Florida State’s 2024 season saw an 11-win drop-off, something that has never been seen for a power team since 1936. The team finished 2-10 in the ACC after finishing 13-1 the previous season, and the program still decided to keep Mike Norvell and give him a chance. For context, the last time a team imploded like this was Southern Miss with a 0-12 season in 2012, and Ellis Johnson, their new head coach, was fired immediately. So, what does it say about Mike Norvell? Last year may have been a shock for FSU fans, but it wasn’t for those who saw those dark clouds deeper even when they were raking in wins in 2023. FSU was always a bubble waiting to burst open, and when it did, only then did people see those dark signs.
Forget about the playoff snub; FSU’s over-reliance on the transfer portal and the lack of high school recruitment were always going to push back sooner or later. “There’s an institutional lack of appreciation of the importance high school recruiting plays,” said a person inside FSU to The Athletic. The take, while harsh, shows the level of negligence that went on behind FSU curtains ever since Mike Norvell took over. Josh Pate, in the ‘Flo Factory’s’ 22nd May podcast, echoed similar sentiments, along with a harsh take.
“If you’re morbidly obese, between saying, ‘I got to lose weight,’ versus doing what it takes to lose the weight. Similarly, if you’re getting out-recruited, it’s obvious unless you’re a total idiot, it’s obvious you’re getting out-recruited, and it’s obvious you’ve got to adjust something in the talent acquisition department.“ Josh Pate even concluded that FSU might not be doing what it takes to get into those top recruitment conversations. “I still feel like there’s a sense of them kind of trying to feel their way as to what the answers are.” Well, ‘feeling up’ certainly won’t work for Mike Norvell.
Think of teams like Georgia and Ohio State when they finish with 11 wins or 10 wins back-to-back. These programs not only reap the benefits of that 11-win momentum in their transfers but also use it to pursue top recruits from high school. But FSU, even after winning 23 games in the 2022 and 2023 seasons combined, didn’t move the needle much for their high school recruits. At this time, Georgia stood third and Ohio State stood fifth in high school recruitment. But Mike Norvell? Well, the head coach was still 12th even after producing the heroics back-to-back. It can be one of two things.
1. FSU and Mike Norvell were the victims of the dark side of the transfer portal. 2. Mike Norvell wasn’t just too focused on high school recruitment, terming it to be outdated. Josh Pate leans towards the first scenario and terms them the “guinea pigs” of the portal era. “They were sort of the test case, the guinea pig, if you will, of the portal era, of realizing there’s a reason they call this roulette, right? And it can really make you look like a genius, or it can make you rich, but it can also make you look like a disaster and break you.” Well, the same roulette that reaped benefits for Mike Norvell in 2023 brought in disaster in 2024.
As FSU entered the 2024 season, only eight players whom Norvell signed out of high school had started more than 10 games for the team. Moreover, the 17 transfers the head coach landed initially in the season failed to provide the production that Mike Norvell expected. Cam Riley, who came from Auburn, was the only player who had some significant production (47 tackles). Otherwise, players like Marvin Jones Jr., coming out of Georgia, and Malik Benson were a massive bust coming from Alabama. The list is long, but the conclusion is that Mike Norvell needs to change his recruitment philosophy for good, and it has to happen sooner rather than later.
Mike Norvell on the hot seat with a major ACC verdict?
This season, the FSU head coach is sitting with a 20th-ranked recruitment class nationally, along with 23 transfers. But we still haven’t seen that push from Mike Norvell in high school recruitment that was required, considering there’s not one 5-star commitment, and just 6 blue chip commits are there. The transfers, though, look optimistic this season with the addition of Duce Robinson (WR), coming from USC; Jeremiah Wilson (CB) from the Houston Cougars; and James Williams from Nebraska. So with the new arsenal, can Mike Norvell finally finish with a winning season at least?
Josh Pate predicted FSU to be successful if they finish with at least 6 or 7 wins but still signaled that time might be running out for the head coach. “Is it eight wins, six wins? Like, do you just need to look promising again? Cuz here’s what I have noticed about this business. When you get paid the amount that those guys get paid, they don’t pay you that to find yourself and to figure things out in years four, five, six, seven. That’s year one stuff,” Pate concluded his take by predicting Clemson to win the ACC and proclaiming Florida State did not have a “shot” at the title.
mark your calendars
We will begin the season hosting an exhibition game against Alabama before opening the regular season at home against Florida. The full 2025 schedule will be released at a later date.#OneTribe pic.twitter.com/glm5w3aO5u
— FSU Soccer (@FSUSoccer) May 22, 2025
Mike Norvell is heading into his sixth season as head coach at Florida State, and after five seasons, it’s time for him to really show what he can do. Josh Pate is spot on; by now, it should be all about delivering results, not still trying to figure things out. Plus, with his recent contract extension worth $81 million through 2031, the program definitely wants to see some wins. The only thing that might have kept Norvell safe for a while longer is his hefty buyout, which is currently at $54.4 million.
The post Mike Norvell Blamed for FSU’s Major Loophole as Alarming ACC Verdict Hints at Bigger Trouble appeared first on EssentiallySports.