KJ Kirkland details Official Visit to Florida State, signing plans on Wednesday

The rangy defensive back will make things official with the Seminoles in a few days.

Florida State hosted a mix of committed and uncommitted prospects from the high school level and out of the NCAA Transfer Portal over the weekend. One of the recruits to make the trip was three-star defensive back Kenton "KJ" Kirkland, who has been committed to the Seminoles since August 15.

READ MORE: Priority OL Chris Otto locks in plans to sign on Wednesday after Official Visit to Florida State

Kirkland's third visit to Tallahassee since his pledge at the end of the summer was a memorable experience for he and his family.

"It was a great experience," Kirkland said to NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis. "Being at an atmosphere with all the recruits and all the coaches in one room, just seeing everybody's personality. It's just a great feeling to see and be a part of."

Visitors paired up on Friday for a cooking competition that was judged by the strength and conditioning staff. Kirkland ended up teaming up with three-star offensive lineman Chris Otto, who carried the weight in the event. He also enjoyed bowling because it allowed him to see everyones competitive spirit.

"Me and [Chris] Otto did win the cooking competition," Kirkland said. "Being able to see everybody's personality open up and being able to see the competitive side just with the bowling aspect, it was a pretty good feeling."

The trip provided the recruits already committed to Florida State an opportunity to meet together in person and further their bonds. 

"We didn't really know each other coming up to this point," Kirkland said. "Being able to get to this point, see that we all have similar personalities, see that we're able to click and bond easily, it lets us know what we're getting into and that we're going to have a strong bond going into that long grind playing here at Florida State."

The Seminoles are going to start off Kirkland at boundary corner but they also plan to give him a look at safety during practice. His versatility is a valuable asset of his skill set.

"They're going to want me to put a little bit of weight on. As of right now, I will be going there to play more boundary corner," Kirkland said. "During practice, they're going to see me a little bit at safety but my main position and priority going into this freshman year is boundary corner. I feel like [playing multiple positions] it opens your range, it makes you more valuable."

The Florida native's visit coincided with an important moment for the program as Florida State broke ground on a Football Only Facility on Saturday. Kirkland is excited to see the result in 2024.

"Very significant. It lets me know the foundation that this campus has and the support system that pours into this program," Kirkland said. "It's going to be done fairly quick and just excited to see the outcome."

During the course of his visit, Kirkland sat down with head coach Mike Norvell for a meeting in his office. Norvell is ready to embark on a "special" journey with Kirkland and the other members of the 2023 class.

"It's always a good experience. He always tells me how much of a pleasure it is to coach me for the next couple of years at Florida State," Kirkland said. "He wants me to know that the journey we're going to be on is going to be special. The energy is always the same from him."

Kirkland is having a ceremony at Raines High School at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. However, he will send his Letter of Intent in prior to that so he can officially get in the fold with the Seminoles.

The 6-foot-2, 187-pound defensive back is regarded as the No. 504 overall prospect, No. 47 S, and the No. 89 recruit in the state of Florida in the 2023 class according to 247Sports.

READ MORE: Virginia DB transfer Fentrell Cypress II can see himself at Florida State following Official Visit

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