Fisher finds groove as recruiter

— -- ORLANDO, Fla. -- No clear heir apparent to the quarterback throne exists for Florida State if Jameis Winston played his final game Thursday in the Seminoles' College Football Playoff loss to Oregon.

Sean Maguire filled in nicely against Clemson. Freshmen J.J. Cosentino and John Franklin III show promise. Speculation surfaced this week about mutual interest between the Seminoles and Braxton Miller in a transfer from Ohio State.

Yes, plenty of questions remain, even without word from Winston on his NFL decision.

Look around, though, back in Florida, where eight FSU recruits congregated among the prep stars set to play Friday in the Under Armour All-America Game ( 4 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

Absolutely no one appears worried about the Seminoles without Winston, a program-changing quarterback who won all 26 of his starts before the Ducks beat him at the Rose Bowl.

The reason? Jimbo Fisher.

"He's a good man and a great coach," said defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. of East St. Louis, Illinois, the uncommitted No. 1-ranked prospect nationally who has taken an official visit only to Florida State.

Florida State's fifth-year coach has earned the complete trust of prospects and their families in his ability to find and develop talent as the Seminoles bid to extend their dynastic ACC run into 2015.

His work with quarterback and other skill-position stars is beyond reproach. Before these past five years, in which he won 58 of 69 games as a head coach, Fisher served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for 10 seasons at LSU and Florida State.

Eight of his QBs have been drafted into the NFL since 2001.

Recruits' confidence in Fisher speaks directly to his offensive wizardry and to a fundamental issue at large with the 49-year-old coach as an elite recruiter. The quarterbacks -- any player, in fact, with whom Fisher develops a close relationship -- become an extension of his family.

His genuine nature resonates loudly in the schools and homes of FSU targets.

"Anyone can tell you what you want to hear," said FSU commit Derwin James of Haines City, Florida, who is the nation's No. 1-ranked safety. "Coach Fisher is a guy your mom and dad can trust."

Fisher has come under more scrutiny this season alone, likely, than in his previous 26 years of coaching. Much of it involves his loyalty to Winston through the fallout of sexual-assault allegations.

While Winston was cleared by the courts and his university, Fisher often was not spared. Columnists and fans of other programs skewered the coach for enabling Winston and other Seminoles.

But Fisher's resolve and support of the players he recruited only served to strengthen the bond fostered with prospects for the Class of 2015.

"It may sound cliché, but his program is a family," said De'Andre Johnson of Jacksonville, Florida, the first of three quarterbacks to join Florida State's No. 2-ranked 2015 class. "You can feel the vibe when you step on campus.

"I'll go up there and sit down with him, and he'll treat me like I'm one of his sons."

Johnson committed in July 2012 after his freshman year of high school. Fellow UA All-Americans Deondre Francois of Orlando, the No. 4-rated dual-threat QB in the 2015 class, and quarterback Kai Locksley of Baltimore followed.

Fisher has also secured a pledge from junior quarterback Malik Henry of Westlake Village, California, ranked No. 1 among all quarterbacks in the 2016 class.

Johnson, rated as the No. 8 dual-threat QB this year, said he heard regularly in recruiting the advice to pick a school for its merits and not because of the coach.

Coaches leave; schools are the foundation, the narrative says. Johnson shrugs at it, admitting that he picked Florida State largely because of Fisher -- who recently agreed to a contract with FSU through 2022.

"What better thing to do?" Johnson said. "Coach Fisher stood behind Jameis Winston, with all the tribulations. I already knew that Coach Fisher cares about his players. But that showed me who he really is, cutting out all the nonsense.

"He's just such a role model."

Each of Fisher's recruiting classes at Florida State has ranked in the top 10 nationally. The No. 1-rated group in 2011 and second-rated class in 2012, featuring Winston, laid a foundation for the past two years of near-nonstop winning.

"A lot of people want to go to a situation they feel secure," said Iman Marshall, ranked No. 2 among cornerbacks from Long Beach, California. "As a person, you're not perfect. You're going to go through situations that are difficult. I think he's shown that as your coach, that he's going to be there."

James, the top-rated safety, committed to FSU in 2012 as a freshman while visiting the school with his father for a junior day.

James' mother, Shanita Russell, got a phone call on that February morning from her son and his father with the news. She thought they were joking. So Fisher took the phone to confirm for Russell. A few weeks later, she met Fisher at the Florida State spring game.

"The same guy I talked to on the phone," Russell said, "when I got there, that's the guy I met. He doesn't change. You can sit here and talk to him any time, and it's like you've known him forever."

Russell, before she came to trust Fisher, asked a question that many coaches hear from parents of recruits.

"How can you ensure that my child is going to be OK?"

Fisher was honest, she said. He told her that James would need to take responsibility for himself but that he would receive support from the school and the FSU staff.

No matter the situation, it seems -- the big stage of the College Football Playoff or in a private meeting with a concerned mother -- Fisher is at ease.

"Jimbo is gonna be Jimbo," Russell said. "He's going to be straight up. He's a country guy. I'm a country girl. When I talk to him, I feel secure, so that is what it is."

Fisher has grown into something of a master in this role, just as he once specialized solely in grooming quarterbacks.

Others at the UA Game, including Beckner, the top-rated recruit; No. 2 prospect Byron Cowart; Marshall; and third-rated cornerback Kendall Sheffield of Missouri City, Texas, could push Florida State closer to the top in January.

Not all, though, are sold on the coach. Cowart, a defensive end from Seffner (Fla.) Armwood, said he feels solid in his relationship with Lawrence Dawsey, the Florida State co-offensive coordinator who has recruited Cowart.

But he said he's "still trying to figure out" Fisher.

"A lot of people pitch stuff," Cowart said. "You never know how much you can really trust a coach."

He said that, before signing day, he'll listen hard about FSU to James, running back Jacques Patrick and athlete George Campbell, friends of Cowart's who are enrolling early in Tallahassee.

What they report back on Fisher will mean a lot. Based on the coach's recent history with recruits, Fisher stands to fare well in the discussions.