Coveted Transfer Jared Verse Discusses Final Trips Before Dead Period, Upcoming Plans

Jared Verse entered the transfer portal on November 30th. His entry was official at 8:00 am, but Verse would not wake up until around 11:00 am because he had been up all night working on putting together his highlight tape. When he woke up, he had numerous missed calls, texts and social media notifications from colleges across the country. Verse took a multi-day slate of visits, which allowed him to visit Syracuse, Houston, Florida State, and Tennessee. He recently discussed his visits to Florida State and Tennessee with Sports Illustrated. 

"The visits were amazing," Verse recalled. "It was hard to find anything wrong with them. They all handled business well. They sat me down, and I got to see the campus and the city. Awesome visits."

Tennessee got the final visit which allowed Verse an opportunity to see the city briefly and connect with Rodney Garner. 

"I ended up staying a full 24 hours because my flight was late, which was why my second day was a little bit longer," Verse said. "I got to sit down with Coach Garner. He's the man I would be working with the most. He explained to me how they would use me and how the defense works. We spoke about the LEO position a little bit, but he told me he could see me doing either/or (playing on either the strong or weak side)."

Verse had already connected with Garner before making it to campus, and the time spent together in Knoxville allowed him to learn even more about the defensive line coach.  

"He only came to Albany once," Verse said of what he learned of Garner. "So I didn't learn a lot about him, but I learned how he would teach me (during the visit). I got to learn a couple of my weaknesses he noticed in my film. I knew them but he emphasized them."

Florida State prioritized Verse and showed him how important of a player he would be in there scheme as well. The Seminoles staff have emphasized how well they have utilized transfers within their defense, including ACC Defensive Player of the Year Jermaine Johnson, who transferred in from Georgia. 

"While I was on that visit I did get to speak with Jermaine and Keir," Verse said. "I learned a lot from them. I got to learn about how their transition was into that program. They both were coming from big schools, going to Florida State which is another big school. I asked them why they did it and their reasoning and everything. I got to really look into the mind who went through something I am currently going through."

"It was very beneficial," Verse added of talking to those former transfers. "Looking at someone else's mind who understands what I'm going through is very beneficial."

So what is next for the coveted transfer?

"I'm just trying to think about it all,"he said. "I've told every school that has offered me that I am looking at every school, even if I did not get a chance to visit them. I'm open to hearing what their mindset is, how they are going to use me, what kind of defense they run, the coaching staff, what's their style like, what they expect in the future, and then the question I ask all coaches: 'What do you expect from me?'"

Verse was able to learn a lot during all of his trips, and he plans to utilize those trips to work towards a decision. 

"I did learn on a visit that every visit, every coach is bringing their A game. You aren't going on a visit because the coaches kind of want you, you go on a visit because they want you. So, sitting down with these coaches, I've learned their past, how they are as people, everything like that. Because like you said I did not get that chance the first time, but now I really have to listen to everything they're saying and understand every aspect, which is what can I do for them and what they can do for me."

Verse's timeframe still isn't clear as he wants to make sure to give each school an appropriate look as he attempts to navigate through the process, but he is working towards making a list cut in the coming days. 

"Every day I think about it. It's a big part of my life at the moment. I think about what schools I could see myself at and which ones I feel I am useful to. As offers keep coming in and colleges keep speaking to me and trying to get their foot in the door, I'm just trying to narrow it down throughout the days as they go on. I don't have a timeline or anything like that, but in the coming weeks I'm hoping I'm down to a couple schools, and hopefully go into the New Year's with a plan."