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Notebook: New Florida State tight end Kyle Morlock ready to prove himself at Power Five level
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- Notebook: New Florida State tight end Kyle Morlock ready to prove himself at Power Five level
New Florida State tight end Kyle Morlock is used to the comparison.
The first-year transfer from Shorter University has long heard that he looks like Jim Halpert, a character from the popular TV show, The Office, who is played by actor John Krasinski.
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"I am getting that a lot here. I got it a lot at my old school, too," Morlock said in his introductory press conference Tuesday.
Everything else about Morlock joining the Seminoles, though, will likely be a new experience for him and could require an adjustment.
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Morlock certainly has come a long way as a football player so far. As a wide receiver in the 2020 recruiting class, Morlock hardly received interest from Division I programs. So the Blairsville (Ga.) Union County product spent his first three collegiate seasons at Shorter – a Division II program in Rome, Ga. – and transitioned to tight end.
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Now at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Morlock has since emerged as one of the top tight ends in the transfer portal this cycle.
Several of the nation's top programs offered Morlock a scholarship, including Tennessee, LSU, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Auburn. 247Sports ranks Morlock as its No. 7 tight end and No. 60 overall player in the portal, while On3 (No. 6 tight end, No. 115 overall) is also high on him.
Still, Morlock knows that he is far from a finished product.
"Obviously the speed of the game is going to pick up going to a higher level," Morlock said. "Bigger, faster, stronger kids. But at the end of the day, I am still playing football and still doing what I was doing."
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If Morlock can make his transition to the Power Five level look seamless, FSU could have its best tight end group in several seasons.
Camren McDonald, a multi-year starter at tight end, expired his eligibility following last season. But the Seminoles replaced him with two of the top tight ends in the transfer portal: Jaheim Bell (South Carolina) and Morlock.
247Sports (No. 1 tight end, No. 8 overall) and On3 (No. 1 tight end, No. 16 overall) both consider Bell to be the top-ranked tight end transfer this cycle. The 6-3, 230-pound Bell brings versatility, catching 25 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns while turning 73 carries into 261 yards and three scores on the Gamecocks last season.
"Both (Bell and Morlock) can be absolute impact game-changing type players for us," FSU coach Mike Norvell said in a press conference last month.
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"When you look at Jaheim, he is one of the most explosive players in college football and with what we do and how we can move him around in different positions that he can play, it's going to be fun.
"Kyle can stretch the field. He wins the one-on-one matchups."
Several key players on the vaunted Seminole offense returned for another season, including one of the early leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy in quarterback Jordan Travis, their leading rusher in running back Trey Benson and their leading receiver in Johnny Wilson.
With a better tight end group, this elite offense could reach an even higher level.
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"As soon as I got here, it was the highest expectations you could ask for," Morlock said. "Seeing the guys come back that really did not have to just shows what we are really trying to accomplish here. I am glad that I can be a part of it and potentially help reach those goals."
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Florida State defensive end Gilber Edmond, a first-year transfer from the University of South Carolina, speaks during his introductory press conference on Jan. 24, 2023.
FSU thriving off South Carolina connection
Bell played a major role in his former teammate, Gilber Edmond, joining the Seminoles.
Edmond, a first-year transfer defensive end, landed at FSU one month after Bell did. They both initially came to South Carolina from the 2020 recruiting class and spent three seasons there together.
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"When I entered the portal, Jaheim reached out to me and was like, 'Come on, man. Florida State is the place to go,'" said Edmond, who ranks as the No. 3 edge rusher and No. 47 overall player in the portal (per 247Sports).
"I was open ears, so I wanted to hear him out. He was basically telling me that whatever these guys are pitching to you, it is very legit. They are very truthful and honest people."
Under Norvell, the Seminoles have now added five starters from the Gamecocks via the transfer portal: safety Jammie Robinson (2021), defensive end Keir Thomas (2021), offensive tackle Jazston Turnetine (2022), Bell and Edmond.
That connection is just one reason why Edmond picked FSU.
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"At this point in my career, I wanted to go somewhere where I feel like I could get developed a lot more," Edmond said. "So seeing the success they had developing guys like Keir, who came from South Carolina, Jermaine Johnson and Jared Verse, it intrigued me.
"I felt like I wanted to be the next one to make that step."
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Vero Beach High School's Vandrevius Jacobs escapes the grip of a South Fork defender as the Vero Beach High School Fighting Indians take on the South Fork Bulldogs on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022, at Billy Livings Field at the Citrus Bow in Vero Beach. Vero Beach won 54-6.
Early-enrolled freshmen embracing Tour of Duty workouts
Tour of Duty is already in full force for the FSU football program.
Two early-enrolled freshmen, receiver Vandrevius Jacobs and linebacker DeMarco Ward, told the media Tuesday that they plan to use the workout program to bulk up in their first offseason with the Seminoles.
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At 6-foot, 165 pounds, Jacobs will look to reach 180. The 6-1, 212-pound Ward hopes to be between 225 and 230.
"Tour of Duty, that is a grind," Jacobs said. "You have got to have a strong mindset to finish and get through that. That is something that is going to get us better on the field, so it is all a part of the plan.
"Tour of duty is tough, though. I am not going to say it is not tough. It is something that you have got to really deal with."
Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: New FSU football TE Kyle Morlock ready to prove himself at Power Five level
