Florida State Building a Relationship with Four-Star DE Elias Rudolph After Recent Move

Rudolph recently moved to the state of Florida from Ohio.

The Seminoles are used to flipping over every rock across the country in search of talent on the recruiting trail. That approach is something that has set the coaching staff and its ability to evaluate prospects apart from other programs. With that being said, everyone can use a little luck every now and then.

READ MORE: Nuggets from Florida State's First Scrimmage of the Spring

Florida State recently had a gift fall into its lap when the staff found out that four-star defensive end Elias Rudolph and his family had moved from Ohio to Florida. Since then, they've been trying to build a relationship with him.

"I recently just moved to Florida so they found out about the move and they hit me up," Rudolph said to NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis. "Ever since they known about me they just kind of been on my heels, just trying to build a relationship, just trying to get to know me."

On Saturday, Rudolph and a group of prospects from Deerfield Beach High School stopped by Florida State to watch the team scrimmage inside Doak Campbell Stadium. The trip marked his first to Tallahassee and there were a couple of things that stood out.

"They didn't talk about recruiting. We just basically talked about the opportunity that Florida State had to bring to the table," Rudolph said. "The coaches, the energy, I had a staff meeting so the D-Line coach really stood out to me."

The Ohio native kept his attention on the defensive line throughout the scrimmage. He noticed plenty of energy and intensity during the session.

"Great energy, intense. It was a good scrimmage, it was a good way to show off what Florida State brings," Rudolph said. "I seen that they work hard, they use technique, they play hard. I don't know, they fundamental, they disciplined, and they know how to play some football."

Prior to the conclusion of the trip, Rudolph sat down with head coach Mike Norvell for a meeting. He came out of the conversation with a lot of respect for Norvell and the Seminoles.

"He's about his business. He's straightforward, he's a nice guy," Rudolph said. "He wants to develop his kids, he wants to develop his program. I took a lot with the conversation on the type of man that he is and he has a lot of respect after today."

The move to the state of Florida has opened up a chance for programs like Florida State, Miami, and Florida to become legitimate destinations for Rudolph.

"It opened up a huge opportunity as far as my recruitment, as far as my development, as far as the competition and getting ready for the next level," Rudolph said.

Rudolph plans to drop a top nine in the near future and stated that Florida State will 'probably' make the cut. He doesn't have any visit plans at the moment, noting he's in the process of setting stuff up. Rudolph will return to Florida State at some point, according to him, but isn't sure of a date.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound defensive end is regarded as the No. 216 overall prospect, the No. 15 EDGE, and the No. 32 recruit in the state of Florida in the 2024 class according to 247Sports.

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