TALLAHASSEE -- Jacksonville (Fla.) Westwide four-star junior defensive lineman Jordan Hall made his way back toFlorida Stateon Saturday.
"I got to see the field. Talked to Coach Odell and Coach Norvell. It was my mom's first time going on a visit with me anywhere, so it was like a good first impression for her," Hall said. "She liked it a lot. She liked how Coach Odell, he put a lot of guys into the league and that is one of her things. Really off the field is what matters to my mom the most. Just seeing how [Odell] is a father figure to the players and stuff on the field. It was a great thing for her to see and to encounter."
Hall's day began with taking in FSU's first spring practice.
"Honestly just seeing how the seniors and the guys that came back, that could have went to the draft, how they stepped up and led," Hall said. "You could tell who was the freshmen, who was just new to everything.Those guys like Fabien Lovett and Coop [Robert Cooper], all those guys stepped up and they helped out as much as possible.
"In drills, they looked sharp," Hall added.
He also got a great deal of attention from defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins during the visit. Haggins, along with area recruiter John Papuchis, were among the first to show interest in Hall. FSU was first to offer. They had him in for camp last summer. The bond is deep and thorough between the two parties.
"Honestly, it was just like rekindling a friendship," Hall said. "It was like having a long-lost friend that you haven't seen in a while. Meeting Coach Odell and just seeing him again, getting that connection back and just talking to him, picking his brain on what to do and what not to do, getting pointers of how to be the best d-lineman, person, player, student-athlete as possible. He gave me tools for my toolbox as well. All of that, and taking it to fruition, you take that and you apply that to yourself. I feel like Coach Odell is the best at doing it."
Beyond the staff, Hall is impressed by the general feeling he got in his time spent around the program in Tallahassee on Saturday.
"The culture around it," Hall said. "We were sitting there and eating lunch and you hear LeRoy Butler, from Jacksonville, right around the corner from me, Riverside High School, at the moment he was there it was called Lee, but you can see the passion he talk with and that everybody else has passion when they say anything about it. Florida State just has a good culture around it. Deep roots with other players."
He added that when it comes time to select a school, how he connects with people in the facility - coaches, strength and conditioning staff, fellow players, etc. - is going to carry a good amount of weight for him. He added that he wants the right college environment too, as far as mix of football, school and social environment.
Hall doesn't want to name a favorite, or even favorites, but he admits that recent forecasts that have his 247Sports.com Crystal Ball at 100% for FSU aren't off-target. He said FSU is 'one of them' when asked about schools he connects the best with.
"Florida State, just because of the respect that I have for Coach Odell, Coach Norvell, they are sitting high up on my list. I am not going to say anywhere, but I got crystal balled there for a reason. They are high on my list for a reason," Hall said. "I had like four different recruiting websites [reach out and say] you got crystal balled there, so you committing there?
"I am having fun with my recruiting process right now, but when you are getting crystal balled somewhere, obviously everybody is noticing that you are showing interest in a program," Hall added. "I have a lot of interest in Florida State. Always will, even if I don't pick the school, I just have a lot of respect for Coach Odell and what he is doing here.
"Florida State is really a top school on my list. A priority for me with a couple other schools," Hall said later on.
FSU is interested in using Hall up-and-down the defensive line. He likes such an idea. He views 3-tech as the spot that is best suited for him, but he has the size and athleticism that would allow him versatility of working outside or inside.
Hall plans to go to Alabama next Friday. He also wants to get back to Georgia and South Carolina, as well as see Miami, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss for the first time. He also hopes to return to FSU for their spring game.
He hopes to be able to early enrollee. A decision would come in December if he is able to enroll early. If not, he says he may wait until National Signing Day in February.
Hall is ranked as the No. 298 overall player in the nation by the 247Sports.com Composite Recruiting Rankings.
