New FSU commit Amir Rasul has big aspirations

The No. 1 high school running back in the state of Florida has committed to Florida State.

And he has lofty expectations for himself when he becomes a Seminole.

Four-star running back Amir Rasul, from Coral Gables High, joined FSU's 2016 recruiting class on after speaking with head coach Jimbo Fisher and FSU recruiting coordinator Tim Brewster on Monday morning. 247Sports first reported the news Monday night.

“I’m not just a player that’s just going to show what I can do on the field,” Rasul said in a phone interview with the Tallahassee Democrat.

“I’m going to be able to show what I can do off the field and in the community. And just doing what I have to do all-around, and just being a person before player.”

Rasul was the most coveted running back on FSU’s radar in 2016. With a fairly weak running back class for FSU to choose from, and losing out on four-star Jordan Scarlett to Florida before National Signing Day last February, Rasul will give the Seminoles much-needed depth at the position behind freshman Jacques Patrick — if he signs with the school this February.

Rasul’s pledge comes just two days after he chose to opt out of his commitment to the University of Miami. He’s considered a Top 10 running back in the country, according to 247Sports’ composite ratings.

“It felt really good that they put that much confidence in me,” Rasul said of FSU. “For them to do that was enough for me, and I just feel good about the commitment.”

Rasul becomes the 19th member of FSU’s 2016 class, which is now ranked third in the country by 247. Ohio State and LSU have taken the top two spots after recent commitments in the last two months.

Rasul has not visited Florida State since receiving a scholarship offer in February, but plans on making a trip up to Tallahassee on a bye week in August during his senior season.

He says along with Fisher and Brewster, running backs coach Jay Graham also had an impact on his commitment.

“When I went up there (in February), and I saw everything (Graham) was doing,” Rasul said, “I believed then that if he helped make Dalvin Cook the way he is today, that he could do the same with me.” Cook, also from Miami, became the first freshman in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards last season.

After Miami, Rasul said FSU sat atop his list of prospective schools ahead of Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.

Schools like West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M and LSU also entered the mix after he decommitted from Miami. But Rasul said he looked over the depth charts at his top schools and “who’s been rocking with me the most, and that’s what it came down to.”

Brewster, FSU’s tight ends coach who is also the Seminoles’ lead recruiter in South Florida, posted several tweets on Twitter indirectly catered for Rasul on Monday.

First it was “#305speed” around 11 a.m. Then it was “So good to be a #FloridaStateSeminole” with an emoticon of a palm tree at the end of the tweet after Rasul’s pledge became public.

“There’s a lot of camaraderie out there,” Rasul said. “Just a lot of spreading love.”