Terrion Arnold, Tallahassee native, explains why he committed to Alabama over Florida State

Terrion Arnold sat down with Paul Finebaum Monday to discuss his season at Alabama and the Tide’s quest for a national title, among other things.

The star Alabama defensive back explained to Finebaum why he ended up choosing Alabama over his hometown team Florida State. Arnold explained that he grew up a Seminole fan and was set on staying home with the Noles until late in the recruiting process.

Finebaum asked if the firing of Willie Taggart played a role in Arnold’s change of mind.

“Yeah, it definitely was the turning point,” Arnold answered.

A “sliding doors” moment? Tallahassee native @ArnoldTerrion reveals how he ended up at Alabama despite growing up as a friend of Jimbo Fisher’s son and expecting he’d go to FSU pic.twitter.com/YT0PwJXxXQ

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) December 4, 2023

While Arnold praised Mike Norvell, the defensive back ultimately did not include Florida State in his final group of schools. Finebaum then asked Arnold why the Noles didn’t make the cut.

“They (Florida State) hadn’t made the turn,” said Arnold. “And there was just a whole bunch of uncertainty. They weren’t the Florida State that I grew up watching.”

Arnold went on to explain that he’s close friends with Jimbo Fisher’s son and ultimately didn’t want to be a part of the “chaos” at Florida State at the time.

Arnold has become one of the Crimson Tide’s most valuable defenders. The sophomore had 61 tackles and 5 interceptions this season.