4-Star William Poole III on FSU Visit: 'Like Nothing I've Ever Seen Before'

Last weekend's Sunshine State showdown between Florida State and Miami was also a marquee event for a handful of the nation’s top recruits, as detailed by Bleacher Report's Tyler Donohue.

One stud prospect on hand was 2017 4-star corner William Poole III, who made his first trip to Tallahassee. 

It’s safe to say that the visit and atmosphere exceeded expectations for the nation’s No. 11-ranked corner and No. 126-ranked player overall in the 2017 cycle.

"The visit was great. I got to see everything that I wanted to see,” Poole told Bleacher Report. “I got to see the locker room. I got to speak with the players and the coaching staff. The atmosphere was crazy. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

"

Best Experience Ever  .. pic.twitter.com/XTWf8eSwUn

— William Poole III (@__WP3) October 11, 2015"

In particular, Poole described how the pregame festivities before the showdown with the Hurricanes gave him goosebumps. He admits he caught himself pondering what it would be like to witness that experience as a player.

“What really caught my attention was at the beginning when the band started playing, and the fans started stomping their feet and started doing the war chant,” Poole explained. “I just imagined being on the field and looking up at the crowd and seeing that scene. That really made my night there.”

Seminoles defensive coordinator Charles Kelly is leading the charge in Florida State’s effort to lure the Peach State product to Tallahassee.

“I got to speak with Coach Kelly before and after the game. Before the game, he was just telling me that he was glad to see me and he was happy I made it down,” Poole said. “He told me he loved my film and to make sure that I check out the secondary out there. Afterwards, he just checked in with me to see how I was enjoying the visit and asking me about the next time I’d come down there and things like that.”

One player Poole paid close attention to is current ‘Noles star Jalen Ramsey. Poole noted that he envisions himself being able to play either safety or corner, which is similar to the type of versatility Ramsey has displayed during his career in garnet and gold.

"

When it's your first time in the Doak and you still in shock  pic.twitter.com/07gp6Vc3LA

— William Poole III (@__WP3) October 11, 2015"

While in-state power Georgia is the school that has been most linked to Poole, the 6’0”, 170-pounder said the Seminoles made a major move with him after this weekend’s visit.

“Definitely those two right now [FSU and Georgia],” Poole said when asked about schools that are standing out to him. “I’m still looking around and taking visits to out-of-state schools just to see what is out there. I don’t have a top five, but I know that [FSU] will definitely be in it. This visit put them up there.”

However, there’s a long way to go in his recruitment.

Other schools he notes that he's in frequent contact with include Auburn, Clemson, Florida, LSU and Virginia Tech. He said he will head to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this weekend for the monster SEC showdown between Florida and LSU.

"

 pic.twitter.com/3Jmh0wIsVQ

— William Poole III (@__WP3) October 11, 2015"

He also has plans to visit Florida in late November for its in-state battle with FSU. Coincidentally, he notes that the Gators and Seminoles are currently the two teams pushing the hardest for him.

While he hasn’t scheduled any other trips, he said more visits are possible, with a return trip to Tallahassee being a strong possibility.

For now, Poole is focused on taking as many visits as possible and learning as much as he can before cutting his list down. He also offered up a timeline for when his decision will come.

“I’m going to cut my list down after this season,” Poole said. “I know 100 percent that I will commit sometime next year in 2016—most likely in the summer, or earlier in the spring.”

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani