How Florida State built itself into an ACC contender

Florida State has steadily improved under Mike Norvell and in 2023, it seems they’re ready to take that next step.

On3’s Andy Staples joined JD PicKell on a recent episode of the Hard Count, where Staples made an interesting comparison to Norvell’s recruiting style — and how it can launch the Seminoles into the college football stratosphere.

“You look at what Mike Norvell has done at Florida State, and that is what the hope is that Billy Napier can do at Florida. The difference is, by playing in the ACC, Mike Norvell has been able to do it a different way at Florida State,” Staples said. “You can get competitive through the transfer portal in the ACC –that’s exactly what they’ve done.

“They built a team that can compete with anyone in the ACC. We’ll see when they play Clemson in late September, but we’ll get a good look at how they back up against a team with elite talent. They’ve done a great job spot-recruiting out of the portal. They’ve improved and are using that to get better players out of high school … Give that a few years and you have a program that can compete against anyone.”

Leading Mike Norvell’s charge is star quarterback Jordan Travis, who last season threw for 3,214 yards, 24 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 64% completion percentage while also contributing 417 rushing yards and seven more touchdowns on the ground.

As a team, 2022 also saw the Seminoles compile 10 wins in a single season for the first time since 2016, and high school recruits and proven transfers alike are taking notice. The seeds planted last season are already beginning to pay off.

Norvell is already off to a hot start in 2024, having already gained commitments from one five-star recruit in Landen Thomas, the top tight end in the class, and seven other four-star recruits. FSU signed the No. 19 class in 2023 — not to mention they already have a top-10 transfer portal class.

With Travis’ experience and confidence, as well as the bevy of incoming players poised to make an instant impact, Florida State’s potential for the 2023 season is through the roof.

The Seminoles’ season is set to get underway on Sept. 3 inside Camping World Stadium in Orlando against LSU. Kick-off has already been announced for 7:30 p.m. ET., though the broadcast parter has yet to be announced as of this report.