ATLANTA — Georgia may have been just a little too close for 4-star inside linebacker Leonard Warner, who chose Florida State over the Bulldogs and Stanford Wednesday at the College Football Hall of Fame.

Warner said the potential to stay in state was “enticing” but that ultimately, Florida State gave him the feel of being far away from home while not being too far away from Snellville, Ga.

“That’s enticing, that’s something that you like to do, sometimes,” Warner said. “There’s a lot of opposites in this kind of process. You go somewhere with a lot of experience or somewhere on the up-and-coming or somewhere close to home or somewhere far from home. I think I found a good medium where I can feel far away from home but at the same time.”

While Georgia and Stanford were always in the conversation, Warner’s been a Florida State lean for much of his process. Even as he was visiting other schools — taking an official visit to Georgia on Jan. 2 and to Stanford Jan. 13 — Florida State remained in the back of his mind. He said he made his decision “two or three weeks ago.”

“I wouldn’t say it always has been Florida State as much as I’ve always had that kind of in the back of my mind that, ‘Don’t forget about Florida State, don’t forget about Florida State,'” Warner said. “The program has a lot to offer and it’s really hard to pass up. They do a great job in a lot of areas. I think that I can definitely come and take advantage of the programs and the help that they have in place.”

The programs that Florida State has in place to aid players academically in their transition to college was a big part of his decision, too. Not to mention the Seminoles’ championship-caliber football program.

“I think I would be able to stay on top of my work with the support system they have in place,” Warner said. “Obviously football wise they’re one of the most winning programs over the last couple years. I’m definitely looking forward to being able to become a part of the defense and contribute and help win championships, hopefully.”