Florida State OL Coach Herb Hand Checks In On Two Lone Star State Blue-Chip Prospects

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated Jan 21, 2025 8:30 AM ET

Florida State officially announced the hiring of offensive line coach Herb Hand in December and he's gone right to work. The Seminoles secured four veteran offensive linemen out of the NCAA Transfer Portal, flipped three-star center Chavez 'Sandman' Thompson from FIU, and landed their first commitment in the trenches in the 2026 class, three-star offensive tackle Xavier Payne.

Hand has a big job in front of him but he's checking off all the boxes early in his time in garnet and gold. He even took the entire offensive line out for dinner last week and is utilizing his cooking skills on the recruiting trail. Hand is continuing to stay busy this week.

On Monday, he made a couple of stops across the country, including meeting with two blue-chip offensive linemen out of the state of Texas, four-star prospects, Bryce Gilmore and Zaden Krempin. The pair are actually teammates at Prosper High School.

Florida State holds six verbal commitments in its 2026 class which ranks No. 8 in the country.

Learn more about Gilmore and Krempin below.

Bryce Gilmore, Four-Star Offensive Tackle

Gilmore is quickly becoming a top target for Florida State. Hand dropped in to begin the week while head coach Mike Norvell and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn saw him earlier this month. He was offered by the Seminoles in November and held an offer from UCF when Hand and Malzahn were previously with the program.

During his junior season, Gilmore was the starting right tackle for a Prosper High School team that went 8-3 and made the playoffs. He also competes in track and field at the prep level. Gilmore's father, Bryan Gilmore, played in the NFL for eight seasons.

Gilmore visited TCU and Texas Tech last weekend. Coaches from both of those programs along with Arizona State, Kansas State, Arkansas, and Stanford have met with him this month.

The 6-foot-4, 270-pound offensive tackle is regarded as the No. 181 overall prospect, the No. 15 OT, and the No. 29 recruit in Texas in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.

Zaden Krempin, Four-Star Offensive Lineman

Krempin is another name to know in the trenches in the 2026 class. Hand, Norvell, and Malzahn have all checked in with him this month. SMU, Stanford, Michigan, Texas A&M, Kansas State, and Texas Tech have all sent staffers to meet with Krempin.

As a junior, Krempin was the starting left tackle for Prosper High School. He competes in track and field in the shot-put and discus. Krempin is projected to be an interior prospect at the college level. He was offered by UCF last July when Malzahn and Hand were with the Knights.

The 6-foot-4, 270-pound offensive lineman is regarded as the No. 222 overall prospect, the No. 14 IOL, and the No. 33 recruit in Texas in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.

Had a great time hearing more about @FSUFootball. Thank you @CoachHand for stopping by.#NoleFamily @Coach_Norvell @Coach_Hill2 @CoachSteamroll @Clintanderson_ @CoachGusMalzahn @KitlerCaden @samspiegs pic.twitter.com/Hh8hDj7AjI
— Zaden Krempin (@zadenkrempin) January 21, 2025