FSU football fans have been on edge since missing a few players during the Early Signing Period.
The Noles signed no wide receivers, one linebacker, and one defensive end, which meant they’d be heavy in the transfer portal again, similar to the approach they took in the last recruiting cycle.
That approach paid immediate dividends, with seven of the eight All-ACC selections from FSU originating from the transfer portal. Two of those players enrolled in January, and a third enrolled in the summer.
Transfer portal recruiting is different than recruiting players from high school because the time frame is usually shorter.
However, FSU has had enough success from the transfer portal that I believe they can count on getting players that can contribute as soon as they step on campus. At least, that’s what they were betting on after the Early Signing Period.
The addition of Jared Verse would be a prime example of someone expected to come in and contribute immediately with the departure of Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas.
There has been some talk of sliding Dennis Briggs Jr. back out to defensive end, which would feel one void, with Verse filling the other. Let’s look at the importance of Verse committing to the Noles.
Recruiting Stand Point
The Early Signing Period mishaps gave FSU football fans a sense of not competing with other schools when it came to the NIL. They missed on Marvin Jones Jr., Tyre West, Nyjalik Kelly, and others. West was probably the guy that hurt the most because FSU fans thought they were in a good position with him.
However, he visited Tennessee after visiting FSU and signed with them on Early Signing Day. Guess how Jared Verse’s recruitment went down? He entered the portal on November 30 and officially visited FSU in early December.
That visit went well, but he took a visit to Tennessee afterward and canceled a visit to Purdue while on his visit to Tennessee. FSU fans immediately went back to the Early Signing Day with Tyre West. The longer the recruitment dragged out, the smaller they felt their chances of landing Verse.
Then Miami came into the picture even though he never visited them. I never thought he was going to Miami, but it’s still another school in the picture.
FSU getting the commitment from Verse does a couple of things. It helps renew some faith in FSU from a recruiting standpoint, that they can win some recruiting battles for coveted players.
If I had to choose, I’d take Verse over West all day every day, especially for the impact Verse will have on the 2022 season.
Position of Need
I don’t think it’ll be fair to expect the same level of production from Verse that FSU football received from Jermaine Johnson.
Heck, if they receive the same production from Verse that Keir Thomas provided? I think you’d take that all day. FSU has some talented players that came onboard in the 2021 recruiting cycle. However, they spend all season gaining experience at practice and adding the size needed to play at the college level.
The addition of Verse takes the pressure off of those guys. He’s physically ready to play and should step right in, allowing those younger guys to get a taste of the action every now and then without purely depending on them to help win games.
That helps build depth while also likely competing at a higher level on the field in 2022. With Jammie Robinson announcing his return Thursday, the defense end position was the biggest question mark on Adam Fuller’s defense.
They will now have experience at all three levels, which should make the defense improve over last year overall. Verse can set the edge against the run, has a great motor, and can get after the quarterback.
Final Thoughts
This transfer portal recruitment has been different than all the others. Usually, the FSU football staff will identify a target as soon as they enter the portal and have them committed within a couple of days or so.
We saw that with the addition of Johnny Williams and Deuce Spann. Mycah Pittman took a little bit of time, but they were on him the whole time. Tatum Bethune’s recruitment in the transfer portal went fairly quickly.
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However, Verse’s recruitment was a true test of the recruiting staff. It was a guy that HAD to have, and they went against the odds and got him. It’s a testament to the work ethic of Mike Norvell and the staff, knowing they had holes on the roster and filling them with some quality options. Jared Verse will start for FSU at defensive end.
Tatum Bethune will start for FSU at linebacker. Kayden Lyles will likely start for FSU on the offensive line. Bless Harris will likely see reps on the offensive line. Mycah Pittman likely starts at one of the wide receiver spots. Johnny Wilson and Deuce Spann likely receive a number of reps. Greedy Vance likely sees a number of reps in the secondary.
Almost every transfer portal player they have brought in has a ton of value and upside. That’s about as good as they could have hoped for with where they were sitting a few weeks ago.