Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood three-star cornerback Derek Bermudez has committed to Florida State. The 6-foot-2, 181-pound defensive back made the call on Tuesday evening around 10 p.m. to notify FSU head coach Willie Taggart of his decision.

For Bermudez, it just kept coming back to how he felt during a campus visit back on April 1st.

"It just felt like home on my visit when I went up there. It was like a family atmopshere," Bermudez said. "I loved the coaches. I loved how I felt when I was there. It is in the state of Florida. It was just a great opportunity and I didn't want to pass on it.

"When I was there talking to Coach [Harlon] Barnett and Coach Taggart, it was just a family atmopshere," Bermudez added. "They treat me like family. They stay in contact with me. They text with me and try to talk with me every day to see how I am doing. It just felt like a family atmosphere to me and I feel like I can see myself in their defense."

He expounded upon his belief that he fits into FSU's defensive scheme and what Barnett asks of his defensive backs.

"I'm a very physical corner. I can play any position in the defensive backfield. That is why I chose them," Bermudez continued. "Corner, safety, they can use me anywhere because I am a very versatile player."

He is the second Sandalwood product to commit to the Seminoles, joining three-star pro-style quarterback Jeff Sims. His teammate and friend has been in his ear about joining Tribe20.

"He was like, 'Congrats, bro' and told me it was about time that I committed and stopped playing," Bermudez said.

He made the decision a few days ago.

"I would say last week it was," Bermudez said. "I just had to confirm it with my family. Let them know I wanted to go to Florida State."

Prior to making his decision, Bermudez took numerous unofficial visits to a variety of schools including Florida, Georgia, Illinois, LSU, Oklahoma and more. He said that helped him to know that the time was right for him to become a Seminole. He also realized that it made sense to stay home.

"It is in Florida, why go somewhere else when I can stay in Florida," Bermudez said.

He stated that he chose FSU over Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Oregon and others. He reports 20-plus offers to date, including all of those schools he mentioned.

"It was the best fit for me," Bermudez said. "I want to be a part of turning it around and getting it back to how it was. I want to be a part of turning the program back around."

Bermudez, along with his teammates, were visited on Tuesday by offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. FSU offered Sandalwood three-star offensive guard Kobe Baynes on Tuesday.

He is not yet ranked by the 247Sports.com Composite Rankings. 247Sports.com considers him the No. 77 cornerback in the nation for the 2020 class.