FAMU football's 2023 National Signing Day was in perfect harmony and balance | G. Thomas

National Signing Day 2023 has concluded.

And the Florida A&M football coaching staff should have rest assured on Wednesday night knowing that they maximized opportunities in landing the best available talent in preparation for the upcoming season.

On Wednesday, we saw the Rattlers keep talent home and make splash signings to fulfill a well-rounded roster.

It's safe to say that much of FAMU's success this fall will be credited to director of recruiting Devin Rispress as he had a seamless transition from high school coaching to his first collegiate signing day.

"We have a complete class and complete team top to bottom," FAMU head coach Willie Simmons said. "I tip my hat to Devin Rispress, our full-time staff, and our support staff for being diligent and taking the time out to do an amazing job to make this an attractive for prospective student-athletes.

"We're grateful for everyone that pours into these young men and we can't do it without their support. I look forward to that paying huge dividends for us this fall."

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FAMU knows how to retain local Tallahassee talent

You'd think that a kid out of the Big Bend would want to leave their hometown and familiarity to create a legacy elsewhere.

But no.

Adding Rispress was a chess move for FAMU with him being a Tallahassee product by the way of James Rickards High School as an all-state running back.

When you have a recruiter that has been in the same spot that you've been, how could you not listen and entertain?

Big Bend trio Gadsden County running back Cedric Byrd Jr, Amos P. Godby edge rusher Malakei Owens, and Maclay kicker Michael Smith all heard Rispress out.

And now, they've signed their national letters of intent to officially become Rattlers.

"It helps that they're local guys that grew up knowing and hearing about FAMU," Simmons said. "Having these local guys here allows us to put more people in the stands because their family can come watch them play."

Rispress' tenure as an assistant coach and recruiting director at Gadsden County may have played a part in landing Byrd from their previous rapport.

But just because you have a connection with a player, recruiters can't take any shortcuts. They still have to pursue them as if they were a player that lived in another city or on the other side of the country.

"Coach Rispress is another local guy and have prior relationships that really helps," Simmons said. "You still have to put the full court press on them and can't assume that it's just going to happen because of proximity and prior relationships."

Rattlers can rival anyone in college football recruiting

You must have those splash signings.

And FAMU made four of them.

Jacksonville's University Christian running back Orel Gray has the making to be a box office talent after eclipsing 4,000 rushing yards and 62 touchdowns in his high school career.

The All-First Coast player of the year signed to FAMU on Wednesday.

How does Division I FBS programs let a guy like that get away?

Palm Beach Central three-star defensive back Justin Bostic signed with the Rattlers late on Wednesday night, too.

Bostic made The Post's All-County defensive first team and is the younger brother of Washington Commanders linebacker Jon Bostic.

FAMU also got a pair of former Southwestern Athletic Conference rival Jackson State commits, three-stars wide receiver Robert Lockhart III and defensive back Twan Wilson.

Lockhart, from Langston Hughes in Fairburn, Georgia, and Wilson, from Lakeland High School, were set to go to JSU before former coach Deion Sanders resigned to take the head job at Colorado in December.

Like a Rattler does, FAMU slithered in and struck to secure commitments followed by signed national letters of intent from the former JSU duo to-be on Wednesday.

FAMU will have no shortage of roster depth

The Rattlers have a lot of players.

110 to be exact entering spring practice which is up from the usual 85-90.

This includes 17 offensive linemen entering spring practice with all of last season's starters returning in the fall, Simmons said on Wednesday.

FAMU also has nine running backs with hopes of reviving its ground game after finishing last in the SWAC in 2022. The nine includes three new signees who are all Big Bend products ― Byrd, Kelvin Dean (Rickards), and Jaquez Yant (Godby).

"It's an 11-man operation starting with the offensive line," Simmons said. "We return every major offensive lineman except for Bryan Crawford that was hurt for much of last year. But we expect to move some people around an create some running lanes.

"We feel like we'll have a very deep and talented running back room, but it all starts with how we communicated and move people around up front."

I don't envy the coaching staff in having to make the decisions of how to allocate playing time once the regular season begins.

But it's a good problem to have in knowing that there will be no drop off regardless of who steps on the field.

"We feel like this is the deepest football team that we'll feel this season," Simmons said. "There's not a position that we go into the season saying that we're deficient as far as talent and depth.

"To see that is a testament to what our recruiting staff has been able to do."

FAMU football's 2023 National Signing Day additions

Palm Beach Central (Wellington) defensive back Justin Bostic (three-star), 5-foot-11, 175 pounds

Gadsden County (Havana) running back Cedric Byrd, 5-foot-11, 175 pounds

University Christian (Jacksonville) running back Orel Gray (three-star), 6-foot-1, 190 pounds

Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Georgia) wide receiver Robert Lockhart III (three-star), 5-foot-6, 175 pounds

Amos P. Godby (Tallahassee) defensive end Malakei Owens, 6-foot-5, 250 pounds

Maclay (Tallahassee) kicker Michael Smith (five-star), 5-foot-11, 165 pounds

Lakeland defensive back Twan Wilson (three-star), 6-foot-2, 175 pounds

Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.

Follow the Tallahassee Democrat on social media at Tallahassee Democrat (Facebook), TallahasseeDemocrat (Instagram), and @TDOnline (Twitter)

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Football Column: Rattlers' '23 National Signing Day was a success