FSU football: Noles getting ranked top five way to early 2023 polls

FSU football ended the 2022 season as one of the hottest teams in college football with six consecutive wins.

They’ll likely finish near the top team in the final polls for the 2022 season. The good thing for FSU is they will return a ton of production on both sides of the ball.

They’ll be led by All-ACC selections Jordan Travis, Trey Benson, Johnny Wilson, and Mycah Pittman on offense. Defensively, they’ll return All-ACC players Fabien Lovett, Tatum Bethune, and Jared Verse.

Along with a ton of experience and talent, FSU will bring in the No. 1 transfer portal class. Last year’s transfer portal class ranked No. 11 and produced six All-ACC selections. Is this transfer portal class as good on the field as on paper?

I think that’s why you’re starting to see why some pundits have started ranking FSU in their top five programs in way too early polls.

If you’ve been reading this site for a while, you know I don’t put much stock into preseason polls. However, I put tremendous value in continuity, especially when a team returns with a top-tier QB like Jordan Travis.

Not only that, but nearly all of the transfer portal players added will enroll at FSU for the spring semester. That means those players will experience spring camp, become familiar with expectations, and learn their roles.

Coaches will get a better sense of their strengths and weaknesses. We saw the progression last year with those players as they got more reps in the schemes.

Not only that, but players expected to contribute last year and who missed the season with injuries will be back as well. The 2023 season could be the first time FSU ranks top five since the 2017 preseason.

I know that might scare some superstitious FSU fans, but this team will legtimately be one of the better teams in college football, just as they were in 2022.