How Luke Kromenhoek went from under-the-radar recruit to Florida State's QB of the future

Denny Thompson heard from an SEC offensive coordinator about Florida State quarterback commit Luke Kromenhoek last month.

Thompson works with Kromenhoek and various other quarterbacks in high school, college and the NFL at 6 Points QB Training in Jacksonville. So it is not uncommon for Thompson to field calls and messages from various college coaches about one of his quarterbacks.

How his exchange unfolded with that SEC offensive coordinator, who Thompson wanted to keep anonymous, also is not uncommon when it comes to Kromenhoek.

“He had watched the first couple of games and was like, ‘Yeah, that kid is good,’” Thompson said. “I said, ‘Go back and watch what else is up now.’

“He texted me back probably two hours later. He was like, ‘Holy (expletive), that kid is the real deal.’”

More FSU football recruiting:Analyzing the Seminoles' early signing period, 2023 recruiting class

FSU early signing period:Uncommitted in-state OL Christopher Otto signs with Seminoles

FSU signs uncommitted recruit:Uncommitted in-state DB Edwin Joseph signs with Seminoles

The more the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Kromenhoek has been evaluated, the more he has garnered recognition as one of the best quarterbacks in the 2024 recruiting class. Recruiting analysts particularly rave about his arm strength.

But before Kromenhoek could receive scholarship offers from several of the nation’s top programs, including Oklahoma, Penn State, Florida and Tennessee, he needed to overcome having limited tape as a high school quarterback.

In his first two seasons at Benedictine Military School, an all-boys Catholic military school in Savannah, Ga., Kromenhoek never started at quarterback and mostly played wide receiver, safety and special teams. Holden Geriner, now a quarterback at Auburn, started over him.

The Seminoles were willing to overlook any questions about what Kromenhoek would look like at quarterback in a live game. After watching Kromenhoek throw at one of their summer recruiting camps in June 2021, they gave him his first Division I offer.

“That actually ended up playing a huge part in my commitment, that they were the first school to take a shot on me,” Kromenhoek said.

When Kromenhoek committed to FSU in March, he still came with plenty of risk. He had only completed nine passes at the varsity level, per MaxPreps. He reportedly held zero other Power Five offers. And each of the three major recruiting services – 247Sports, Rivals and On3 – excluded him from their rankings.

Nine months later, though, the Seminoles have to feel validated about their decision to take a chance on him. He now looks like their quarterback of the future and is part of a seven-player 2024 class that ranks No. 3 nationally on 247Sports.

“His arm talent is as good as I've ever seen,” said Danny Britt, Benedictine’s football coach. “He can throw the ball so easily. And at 50, 60 yards, so easily. He can release it at multiple angles and can release it very quickly.

“Then you mix in the size, the physical ability. He can move, he can throw on the move and then can really run well. So all of that combined, and then you add the mental toughness, he's a special talent.”

Kromenhoek shined in his first season as the Cadets’ quarterback, leading them to their second straight GHSA Class 4A Championship earlier this month. In 15 games, he completed 171 of 263 passes (65%) for 2,576 yards and 24 touchdowns with three interceptions while turning 139 carries into 453 yards and seven scores.

247Sports considered Kromenhoek to be a three-star recruit in mid-November, ranking him as its No. 544 overall player in the class. Now, Kromenhoek boasts four-star status on 247Sports and comes in as its No. 9 quarterback and No. 95 overall player.

With one more high school season, Kromenhoek could conceivably push his seismic rise to yet another level. He then plans to enroll a semester early at FSU in January 2024, joining a projected quarterback room of Tate Rodemaker, AJ Duffy and Brock Glenn.

“It is ridiculous how the ball comes out of that kid’s hand,” Thompson said. “I think he will end up in the top five of the country when it’s all said and done.”

More early signing period:Hear from Florida State's assistant coaches about newest signees

The hammer, not the nail

Throughout their early childhood, Kromenhoek and his older brother, Mac, often found themselves tackling each other in the yard.

Their father, Jon Kromenhoek, encouraged them to settle any disputes outside of the house. So much so that he equipped them with full pads, including helmets, and supervised their sessions. They would even take part in the notorious Oklahoma drill while he taught them tackling fundamentals.

“I’m sure the neighbors probably thought we were a bit nutty,” Jon said. “But I wanted them to get ready for when it was their time to play football.”

As a former defensive end for the University of Massachusetts (1991-93), Jon groomed his sons to follow a similar path.

Mac turned that idea into a reality, developing into an All-Greater Savannah first-team defensive end as a senior at Benedictine last season. He signed to play football at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, a Division III program.

Luke took a different route than expected.

“I was raised to be a linebacker,” Luke said. “That was always the plan.”

That plan started to change when St. James Catholic School featured Kromenhoek as its quarterback in the seventh grade, and he impressed. One of his assistant coaches, Shane Dean, then convinced Jon to take a closer look at Luke as a quarterback.

Jon heard about Ken Mastrole, who has trained numerous high school, college and NFL quarterbacks. So during the summer before Luke entered the eighth grade, Jon brought his son to see Mastrole for a couple days in Naples.

“I told him, ‘I just want an honest assessment. If he’s not a quarterback, no hard feelings,’” Jon said. “He came back on Sunday and said, ‘Your kid is a college quarterback. You need to keep doing this.’”

After receiving that feedback, Luke ditched his linebacker ambitions and focused on quarterback. Within the next year, he began training under Thompson and competing in recruiting camps at Alabama, Georgia and Clemson, among others.

While Kromenhoek looked to develop his own playing style, he enjoyed using Josh Allen as an inspiration. He liked how often the Buffalo Bills star – who is considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL – powered through defenders with his 6-5, 237-pound frame.

Even though Kromenhoek is committed to playing quarterback, the linebacker in him never left.

“I was always taught to be the hammer, not the nail,” Kromenhoek said. “I think it’s great when you run a person over, and the crowd goes crazy. It gets me going.”

What will Johnny Wilson do?:Florida State WR Johnny Wilson remains undecided about future after Cheez-It Bowl vs. Oklahoma

‘He’s got five-star ability’

On a typical Sunday morning during the football offseason, Luke and Jon order multiple sausage McGriddles from McDonald’s.

Luke only eats the pancakes – which function as the bread for the breakfast sandwiches – while leaving the sausages for Jon to consume.

Following that routine helps them pass the time during their weekly visit to see Thompson in Jacksonville, which is approximately a five-hour round-trip drive. Since Geriner recommended Thompson to the Kromenhoeks, Luke has prioritized training with him on a consistent basis.

To Luke, the benefit he receives from those visits significantly outweighs the inconvenience. Kromenhoek credits Thompson for helping him develop and not stagnate when he saw limited game and practice reps at quarterback as the backup.

“He has completely changed my game,” Kromenhoek said. “I really do think that he's the best quarterback guru, training-wise, out there. It's crazy. I really do not think I would be where I am without coach Denny Thompson. He is a freak at what he does.”

As a sophomore with the Cadets, Kromenhoek embraced a multi-purposed role.

At receiver, he caught 25 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns while turning 24 carries into 186 yards and five scores. At safety, he recorded 61 tackles, five tackles for a loss, one interception and five passes defended. And on special teams, Kromenhoek made an impact.

Kromenhoek strictly playing quarterback this season enabled him to finally show the progress that he’s made with Thompson.

“In the beginning, I would leave the pocket a little early sometimes,” Kromenhoek said. “Pocket presence has completely changed. I'm staying in the pocket. I'm getting way better. I’m reading defenses. So I would just say that overall, experience would definitely be the biggest thing.”

Thompson knows that Kromenhoek has the physical tools to develop into an elite quarterback. So from throwing mechanics to reading defenses, Kromenhoek has worked to grow in the more technical aspects of his game under Thompson.

They also studied the film from each of his games on every Thursday during this past season.

“With the talent that he has, he’s got five-star ability,” Thompson said. “He does not have to do much more instead of improve at the same rate that everybody else is. He’s going to find himself there.

“It’s just more eyes on him and more people seeing what everybody didn’t see the last couple years.”

Luke Kromenhoek 'very, very solid' on commitment to FSU

Kromenhoek can see the light pole from Madison Social, the popular local bar located across the street from FSU’s campus.

That light pole, which is in the middle of the intramural fields, marks the precise location where Kromenhoek remembers receiving his offer from the Seminoles.

“He always points out that light pole,” Jon said.

Other major programs will continue to offer and express interest in Luke, but none of them will be the first like FSU.

And what the Seminoles accomplished after landing Kromenhoek – capturing their best season since 2016 while boasting one of the nation’s top offenses – figures to have only strengthened their position with him.

“(FSU) Coach (Mike) Norvell brought me and my family into his office after one of the summer camps, and he was just talking with us and was like, ‘I promise you that I'm going to change things around here. I'm going to get us back on track. I'm gonna get us back into that winning culture,’” Kromenhoek said.

“I feel like he has kept that promise and done everything that he told me he was going to do. I am so happy to be a ‘Nole and be a part of this process and be a part of that ‘Nole family.”

It is worth noting that Kromenhoek has kept in touch with coaches recruiting him to other programs. He also took an unofficial visit to Penn State in October, along with three unofficial visits to FSU this season.

But Kromenhoek reassured that he has been transparent with the Seminole coaching staff and remains firm on his commitment.

“Obviously something crazy would have to happen at Florida State if I was to ever go to a different school, which I don't see that happening,” Kromenhoek said. “I really do think that Florida State is a place for me, and I really do love it there.

“But I do think that it's good for me to create relationships with other coaches, because if that crazy situation does happen and for some reason coach Norvell and all of them lose their job, I need to have a relationship with other schools and not shut other schools out.

“But I would like it to be known that I'm very, very solid to Florida State.”

Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

No one covers the ‘Noles like the Tallahassee Democrat. Subscribe using the link at the top of the page and never miss a moment.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football: How Luke Kromenhoek became Seminoles' QB of the future