March 31, 2009
Rising junior QB very high on FSU's wish list [h1]Rising junior QB very high on FSU's wish list[/h1]
Lee Gordon
Warchant.com Senior Analyst
Talk about it in
The Tribal Council
It's not very often that you hear talk of a can't miss prospect that is still two years away from signing a letter of intent. But there may not be another player quite like
Christian LeMay. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound sophomore quarterback from Matthews, North Carolina has been drawing attention reserved for seniors. And rightfully so.
As a sophomore, the Butler high school star had 1,800 passing yards, more than 300 yards rushing, 18 passing touchdowns, and two rushing touchdowns. And again, he's only a sophomore.
Recently, LeMay and his father, former FAMU star Dexter LeMay, took a visit to Tallahassee for FSU's junior day. For the older LeMay, it was a chance to return to the Capital City for the first time in 20 years. For his son, it was a chance to see what the Seminoles are all about.
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| Gene Williams - Warchant.com | |
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| Christian (right) and his brother Uriah at FSU's Junior Day earlier this month. | |
"What you see from the outside is what you see from the inside, they don't try to change things," said LeMay. "What you see is what you get. They relate to all players. I think that's why Coach (Bobby) Bowden and Coach (Jimbo) Fisher have done such a good job in recruiting. I like what I've seen."
This was the second trip to Tallahassee for the North Carolina star. The 2011 recruit was at FSU's first junior day back in January, but it was during his most recent trip that he learned what future head coach
Jimbo Fisher is all about. The LeMay family left Tallahassee with rave reviews about FSU's offensive coordinator.
"I definitely could see myself thriving under his system. He's proven himself that he can handle any type of quarterback and turn them into an NFL quarterback. That's my goal," said LeMay.
"I got to talk to him the day before (junior day). I got in a little bit early and met him after a practice, we had a good conversation about how the style I run now and the style they run and how I could fit in."
There's been talk that if Florida State gets a solid commitment from LeMay then the coaches wouldn't recruit another quarterback for either the 2010 or the 2011 class.
"He can do whatever he wants. I don't know a quarterback in America who wouldn't want to play for Coach Fisher," said LeMay.
"What I've seen is that the players really feel like a family and that is what I felt when I was there. I saw the players messing around and talking to each other. They seem like how I am with my brothers, we work hard when we need to but you can turn the switch and that's what I like. Even in the whole organization, the trainers, staff members, student helpers, everybody seemed like a family which is what I liked."
LeMay lives in North Carolina now, but until the 7th grade (2005), he lived in Gainesville, just a stones throw away from Florida field. He admits that he's been a fan of both Florida and Florida State, but really paid close attention to the 'Noles through the years.
"I grew up a fan (of FSU), I grew up in Gainesville so I had to keep that on the down low," joked LeMay. "I always watch FSU from afar. If I wasn't watching a Florida game I was watching an FSU game. I was watching Chris Weinke and Charlie Ward, Peter Warrick, all those guys."
Right now, LeMay has verbal offers from Florida State, Virginia Tech, Florida, and Oklahoma, but many more are on the way. Rising juniors can not receive written offers, so don't look for this North Carolina prospect to be making a commitment anytime soon.
"It's something that Coach Fisher said was to enjoy the process, but if I feel something that makes it feel like this is the place, that'll help the process. But I want to talk to my family because they will play a major role," said LeMay.
The Carolina signal-caller cites Randall Cunningham, Chris Leak, C.J. Leak, and Jamarcus Russell as some of the quarterbacks he studies. But if there's one thing he doesn't want, is to be known as a dual-threat QB.
"I prefer to be a drop-back quarterback that can run instead of a dual threat which all you can do is run," said LeMay. "For me, passing is first, running is secondary. It's an added quality that I have to escape the pocket."
As for this year, LeMay hopes to make it to a game or two, but it all depends on his schedule. But what he would like you to know is that his two brothers are a force to reckon with. One brother, Uriah, is in the 8th grade and will play with Christian next year. He was an Under Armour All-American for his grade class. The youngest brother, Benjamin, is in the 5th grade and is already 5-foot-4, 150 pounds and plays with 7th graders. And just how good is the youngest LeMay? He scored 31 touchdowns and ran for 4,000 yards last year.
Christian LeMay will major in either business or sports marketing in college.
