With spring practices finished and a hot summer ahead for the Florida State Seminoles, it’s time to take a look at Mike Norvell’s projected needs for #Tribe25 on the recruiting trail.
Norvell has shown that he isn’t afraid to lean on the transfer portal to supplement his prep recruiting classes. In his five recruiting classes at FSU, Norvell has averaged 20 prep signees and 13 transfer portal signees per year, good for a total of 33 new players on average each cycle.
That may seem high but to put it into perspective, those numbers coincide with an average of a little over 20 outgoing transfers per season as Florida State’s program has been rebuilt. For now, we’ll use those incoming player averages to help inform the total number of projected signees for #Tribe25.
Let’s focus on the offense for this article and discuss numbers, where the roster stands, and how #Tribe25 could shake out.
Quarterback (1-2)
Ideally, Norvell will only need to bring in one quarterback this cycle. DJ Uiagalelei will don the garnet and gold for one year, with Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek in reserve and battling for reps. Blue-chip Trever Jackson was a late addition to the 2024 class but is very raw and could easily enter the portal after a season at FSU to try and find a true scholarship and playing time sooner, so I’m not really factoring him into the equation yet.
As FSU fans well know, the transfer portal giveth and the transfer portal taketh away. One or two of the three young quarterbacks on the roster could choose to enter the portal based on who wins the job heading into the 2025 campaign. Hopefully FSU can retain both Glenn and Kromenhoek through 2025, but Norvell will still need a contingency plan to replenish depth if needed.
Running back (2-3)
The running back room has been a notable strength during Mike Norvell’s Tallahassee tenure. This season should be no different, as the Seminoles look to legitimately roll six deep.
Redshirt seniors Lawrance Toafili and Alabama transfer Roydell Williams are the likely clubhouse leaders for playing time, while returning redshirt senior Caziah Holmes, and Indiana transfer Jaylin Lucas impressed during spring ball. True freshman Kam Davis is already built like a college starter and should see more reps as the season progresses, while local product Micahi Danzy may prove too fast to keep off the field in his first season.
The Seminoles stand to lose nearly half of their scholarship RBs to expiring eligibility and might lose another to the transfer portal. I think FSU will look to bring in two prep running backs and one veteran from the transfer portal if the right fit presents itself.
Wide receiver (3-4)
From a strength in 2023 to a bit of an unknown in 2024, Ron Dugans’ receiving corps enters this year with some major question marks.
Sophom*ore Destyn Hill will miss the 2024 season, or at least a major portion of it, with an injury. Redshirt senior Ja’Khi Douglas looks to be a leader for the unit while sophom*ore Hykeem Williams will look to take steps forward in his development. Redshirt seniors Kentron Poitier, Deuce Spann, and Darion Williamson had opportunities to step into leadership roles during the spring but none of the three showed enough to be penciled in as surefire starters. I wouldn’t be surprised to see one or two current WRs hit the transfer portal over the summer after earning their degrees.
Senior Alabama transfer Malik Benson and redshirt freshman LSU transfer Jalen Brown combine with #Tribe24 prep signees Elijah Moore, BJ Gibson, Lawayne McCoy, and Camdon Frier to bring a significant infusion of talent to the WR room. Benson should be healthy to start the season and is a likely starter, while Brown is a sneaky bet to steal more reps and become a starter as the season rolls along.
FSU will certainly have plenty of talent in the room but will be short on experience heading into 2025, losing at least four or five players to either the portal or due to eligibility exhaustion. Assuming the majority of the younger WRs return, I think the staff will look to bring in two prep signees and at least one veteran from the portal, possibly two.
Tight end (1-2)
Having lost Jaheim Bell to the NFL and Markeston Douglas to Arizona State via transfer, FSU enters 2024 with less proven experience than desired at the tight end position.
Kyle Morlock will enter his redshirt senior season looking to take a major step forward in his development after a shaky debut season, while redshirt junior Jackson West will seek to build on his promising latter half of the 2023 campaign. If he doesn’t, stud freshman Landen Thomas will likely supplant him quickly as he adjusts to college. With Preston Daniel having transferred, junior Brian Courtney and redshirt sophom*ore Jerrale Powers will provide depth, assuming neither hits the portal over summer.
FSU will bring in one prep tight end unless they can reel in a big fish, in which case I could see them signing two from the high school ranks. I’m leaning toward one prep signee and one veteran addition from the portal, ideally complementing Landen Thomas’ strengths, as Thomas represents the future of the position.
Offensive line (5-6)
The 2024 FSU offensive line will boast six redshirt seniors and seniors in its ranks along with two redshirt juniors. Eight experienced upper class offensive linemen? Is this real life? Jeremiah Byers, Maurice Smith, Rob Scott, Darius Washington, Keiondre Jones, and Florida transfer Richie Leonard bring an immense load of sheer humanity along with tons of experience.
Looking beyond the upperclassmen, redshirt sophom*ores Julian Armella and Jaylen Early will look to compete for spots along the two-deep with eyes on starting roles in 2025. Redshirt freshmen Lucas Simmons and Andre’ Otto both have high ceilings and should push for starting roles eventually but may still be a year away. FSU will also welcome four freshmen into the fold, all of whom need development.
Needless to say, the Seminoles will need a large OL class in the 2025 cycle. Losing at least six players due to eligibility exhaustion and likely losing a couple more due to standard portal attrition, I think the coaching staff needs to bring in a minimum of five linemen, preferably six. This will be a mix of prep and portal, and I could see the staff taking three portal veterans to replace the upperclassmen and three prep prospects.
Specialist (Kicker) (0)
Ryan Fitzgerald will exhaust his eligibility following the 2024 season, and his 2023 backup Tyler Keltner transferred away this offseason. FSU signed top-ten kicking prospect Jake Weinberg as part of #Tribe24. He will be expected to learn under Fitzgerald this season and take over in 2025.
FSU will not need to sign a kicker this coming cycle unless they feel Weinberg needs competition. Regardless, I believe the days of specialists getting guaranteed scholarships are now over and that NIL will be used to sign specialists from now on in college football.
***One important note- those who have followed the recruiting threads have heard me say this time and again over the past couple years, but scholarships in college football are becoming a thing of the past. Despite the NCAA looking into the 85-player limitation and doing away with walk-ons (seriously, NCAA?), scholarships are not an accurate indicator of how all players are currently being compensated in some way. Many colleges with robust collectives are supplementing players through NIL instead of scholarships now, FSU included.
So there you have it, Tomahawk Nation. Going off of the high numbers in each range, FSU would need 17 new players on offense in the 2025 cycle.
Agree? Disagree? Agree to disagree? Let us know in the comments.
My next piece will dive into the positional needs on defense, followed by two more articles on the names you should know for #Tribe25.
