‘A great time’ … Elite WR Jojo Trader, Chaminade teammates recap FSU camp, visits

Florida State was the place to be for many top recruits in the Southeast on Saturday, and that showed by how many highly touted prospects came out and either watched or competed in the FSU Elite Camp inside Doak Campbell Stadium.

One of the highest-rated recruits in attendance was wide receiver Jojo Trader of South Florida powerhouse Chaminade-Madonna Prep.

“It was a great weekend, kickin’ it with the coaches, some of my teammates,” Trader said. “I didn’t do the camp, but I watched them do the camp. You know them boys work hard competing and stuff like that, so it was a great time.”

The biggest focus for Trader at Florida State right now is continuing to develop relationships. And he said most of those go well beyond the sport of football, especially with head coach Mike Norvell.

“Great talk. We didn’t really talk about football. I don’t even think we talked about football at all,” Trader said. “We talk more about the person he is, the person I am. You know, having that better connection. You know, the things that really matter.”

According to On3, the nearly 6-foot-1 prospect is listed as the seventh-best receiver in the country, fifth-best player in Florida and the 27th-best player nationally.

While Trader did not compete in the Elite Camp, the high four-star prospect still got to watch and learn from Florida State receivers coach Ron Dugans.

“Some things I can bring back home and teach myself,” Trader said. “Some things that he was telling some receivers, I do the same thing too.”

Florida State is currently in good shape among Trader’s top four schools, with the others being Miami, Georgia and Ohio State. He has not scheduled an official visit yet, but said he does plan to come back to Tallahassee.

Trader was not the only elite recruit from Chaminade in Tallahassee this weekend as four-star safety Zaquan Patterson competed during the camp, and 2025 four-star defensive back Chris Ewald watched as well.

Patterson sounded very pumped up about his time in Tallahassee on Saturday.

“Overall, today’s visit was great,” the defensive back said. “We got to really explore and go in depth about the school, as well as build new relationships. It was cool.”

The biggest impact on the visit came from Norvell, but that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The Florida State head coach and Patterson have been hitting it off for several years.

“I came to a camp my freshman year …,” Patterson said. “And Coach Norvell took me up to his office, and ever since then he’s been letting me know like, ‘I want you.’ And he hasn’t let me slip through his fingers. He kept that relationship. He hit me up every now and then just to have a little conversation. And he doesn’t always keep it to football.”

Also see Camp observations in our Live Updates Thread

Another perk for Patterson during this trip was getting to spend time with his old teammate and current Seminole freshman Edwin Joseph. From the sounds of things, Joseph is doing his best to recruit the Chaminade standouts.

“Last night I was with him …,” Patterson said. “Three hours, four hours. The whole time, he was like, ‘When y’all come … I’m going to get a dorm with y’all.’ Like we’re already planning. He’s already setting stuff up for us to come. So of course he wants us to play with him, and I’d love to play with one of my teammates again in college.

“I feel like if my whole high school team comes to college, we’re gone win a national [championship].”

Patterson said he will be back in Tallahassee for an official visit during the Miami game.

As for Chris Ewald, he loved the energy on display around the whole program.

“I love what they bring to the table, and I love the way they treat their players.” Ewald said. “It went very well today. I got a feel to see Coach Norvell and Coach Fuller (defensive coordinator Adam Fuller). How they brought the energy; they had the same energy all throughout the day. I talked not to the coaches but to the players, and they were like, ‘They treat you how they recruit you. So when you do get here, nothing changes. Same energy. I like that.”

While the four-star prospect is committed to Michigan, he said Tennessee, Penn State, Miami and Florida State are still pushing for him.

“They’ve kept the same energy since Day 1,” Ewald said. “They treat me so well over here, and I feel like I’m welcomed to their family. … They’re like a real family, and I like that. That’s what I’m big on — family tradition. How you treat your players outside of football.”

Ewald said he plans to come back to Tallahassee when Patterson does, likely for the Miami game.

***Get all the latest FSU recruiting news first on our Premium Recruiting Board.***

The post ‘A great time’ … Elite WR Jojo Trader, Chaminade teammates recap FSU camp, visits appeared first on On3.