Florida State visit was an eye-opener for On3 top-30 CB Wardell Mack

On3 top-30 CB Wardell Mack made his first-ever visit out to Florida State over the weekend.

Mack, the No. 5 cornerback in the nation out of Marrero (La.) John Ehret High School on New Orleans’ West Bank, has long been recruited by the staff in Tallahassee.

Mack’s first time catching up with Mike Norvell, David Johnson and new defensive backs coach Pat Surtain — a native of the Crescent City — left a strong impression on the elite defensive back.

“It was great. The intensity and the attentiveness was something I’ve never seen before on a visit,” Mack told On3 after his time at Florida State. “It was definitely my favorite visit so far.”

Mack has made a string of visits to LSU, which leads the pack on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. He has also made visits out to check out Ole Miss, Alabama and Michigan State in the past.

The Florida State coaching staff was the biggest catalyst for Mack, the No. 26 overall player in the On300 for 2024.

“The intensity of Coach Norvell at all times — that meant a lot to me and how much he cares about his men on the team,” Mack explained. “Coach YAC (David Johnson) and Coach Pat made me feel as home as possible. Those guys are my dogs.”

Arrival of Surtain sparks Florida State’s push for Mack

Since Surtain took over the Seminoles’ defensive backs coach, Florida State has been coming full-throttle for the Louisiana blue-chipper.

Surtain, who hails from New Orleans and prepped at Edna Karr, is one of several Louisiana-based coaches on Norvell’s coaching staff.

“It’s been a really big push,” Mack said of Florida State’s effort. “Big Pat and Coach YAC have been pushing hard since Coach Pat touched down on campus. They have always been in the picture, but this visit was an eye-opener for sure.”

“I was impressed with how much that they care not only about the players on the team, but the academics, the lifestyle outside of football, and how they spend their time leading into games,” he continued. “Also, they have a lot of support from all of the staff members.”

Mack’s out-of-state tour continues in April with visits scheduled to see Florida (April 8) and Texas (April 15). He checks in as the No. 9 cornerback in the country, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

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