Jalen Ramsey didn’t just praise Deion Sanders - he basically drew a straight line from “Coach Prime” to his own recruiting decision and said the whole thing would have looked different.
Speaking at a Colorado player retreat, the former Florida State star and 2013 BCS National Champion told the Buffs’ players to recognize what they have in front of them under Sanders. Ramsey made it clear he sees the current setup in Boulder as something special.
"Take advantage of everything that Coach Prime and his staff are giving y'all because it ain't normal, alright?" Ramsey said.
"I promise y'all. If this were an opportunity for me, there wouldn't have been no Florida State.
I probably would've never even thought about Colorado, but that's where I would've been. At the time, I probably didn't know where Colorado was, you know what I mean?"
Ramsey’s point was simple: if Sanders had been coaching college football when he was being recruited, his path might have gone in a completely different direction. Instead, Ramsey signed with Florida State as a five-star in the 2013 recruiting class and became one of the country’s best defensive backs.
In three seasons in Tallahassee, he piled up 180 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, three interceptions, 23 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and five sacks. He also helped the Seminoles win the 2013 national championship.
Sanders wasn’t on the sideline in college during Ramsey’s recruitment. That opportunity went to Jimbo Fisher, who landed one of the signature victories of his FSU run before Ramsey went on to become the No. 5 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Even after an 11-year NFL career that includes eight Pro Bowl selections and a Super Bowl LVI win, Ramsey says his admiration for Sanders hasn’t gone anywhere.
"I'm not going to lie, I've been talking to Prime all off-season like, 'Man, I just need to be around you.' That's it.
I just need to be around him. I just need to feel some greatness," Ramsey continued.
That respect, coming from one of the most accomplished defensive backs of his era, speaks for itself.
"I got the fire and everything, (I'm) still working my tail off going into year 11, but there is something about being around greatness; sometimes it gives you that little extra motivation. You just wanna be around somebody just to soak up some game, soak up some knowledge."
For Florida State fans, the idea of Sanders pulling a five-star out of Tallahassee is probably not an easy one to sit with. But Ramsey’s comments underline just how much pull Sanders still has in the sport.
In Other News...
FSU Is Already Pushing For Another Quarterback After Flaherty Commit
Florida States quarterback board is already moving again after landing three-star Logan Flaherty, a reminder that recruiting at the position rarely slows down for long. The Seminoles have continued casting a wider net in the next cycle, and one of the latest names to surface is Trey Wright, a 2028 quarterback from Texas who has quickly become a target for programs across the country.
Wrights offer list has swelled to nearly 30 schools, putting Florida State in the middle of a crowded pursuit that includes several major powers. He has not yet made it to Tallahassee, and with camps coming and going, the Seminoles may have to work a little harder to create the kind of early connection that can matter later in a race like this. [Read more 🡒]
What Should Count As Success For FSU In 2026
Florida State heads into 2026 carrying a very different kind of expectation than it did after the undefeated regular season in 2023. The Seminoles have gone 7-17 over the past two seasons, a stretch that has turned every conversation about the program into one about accountability, recovery and whether the climb back to contender status is actually starting to take shape.
Mike Norvell and his staff know the margin for patience keeps shrinking, and the upcoming schedule only sharpens the conversation around what a real step forward would look like. With the full slate now in view, the question is less about whether Florida State can be better and more about how much better it needs to be before the season feels like progress instead of another warning sign. [Read more 🡒]