Later, Gators! Former UF offensive lineman Richie Leonard commits to Florida State

Richie Leonard already traded in his orange and blue. Now, he will be wearing the garnet and gold of Florida State.

Leonard, a former starting offensive lineman for the Florida Gators, announced on Saturday that he has committed to transfer to the Seminoles. He made his decision following a two-day visit to Tallahassee.

Out of high school in 2020, Leonard was a three-star recruit and a top-50 interior offensive lineman for his class. He has played three seasons at Florida, getting the majority of his snaps in 2023.

The former Gator stands at 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds. He saw over 200 snaps in both 2021 and 2022, but he started every game at left guard and played 775 snaps this past season for UF.

Leonard said after his visit this weekend that Florida State was recruiting him to play guard. However, that is not the only position he can play on the line.

“They know with my experience I can definitely be a help to this program,” Leonard stated. “I just started all 12 games this season at guard, so that’s what all schools are looking at me are asking me to play. But they know that I can play center too.”

According to Pro Football Focus, in 2023, Leonard had a total offensive grade of 64.2. The former Gator has a few connections to Florida State being from Cocoa, Fla. He was high school teammates with current Seminoles running back Caziah Holmes.

“That would be pretty cool,” Leonard said before confirming his commitment. “I actually have another teammate who was an offensive lineman at Cocoa, LaNard Toney, up here too. So getting to be around those guys for a little bit, it was cool. Like you said, it’s been a while.”

FSU offensive coordinator and line coach Alex Atkins played a huge role in bringing the former Gator to Florida State.

“Just how good Coach Atkins is at his job,” Leonard said. “Like he said, a lot of those guys who got those accolades this year are the same guys that have been in the building. … He showed how much progress they made in their time here too. So just what he can do in development and things like that. …

“I really like Coach Atkins. He’s a great coach … his methods are proven.”

Shortly after Leonard made his announcement on social media, Florida State head coach Mike Norvell shared his enthusiasm about the transfer.

“I’m very excited about Richie coming to the ‘Nole Family,” Norvell said in a release. “He brings great experience, toughness and a versatile skill set that will have a big impact on our offensive line. Richie will be a tremendous addition to our program both on and off the field.”

Leonard is the second interior offensive line transfer Florida State has brought in during this transfer window. On Thursday, the Seminoles landed former Alabama offensive lineman Terrence Ferguson.

He is the second transfer commitment of the day for FSU and the 13th overall. Earlier Saturday, former Alabama RB Roydell Williams announced he would be a Seminole.

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