3, the Noles have the 12th-ranked recruiting class for 2024, and with the signing of Zae Thomas, FSU has cracked the top ten in 2025.
Follow Us
Subscribe
