Whitfield could add to FSU's roster of elite sprinters

He was already feeling great about his 2015 team after what he saw this weekend at the U.S. Junior track and field championships.

Then Florida State head coach Bob Braman heard about Kermit Whitfield and his outlook got even brighter.

On Monday afternoon the blazing fast Whitfield, who was named to the Paul Horning Watch List as one of the most versatile players in college football, tweeted out that he planned to run track for Florida State next season after skipping the 2014 campaign.

Safe to say, Braman wasn't displeased with that notion.

"That would be massive," he said. "We could challenge the (4x100) collegiate record. ... That would be neat and fun."

Because as it stands, Braman already has the two fastest incoming freshmen in the country joining the program.

Trentavis Friday ran a high school record 10.00 in the 100 over the weekend and a 20.03 in the 200 - which would have been a record as well but the wind was ruled illegal.

And teammate Kendal Williams finished second in each at the meet in Eugene, Oregon to earn a berth at the world junior championships in both distances.

Throw another sprinter into the mix like Whitfield, who had the fastest high school 100 time in the country a year ago at 10.17, and the Seminoles have the makings of an all-time relay team.

Texas Christian currently holds the 4x100 record with a time of 38.04 in 1998.

"The TCU team has been almost untouchable," Braman said. "And you look at the teams that have really challenged it, Texas A&M's best teams and Florida's best teams — they had (NCAA champ) Jeff-Demps-type people on there. But they didn't have four of them.

"... There's no way Kermit would not be in the first three on the relay if he was on the team."

Which, in Braman's mind, is still an "if" at this point despite what Whitfield said on Twitter. He'd love to have the Orlando native, obviously, but he also understands how bright Whitfield's future is in football. The whole country does after watching him score on a 100-yard kick return in the BCS Championship game.

"Kermit is a true football guy," Braman said. "It just depends on where track fits in for his preparation for the next level. ... It's going to be up to him and Coach (Jimbo) Fisher and Coach (Lawrence) Dawsey whether he participates in track and to what level he participates.

"It's totally their decision."

Either way, it seems apparent the Seminoles have a couple of future superstars on their hands in Friday and Williams.

The two celebrated their 1-2 finish in the 200 on Sunday by doing the chop together on the podium. They could very well be the catalysts that get the FSU men's track and field team back in contention for a national team title. And soon.

"That's the goal," Braman said. "This class could be the beginning of something really special, but the standard is also getting higher and higher. It won't be easy, but it's going to be fun."