FSU Football: 3 reasons to have patience with Coach Mike Norvell

FSU Football Staff Adaptability

I have never seen this staff reluctant to change. Willie Taggart and Jimbo Fisher seemed stuck in their ways and dug in their heels when asked for adjustment. The current staff can quickly identify issues, whether it’s on the recruiting trail or mid-game

Florida State Seminoles Football

The defensive line as a whole has played better since the beginning of the year, finally showing up in the UNC game.

There has been some pressure on the quarterbacks in every game since, and the defensive line had been better against the run.

Now there is still work to be done setting the edge and keeping contain, but beggars can’t be choosers, and I think that will come as the youth at linebacker becomes more consistent and can help with better angles and tackling.

The last thing I need from this defense is better safety play, but now that Nasirildeen is back, and can help the youth come along there. The pieces are there, and we have to give it time to come together.

On offense, the improvement of the o-line and the running back positions stand out. Both were thought to be the weaker position groups on this team all offseason.

I am by no means saying that the offensive line is good, Chubba Purdy was the most pressured quarterback against NC state, but it is better than it was at the start of the season, and has performed very well.

We could look back on the biggest misstep of the Norvell era, him playing James Blackman against Pitt, but he quickly corrected that, and I believe it was smart at the time because you lost two of your teams leaders in that game, Jordan Travis and Devontae Love-Taylor, you had to find a spark by supplying a leader off the bench.

I feel like there is also an element of not wanting to break one of your freshmen in play as well. Similar to his decision to opt for the Tate Rodemaker series in the second quarter of the NC State game. That was also ill-advised as it looked like Purdy was just getting adjusted and was ready to cut loose.

Lastly, they have been wise in not heavily recruiting Florida. Under normal circumstances, not recruiting Florida isn’t a great decision, and you shouldn’t be coaching at Florida State if you cannot entice Florida kids to come to Tallahassee.

Before the pandemic, the coaching staff created inroads very smartly. They went around the state, introduced themselves to the high school coaches and the highly touted prospects, and tried to supply faces for names. Obviously, due to COVID-19, the state tour was postponed, and the staff couldn’t go to schools and build on those relationships.

So what has Mike Norvell and his staff done? Adjusted by using their connections in fertile recruiting grounds like Louisiana, and Alabama and Texas to get players who are high ceiling/developmental types that aren’t taken at their instate institutions.

This philosophy has worked with current commits like Hunter Washington, Byron Turner Jr, Rod Orr, and Jackson West. It’s working with prospects like Ke’travion Hargrove, Destyn Hill, and Tywone Malone. They have also done this while still having about half of their 15 player class hails from Florida. Players like Omarion Cooper, Kevin Knowles, Shambre Jackson, and Koby Gross.

Now the coaching staff will apply similar tactics to the JUCO and transfer portal ranks as they look to fill out their 2020 class.