Florida State shocks Penn State DB commit Conrad Hussey during Official Visit

The Seminoles are a legitimate contender to flip Hussey leading up to the Early Signing Period.

If there's one thing that can be said about Florida State's coaching staff, it's that they're persistent. The Seminoles have been pursuing four-star safety and Penn State commitment, Conrad Hussey, since the middle of the year. The efforts paid off over the weekend as Hussey elected to utilize an official visit to learn more about the program.

READ MORE: DB target Damari Brown joins older brother on visit to FSU, talks upcoming decision

Following his first trip to Tallahassee since the summer, Hussey reflected on the visit with the Early Signing Period just nine days away.

"FSU was great, I'm not going to lie. I like everything about it, what they had to show me," Hussey said to NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis. "I appreciate the love that they showed me too. Everything about FSU was like how they told me before, about family and culture so I really respected that."

A former teammate of true freshman offensive tackle Julian Armella at St. Thomas Aquinas, Hussey was able to spend time around multiple players during his visit.

"It was just like an automatic click. Everybody was cool," Hussey said. "Tallahassee's just a cool place to be."

Hussey had the opportunity to attend Florida State's practice on Friday and Saturday. That gave him a closer look at how the coaches and players operate with one another on and off the field.

"The conversations with the coaches, and how the coaches are with the players," Hussey said. "The coaches have a true relationship with the players, and it's like a dad figure type of relationship. It's not just about football."

The Florida native described his talks with head coach Mike Norvell and defensive coordinator Adam Fuller. He was impressed by how real they are.

"Just true and genuine conversation. They didn't ask me about football," Hussey said. "They just asked me how I feel and if this is the right place for me on an educational standpoint, so that really stuck out to me. And they were just making sure I was ok."

Hussey kept a close eye on defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson during the two practices he watched. 

"Cool coach, laid back, but I get an energy off of him that he will push you to make you your best player every day," Hussey said.

Coming out of the visit, Hussey described his feelings about Florida State, a program that he's liked since he was a child.

"I like FSU," Hussey said. "I've always liked them since I was a kid, so the feeling stayed the same," 

With Hussey already committed to another program, the Seminoles had to make a statement this weekend to give themselves a chance to pull off the flip. Did the trip meet his expectations?

"Yes. And they were over met," Hussey said. "So that really shocked me."

It's clear that Hussey has a decision to make over the next week and a half. This won't be an easy choice as Florida State and Penn State have both been recruiting him hard for an extended period of time.

"Them [FSU] and Penn State, what they do for me is kind of similar, so I really respect that," Hussey said. "Penn State checks up on me every day. They [FSU] check up on me every day, so I really respect that. They make sure I'm doing well in school just like Penn State does, so they have a lot of similar characteristics that I like about both of them."

The 6-foot, 190-pound safety is regarded as the No. 250 overall prospect, the No. 19 S, and the No. 47 recruit in the state of Florida in the 2023 class according to 247Sports.

READ MORE: Newly crowned State Champion Edwin Joseph recaps Official Visit to Florida State

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Dustin Lewis
DUSTIN LEWIS

Lewis joined NoleGameday in 2016 and is currently in the role of Editor-In-Chief. A graduate of Florida State, Lewis contributes to football, recruiting, and basketball coverage. Connect with Dustin on Twitter at @DustinLewisNG.