Helicopter season back in Palm Beach: Who did Florida State coach Mike Norvell come to see?
Florida State coach Mike Norvell touched down in Palm Beach County via helicopter on Friday for an exciting morning in pursuit of potential Seminoles at Benjamin and Cardinal Newman.
Lately, the county has been a hot spot for FSU recruiters.
Depending on how Norvell's conversations with Benjamin coach Eric Kresser and Newman coach Jack Daniels went, the Noles could see another local-studded, highly touted group in the Class of 2025.
Norvell landed ahead of schedule in a Bell 206B Jet Ranger II, first touching down in Palm Beach Gardens at 9:55 a.m. for a visit to the stomping grounds of proud Benjamin Buc and QB1 Jordan Travis.
Making the most of the bye week in the middle of his fourth season at No. 5 FSU (4-0), Norvell was lauded by a host of Benjamin students lined up alongside the baseball field/landing pad to see the spectacle. He was met by Kresser for a golf cart ride.
From Benjamin...
An unmistakable build belonging to junior Amaree Williams — the son of third-round draft pick and 10-year NFL running back veteran Moe Williams — towered over the mix of friends and teammates gathered in support.
Almost unrecognizable out of his typical orange game day threads, Williams donned a white polo and khakis with a navy blue backpack in tow.
The schoolboy look would've been complete if he didn't stand 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds.
Meanwhile, a childlike grin and head shaking in disbelief were the biggest reminders that regardless of his status as the 2025 class' No. 1 edge — or booming potential as a pass-catcher with 176 yards and two touchdowns on five catches — Williams is just a kid, soaking in every thrilling moment of Norvell's arrival.
To Newman...
The same tender smiles could be seen about an hour later when Norvell touched down at Newman in hopes of finding more hidden gems like senior Ricky Knight III, a four-star ATH commit.
"For him to fly his chopper in here at midfield and come around here and be seen not only by the football athletes, but other kids whose parents went to Florida State, and here they are at Cardinal Newman seeing coach Norvell — top three team — whether you're seeing them on ESPN and in your hallways, I think it's an amazing experience for all of our students to know coach Norvell knows about Cardinal Newman High School," Reilly Campbell said, now serving his second year as director for the Crusader athletic department.
In true Crusader fashion, there's no shortage of additional under-the-radar steals like linebacker Max Redmon or running back Jaylin Brown.
"Midfield at Sam Budnyk Field is a big helicopter landing pad lately and we're expecting another one next week," Campbell teased. "It's just a testament to what coach Daniels has built and what he'll continue to grow upon."
Newman received its first helicopter visit of 2023 in January during Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal's Palm Beach recruiting tour. Benjamin beat the Crusaders to the bragging rights by just two days, when Georgia's Kirby Smart came to start swaying former Florida running back commit Chauncey Bowens to the reigning national champions.
Ahead of Newman's Week 6 game against Miami-Northwestern (1-4) that evening, Campbell said he expects under-the-radar steals like Redmon and more Crusaders to "play a little harder" if they're catching the attention of "one of the best teams in college football the last 25 years."
FSU loaded up on Palm Beach County recruits and wanting more
Three Palm Beach County athletes have chosen to be part of FSU's No. 6-ranked 2024 recruiting class.
Before Knight, ranked No. 30 at his position and the No. 52 recruit in Florida, kept the headlines coming with his move from Benjamin to Cardinal Newman and college commitment in July, Atlantic three-star linebacker Jayden Parrish committed to the 'Noles in April, following five-star kicker Jake Weinberg of American Heritage-Delray in January.
The Palm Beach County School District confirmed that Norvell made a visit to Atlantic to see Parrish, stating that the senior student-athlete plans to graduate in December and enroll at FSU in January.
The district didn't provide an explanation for why Norvell's pit stop in Delray Beach was continued by a car instead of the helicopter.
When asked if he could share any thoughts on what he'd seen throughout his busy morning in the sky, Norvell informed media that he received direction to limit quotes regarding recruits off of their respective campuses, visibly bummed to not be able to chat about which locals the 'Noles have their eyes on.
Still, rest assured that Norvell has zeroed in on a good few.
Emilee Smarr is the high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. She can be reached at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FSU's Mike Norvell brings out helicopter in pursuit of Benjamin, Newman recruits
