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Tarian Lee Breaks Down His Commitment

Tallahassee (Fl.) outside linebacker Tarian Lee was offered by Texas A&M on May 24. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound recruit attended the Aggies’ camp on June 8 and the Godby High School prospect verbally committed to Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies a day later.

His commitment came as a bit of a surprise, because this wasn’t just his first trip to College Station, but it was also his first time to the Lone Star State.

“I didn’t go there to commit,” said Lee. “I honestly did not come with expectations. I went with an open mindset, and to get a feel for everything. I was supposed to go to an FSU camp, but I decided to test my luck and head out to Texas to see how everything works.

“It was my first time to Texas, and I wanted to see everything and see how I fit in,” he said. “It wasn’t very different from where I’m from. It was great being out there. I enjoyed the campus and building that bond with guys. The linebacker coaches showed me so much.”

Lee admitted that he grew up a fan of Florida State and admired what Jimbo Fisher accomplished there. That respect for Coach Fisher, along with the offer he had extended to Lee, ended up working in the Aggies favor. When it came down to deciding which camp he would attend last weekend, Lee’s respect for the coach beat out his childhood love for FSU.

“I’ve been a prospect for FSU for quite a while,” said Lee. “I have been invited to camps, and they have reached out numerous times. I didn’t have an offer from them yet though, so I decided to go ahead and head to the program that had already expressed that interest in me and has shown me a lot of attention.”

Thus began the quest for Aggieland. Lee’s drive West from one SEC state (to another, to another, to Texas) to another, proved to be worthwhile, as he found his new home-- still in SEC country.

“I camped for one of the days, and the other two days I was just visiting,” said Lee. "The visit was nice. It was everything I imagined. I grew up a Seminoles fan, and finally meeting Jimbo (Fisher) helped me get a level head; seeing that he actually believed in me. It was almost like the linebacker coaches were recruiting me, but Coach Fisher already knew everything about me and believed in me. He did a great job letting me know, and welcoming me to Texas.”

The Aggies have a plan to best utilize Lee’s speed, instinct for being able to read a play and move sideline-to-sideline.

“They want me to play rover; like a Sam linebacker, but I will be playing the space,” said Lee. “I will be able to run free, get back into pass coverage and help make a lot plays.”

Lee and the coaches went over everything from his position as an athlete, and “more importantly”, Lee stressed, “as a student-athlete.”

“I want to use my mind,” said Lee. “I’m looking into the business side of everything.”

Not only did Lee have a chance to connect with the staff, but also recruits and a few familiar faces.

“I met several recruits,” he said. “I transferred from a school in Georgia, and another linebacker that I played with was out there (A&M) for a visit…I didn’t have a chance to meet Kenyon (Green). It was so packed out there, but I did notice him…I didn’t know they had such a good recruiting class coming in. It was a nice fit.”

Now that Kenyon Green has committed to A&M, the five-star lineman is recruiting for his class, and Tarian Lee has already started to do the same.

“I am first recruiting my cousin Kalani Norris, a three-star wide receiver for Columbus High School in Miami,” he said. “I want to get him on board, and bring both our speed to this class.”

In closing, Lee first had a few words to sum up his future coach, Jimbo Fisher.

“As a coach I would describe Coach Fisher as a go-getter,” he said. “He knows what he wants, and he is going to go get it. As a person I would describe him as a cool, chill person. You walk in and immediately you respect him.”

His last statement summed up the recruiting process, and where he stands now.

“Everything that I’ve worked for all my life is coming true,” said Lee. “I want to keep learning, so I can help pass it on. As far as how solid I am to Texas A&M -- I’m committed. I’m committed.”

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