Jupiter hometown hero Luke Douglas signs with FSU football at unexpected position
TEQUESTA — When Jupiter High senior Luke Douglas started the school year, his team knew that its QB1 would take the Warriors to places the program hadn't been before.
The question was whether any college, let alone a Power Five program, would pick the 6-foot-5, 220-pound do-it-all athlete up on its radar.
Leave it to Florida State coach Mike Norvell to find a spot for Douglas on the roster.
Douglas said FSU Director of Player Personnel Chuck Cantor sent him a text back in January requesting that he and his family make the trip up to Tallahassee.
"I received my opportunity the next day," Douglas said with a smile. "I have a secured spot and I'll be up there in June. I'm excited to be a 'Nole."
On Wednesday, Douglas made it official with his signature in a waterside ceremony at Blue Pointe Bar and Grill.
The addition marks the fifth Palm Beach County signee to FSU's 2024 recruiting class, which also has Jayden Parrish (Atlantic), athlete Ricky Knight III (Cardinal Newman) and kicker Jake Weinberg (American Heritage-Delray). Latest 'Noles commit Amaree Williams, the No. 1 ATH in the nation before reclassifying to the class of 2024, waited in the crowd gathered at Blue Pointe Bar & Grill, phone in hand capturing the moment as his newest teammate put pen to paper and commenced the chop.
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"It's been a journey for a lot of reasons," Douglas said to the crowd. "I'm very grateful for the people in my life that I've been able to go through that journey with you guys."
"With that being said, I want to thank God, my family, my coaches for getting me to the point where I'm sitting here today, but honestly, the biggest contributor to my success is Jesus. I've always had the pieces, but the moment I gave the Lord my future and trusted him no matter what, he started to glue all the pieces and everything started to clear up."
After signing his college decision, Douglas reached out to Williams for a handshake and photo opp: "'Noles baby, let's go."
Jupiter will miss hidden gem
A native of Kansas before calling South Florida "home right away," Douglas rose to local fame helping Jupiter reach state playoffs for the first time in 18 years as the Warriors' quarterback, where he excelled with 64% of passes (120 for 187) for 2,114 yards and 21 passing touchdowns, adding 12 more scores on 300 rushing yards.
"He got us some huge wins against bitter rivals," Jupiter coach Jason Kradman. You could see the flashbacks of a 24-11 season opener over Dwyer and 42-20 district championship win at Palm Beach Gardens reel through his memories of Douglas.
Douglas endeared himself even more to fans in the stands with his toughness as he stayed on the field for every snap on defense at safety. In the backfield, he recorded 21 tackles, 11 solo, and two interceptions for 65 yards. Jupiter finished 9-2 in 4M region quarterfinals, falling in a one-possession heartbreaker.
"He's a guy you really can't replace," Kradman said, grateful FSU staff "thought highly enough" of Douglas to give him a shot.
In a plot twist, Douglas will be trying his hand at tight end, the position of his younger brother, Preston.
Luke, the oldest of three football-playing siblings, said he'd be learning all he can the next few months from his 6-foot-4, 215-pound not-so-little bro, who caught eight touchdowns on 23 catches for 405 yards with the Warriors before a shoulder injury last fall.
FSU's decision may raise eyebrows initially. However, Benjamin High football coach Eric Kresser, who coached outgoing Seminoles starting quarterback Jordan Travis and incoming ATH Williams, cosigned the move.
'Guys like Norvell know right away'
"Guys like Norvell know right away where a kid like Luke fits in when they see him," Kresser said.
Since last summer, when Douglas hit the growth spurt that late bloomers dream of, he's been working out with the quarterbacks at Benjamin. That's why it's no problem for former Marshall and Cincinnati Bengals QB Kresser to verify Douglas' athleticism.
"A lot of tight ends in the NFL are former QBs and basketball players," Kresser said, noting that Douglas played both in high school. He also reminded that Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce was a quarterback at Cincinnati before making the switch to his current position.
"Luke's body type translates well to the position and it's easier to slide in there versus quarterback, which is something a lot of guys get started at when they're younger," Kresser said. "Luke wasn't really full time at the position until these last couple of seasons."
Fortunately for Douglas, he's no stranger to proving himself, and he's ready to make the most of the chance he has at FSU.
Florida State 2024 recruiting class
**early enrollee
*signed letter of intent
Quarterback
4-star Luke Kromenhoek - Benedictine Military School - Savannah, Ga. - No. 5 quarterback, No. 54 overall**
Running back
4-star Kameron Davis - Dougherty - Albany, Ga. - No. 3 running back, No. 69 overall**
Wide receiver
4-star Elijah Moore - Good Counsel - Olney, Md. - No. 24 wide receiver, No. 167 overall*
4-star Camdon Frier - Suwannee - Live Oak, Fla. - No. 67 wide receiver, No. 434 overall**
Tight end
4-star Landen Thomas - Colquitt County - Moultrie, Ga. - No. 5 tight end, No. 64 overall prospect**
Luke Douglas - Jupiter - Jupiter - Unrated*
Athlete
4-star Lawayne McCoy - Miami Central - Miami - No. 8 athlete, No. 194 overall**
4-star Micahi Danzy - Florida High - Tallahassee - No. 10 athlete, No. 214 overall*
4-star BJ Gibson - Wilcox County - Rochelle, Ga. - No. 18 athlete, No. 396 overall**
4-star Ricky Knight III - Cardinal Newman - West Palm Beach - No. 22 athlete, No. 426 overall*
4-star Amaree Williams - Benjamin School - North Palm Beach, - No. 6 athlete, No. 207 overall prospect
Offensive line
4-star Jonathan Daniels - Pine Forest - Pensacola - No. 4 inside offensive lineman, No. 118 overall*
4-star Manasse Itete - Central Catholic - Modesto, Calif. - No. 27 offensive tackle, No. 359 overall*
3-star Tye Hylton - Oviedo - Oviedo - No. 48 offensive tackle, No. 686 overall**
3-star Jayden Todd - West Laurens - Dublin, Ga. - No. 85 offensive tackle, No. 1,111 overall**
Linebacker
3-star Jayden Parrish - Atlantic - Delray Beach - No. 61 linebacker, No. 674 overall**
3-star Timir Hickman-Collins - Indian Land - Fort Mill, S.C. - No. 76 linebacker, No. 875 overall**
Defensive Line
4-star DD Holmes - Gonzaga - Washington, D.C. - No. 38 defensive lineman, No. 322 overall*
3-star Jamorie Flagg - Booker T. Washington - Miami - No. 102 defensive lineman, No. 869 overall*
3-star D'Nas White - Jay M. Robinson - Concord, N.C. - No. 78 defensive lineman, No. 699 overall*
Defensive back
4-star Charles Lester - Venice - Venice - No. 3 cornerback, No. 39 overall**
4-star Cai Bates - Edgewater - Orlando - No. 8 cornerback, No. 86 overall**
4-star Jamari Howard - Norland - Miami - No. 11 cornerback, No. 111 overall**
Kicker
3-star Jake Weinberg - American Heritage - Delray Beach - No. 6 kicker, No. 2,248 overall*
Below are the 23 recruits currently committed, signed or enrolled in Florida State's 2024 class, along with their ranking on 247Sports Composite.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida State football picks up under-the-radar Jupiter recruit at TE
