Mike Norvell has completed over half of the 2021 year and may have finished his most productive month in Tallahassee since his hire in December 2019.
I knew the month was going to be full of topics to cover and recruiting stories to cover. However, I’d be lying if I told you June I thought June would go how it did for Mike Norvell.
The month started with unbelievable hype from the coaches on social media with their countdown to Midnight Madness.
The momentum continued into the multiple youth camps and football camps almost every week.
The number of players and young lives touched was over 7,500, according to Mike Norvell.
The Noles hit the recruiting trail hard and got every major target on their recruiting board on campus in either an official or unofficial capacity.
Several players like Travis Hunter Jr, Jaleel Skinner, Rodney Hill, and Kevin Coleman stayed in Tallahassee multiple days.
The result of all of the work resulted in six commitments and propelled the Noles to the No. 3 recruiting class nationally.
Not only that, it put them in solid positions with several blue-chip quality players that could commit between now and National Signing Day.
Every month seems to unveil new observations and long-term vision. Here are three observations from June 2021.
Work Ethic
One thing that’s stood over the past year and a half is the work ethic of the staff. However, the month of June may have been the best example to date about how hard this staff works.
It reminds me of the Avis Car Rental Company in the 1960s. The then-No. 2 car rental company had the slogan “We Try Harder” as they tried to overtake the company in the No. 1 slot.
That’s where FSU football is as a program right now. The staff had to average less than four hours of sleep in the month.
They began the month hosting some of the best players in the country at 12:01 a.m. and had them on campus literally for days.
Some days began with team meetings before 6 a.m., then hosting football camps, and hosting recruits on unofficial visits throughout the day.
Their energy level was always at 10 whenever they were welcoming recruits to campus or providing instructions at the football camps.
That’s one thing that almost every recruit mentioned when talking about their time on campus. The energy of the coaching staff was contagious and made the players want to be a part of what’s happening in Tallahassee.
It also serves as notice to recruits and players on the roster. The staff is working at an incredible rate, so there will be no excuses when it comes time for them to put in the work on and off the field.
Teams usually take on the personality of the head coach and the coaching staff. If that’s the case?
FSU football should become a team full of players who are serious about the grind and putting the work in to improve their craft.
Organization
Mike Norvell had a reputation for organization and detail-oriented, but June put it to the test with how he and the staff juggled multiple things.
I’ve mentioned all of the different things they had going on. The recruiting events, youth camps, football camps, offering future recruits, and a host of other things were in play.
However, I want to talk about how that could translate into success on the field for the Noles. The ability to organize can pay dividends on the practice field.
One thing we heard about the old staff, was there was too much wasted time with players standing around watching others in practice drills.
That’s not the case with Mike Norvell. The number of practice reps the players get in a Mike Norvell practice will allow them to develop at a must faster clip.
Imagine if a player can get at a minimum of 50 more reps in practice every day? That’s hundreds of moreover a week, and close to 1,000 more over a spring or fall camp.
If that’s happening at every position group, imagine how much more improvement we could see with a full offseason?
Recruiting Momentum
It’s funny because recruiting was an area most folks were most concerned about under Mike Norvell. However, there is a method to how Mike Norvell and the staff goes about it.
I wrote about how they used the pandemic to their advantage last year. They spent that time evaluating and offering 2022, 2023, and 2024 recruits, and that decision is paying off big time now.
Everybody is talking about FSU recruiting nowadays. How is Mike Norvell doing it after a 3-6 season?
I wrote about how the coaching staff earned recruiting momentum a couple of days ago. However, what Mike Norvell has done is found a way to let folks know last year was year zero.
What I mean by that is the 2020 season had so many dynamics and factors that took a lot of things out of Mike Norvell’s control. He has essentially gotten the new head coach bump in his second year, which is his first year in many eyes due to the pandemic.
It’s the first time he’s had a full spring camp, and the first time he’s been able to recruit under normal circumstances.
FSU football is an iconic brand, and it’s not like he didn’t take Memphis to new heights during his tenure there. There’s a lot to sell, not to mention immediate playing time at most positions.
FSU football has a ton of momentum and will look to take that into their season opener against Notre Dame on September 5. A good showing there, and it won’t be long before FSU football is back among the better programs in the nation.