FSU football: Explaining ‘Noles recruiting strategy and ranking

TALLAHASSEE, FL - AUGUST 11: Head coach Mike Norvell of the Florida State Seminoles speaks during a collegiate athletics roundtable about fall sports at the Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility on the campus of Florida State University on August 11, 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - AUGUST 11: Head coach Mike Norvell of the Florida State Seminoles speaks during a collegiate athletics roundtable about fall sports at the Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility on the campus of Florida State University on August 11, 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

How To Show Progress

Mike Norvell became the FSU head football coach in December 2019 and gave every player a clean slate.

Florida State Seminoles Football
Florida State Seminoles Football /

Florida State Seminoles Football

Those players were evaluated daily until spring practice was canceled in early March, and the same occurred once they returned to practice in the summer.

Slowly but surely, players began to exit the program for one reason or another.

Some players were dismissed, some knew they had been passed up by younger players, and some simply didn’t want to put in the work the staff was requiring.

That indicates change and something Mike Norvell can point to with recruits. It indicates there are roster spots available, and now it’s up to the staff to fill those spots with players they believe can help them put a better product on the field.

Now, they could do that by recruiting solely high school players, but that would be a slow process even if they were recruiting at a high level.

After all, blue-chip players often take time to develop before they can be consistent enough to make an impact in games. All you have to do is look at the number of blue-chip players, especially in the trenches and at wide receiver and tight end, that take years 1-2 years before they are ready.

How can the staff overcome that problem?