The early signing period, particularly the first day is an exciting day for high school football prospects as they get to sign with their college of choice.

But the day is also exciting for coaches. FSU quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz could not stop smiling when he talked to local media Wednesday after the Seminoles announced their 2024 recruiting class.

Tokarz was excited about the quarterback signing, Luke Kromenhoek, from Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia.

"I'm just really excited to get [him on campus]," Tokarz said with a huge grin on his face. "I know mama will be a little sad to see him go. But it'll be fun. The kid is phenomenal, a great character. It'll be fun."

Kromenhoek has been committed to FSU since March 26, 2022. Since committing, he has made at least 15 trips to Tallahassee and just one to another school [Penn State on April 7), even while offers from other schools continued to pour in and he rose in recruiting rankings.

Suffice it to say, Kromenhoek is ready to get on campus. He is expected to join the team for Orange Bowl practices, as No. 5 FSU (13-0) takes on No. 6 Georgia (12-1) at 4 p.m. Dec. 30 in Miami Gardens.

"He was pretty excited," Tokarz said of Kromenhoek's mood on the first day of the early signing period.

"He called me [Tuesday] night to ask questions. Then [Wednesday], I'm just so happy for him. It's a moment, an experience he's never going to forget.

"But his mindset is amazing, he's already ready to get to work."

FSU offers Kromenhoek first

In his first two seasons at Benedictine Military School, an all-boys Catholic military school, Kromenhoek never started at quarterback and mostly played wide receiver, safety and some special teams.

Holden Geriner, now a quarterback at Auburn, started over him.

But when he attended a camp in Tallahassee on June 18, 2021, he made an impression on the FSU coaches, including Tokarz - his now-position coach - and head coach Mike Norvell. Norvell offered him that day.

"Offensively you sit there and look, you get one of the top quarterbacks in the country and one of his first offers," Norvell said Wednesday announcing the signing class.

"It was before he had all the rankings and all the things -- we saw something special in Luke and he's just continued to do all the things that we believe that he would ultimately become -- and I think that he's just getting started on this journey."

In fact, according to 247Sports, FSU was his first offer. The next offer came from UCF on Feb. 10. Kromenhoek committed to the Seminoles on March 26 following a Junior Day visit on March 10.

As the summer rolled on, offers poured in from Penn State (May 9), Ole Miss (May 12), Tennessee (May 18) and rival Florida (June 23).

Again, he had not started a game yet at quarterback. As a sophomore in 2021, he appeared in five games, attempting just 14 passes. However, he ran for 186 yards and 5 touchdowns while also catching 25 passes as a receiver for 287 yards and 3 scores. He also played safety on defense, finishing with 61 tackles and an interception.

"So he had only played some situations with a previous quarterback that was playing and I had to get some substitute situations," Tokarz said.

"We saw him in camp and it was something a little bit different. So that it was continuing to do the homework, build the relationship."

Kromenhoek proved the Seminoles' belief in him correct. In his first season starting at QB as a junior, he completed 171 of 263 (65%) of his passes for 27 touchdowns and three interceptions. He added 453 yards and seven scores on the ground.

He completed 168 of 267 (62.9%) of his passes for 2,578 yards with 24 touchdowns and two interceptions, guiding Benedictine to a 13-1 record as a senior. He also added 558 yards and seven scores rushing.

After never starting a game as QB before his camp with FSU in 2021 and not being ranked, Kromenhoek ended up highly touted across the board in recruiting rankings.

He was No. 31 overall and the No. 3 quarterback, per On3, No. 35 overall and the No. 4 QB by 247Sports and Rivals had him No. 88 overall and as the No. 8 signal caller.

"I remember Luke, the first time he came out to camp. We were getting to know him. He's getting to know us. And I think about the growth he's had from that camp experience," Norvell said.

Georgia makes a late run at Kromenhoek

Dylan Raiola, the No. 2 overall prospect and the top-ranked QB in the 2024 class, de-committed from the Georgia class on Dec. 18 and flipped to Nebraska.

With rumors of the imminent Raiola flip floating, Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs' staff pivoted to the in-state signal caller on Dec. 16.

But he had no interest in flipping.

"Thanks but no thanks," Kromenhoek posted on X, formerly known as Twitter above a photo of the word "loyalty" and placing the dictionary definition under it.

"Georgia had a quarterback de-commit and they came and asked around to see if I would be interested," Kromenhoek told Dennis Knight of the Savannah Morning News on signing day.

"But I had to make a statement to 'Nole Nation' that I was committed and Tallahassee is where I want to be. I made my commitment and I stayed true to it."

When a school like Georgia - which had won the last two national championships and has won 29 of its last 30 games - offers a QB committed to your program, it's validation for the coaches.

And when that recruit rebuffs one of the best programs in the nation without a second thought, it continues to feel good as a coach to get that player on campus.

"I mean, it makes you feel good, Tokarz said. "It just speaks to who the kid is. It's been fun getting to know him and his family."

HOW TO WATCH ORANGE BOWL

Who: No. 5 FSU (12-0) vs. No. 6 Georgia (12-1)

When/where: 4 p.m., Saturday, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens

TV/Radio: ESPN/94.9 FM

Live game updates: www.Tallahassee.com; @Ehsan_Kassim, @jackgwilliams and @JimHenryTALLY on X, formerly Twitter

Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports), Instagram (tlhnolesports) and YouTube channel (NoleSportsTD).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Luke Kromenhoek: FSU football coaches excited 2024 quarterback signee