FSU football is at its lowest point in most of our lifetimes. The Noles have an 0-3 record for the first time since Bobby Bowden’s first season in 1976, and the fan base collectively shocked from the past four seasons.
The issues are numerous, but it all comes back to recruiting at the end of the day. I should say recruiting at certain positions because success at a couple of positions is paramount if a program wants to have any level of success.
It’s easy to point to why the Noles are in their current state, aside from the coaching changes and lack of development that couples that. It’s as simple as recruiting misses at quarterback and along the offensive line for starters.
Those are the two biggest issues, along with linebacker, wide receiver, and defensive end positions.
So how does FSU football get out of the current abyss they are in currently? It’s as simple as addressing those positions, which the current staff has done a great job within the 2022 recruiting class.
That is if we believe the coaching staff can continue developing talent once they arrive on campus. Mike Norvell demonstrated that at Memphis as his teams got progressively better each year. The staff has shown they can evaluate roster needs and placed band-aids at certain spots via the transfer portal. They will need to continue to do that at positions while upgrading roster talent from the high school levels. Let’s take a look at some positions.
Offense
The three offensive positions that need the most infusion of talent reside at quarterback, offensive line, and receiver.
Wait, did I list the entire offense? Unfortunately, that’s the case as the Noles have been operating with pieces of a quarterback for years now. Fortunately, the coaching staff has 2022 QB AJ Duffy firmly committed, who’ll be an early enrollee in the spring.
He’s an instant upgrade talent-wise over anyone on the roster. They have done a great job of addressing issues on the offensive line. There’s a reason why they have targeted so many players in this unit.
The current crop of players on the roster had to play too early, became injured, and spent more time rehabbing than developing while adjusting to multiple offenses and coaches. Injuries have wrecked this unit, as evidence of the unit’s performance against Wake Forest with two starters out with injury. The lack of depth has been an issue for years and why this unit has been terrible.
So, we have a quarterback and players who should block things up in the future, which has been a big part of the problem offensively the past few years. If you have those two things, you don’t necessarily need five-stars at wide receiver and tight end to have a great offense.
However, the Noles do need an infusion of talent in those positions. Poor QB and O-line play were contributing factors, but there is no reason why Jacksonville State and Wake Forest should be able to lock up FSU wide receivers in man-to-man coverage.
FSU has a couple of commitments at tight end, and we’ll see how wide receiver recruiting shakes out as the season progresses. However, they need better players across the board.
Defense
One of the biggest issues defensively the past few years has been a lack of a pass rush. When we talk about an infusion of talent, Georgia transfer, Jermaine, Johnson, is what I mean.
His presence has single-handily improved the FSU pass rush since last year. South Carolina transfer Keir Thomas has chipped in as well.
Thankfully, the coaching staff got Fabien Lovett from the transfer portal in 2020, because otherwise, the defensive line would have been atrocious. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the coaching staff try to tap back into the transfer portal for defensive linemen in 2022.
These additions give you a good idea of how an infusion of talent can improve things.
They will lose Johnson and Thomas and could potentially lose Lovett. The coaching staff will have to tap into the transfer portal for linebackers with the way recruitment for that unit has gone. The secondary has some talented young players and two five-stars potentially coming in 2022.
There are some defensive recruiting targets that could be immediate impact players if they signed with FSU football in 2022. Legacy recruit Marvin Jones Jr., Travis Hunter Jr., Sam McCall, Nyjalik Kelly, Daniel Thomas, and Wesley Bissainthe come to mind.
Final Thoughts
I believe this coaching staff has done a great job of being honest with this current crop of recruits. Otherwise, we’d see more jumping ship after an 0-3 start, and they can watch the film and see where there’s immediate playing time.
Mike Norvell has to keep AJ Duffy, and most of the offensive line commits intact to give the offense a shot in the arm. As long as Travis Hunter Jr., Sam McCall, and Trevion Williams sign, the defense will see an immediate improvement provided they get some help from the transfer portal.
The 2022 recruiting class will be the first time several top-tier recruits signing with FSU football who fully believe in Mike Norvell’s vision.
The 2020 class was a transitional class, several players from the 2021 class signed without meeting the coaching staff in person. I’m not questioning if those players are bought-in. However, players that commit to a program in FSU’s current state know what the challenges are, and want to be a part of the solution.
It will take patience from the FSU football fan base, but recruiting is the way to get out of the current abyss. Yes, there are other issues that need addressing as well, but they need the right pieces in the positions to expedite that process of climbing.