FSU football: Mike Norvell beat a lot of so called ace recruiters lately

One of the knocks on FSU football head coach Mike Norvell and his staff, when hired in December 2019, was question marks surrounding their ability to recruit at a high level.

The pandemic affected everyone, but a new staff in a new state, with little recruiting ties? That’s tough, but the emergence of the transfer portal changed the game for Norvell and company. Not only did it allow another option to flip the roster quicker, but it allowed FSU to become more competitive on the field quicker.

The days of losing by three touchdowns were over. Since Jordan Travis became the starting quarterback about midway through the 2021 season, their worst loss is by 10 points or less. That aspect brought some respectability back to FSU, and the next step was winning actual games.

Since the 0-4 start to the 2021 season, the Noles have gone 15-6 with five losses by a combined 31 points(not counting the 2021 NC State game where half the team and Jordan Travis didn’t play because of the flu).

They finished the 2022 season with six consecutive wins, including their first bowl win since the 2017 season. Those wins have been reflected on the recruiting trails in high school and the transfer portal. FSU signed their first five-star high school player since the 2017 season, Hykeem Williams.

Jimbo Fisher, Mario Cristobal, Deion Sanders, and others were after Williams until the last second. Lots of teams wanted blue-chip offensive tackle, Lucas Simmons. Many wanted Keith Sampson, Blake Nichelson, Conrad Hussey, Edwin Joseph, and Brock Glenn. That’s just high school players, but when we get to the transfer portal?

That is when Mike Norvell and the staff have shined the brightest. They have the best cornerback, defensive tackle, offensive tackle, and two of the best tight ends in the transfer portal. Mario Cristobal went life and death trying to prevent Darrell Jackson from leaving Miami to enroll at FSU.

He met with Edwin Joseph’s parents in the last few weeks of that recruitment. He lost both of those recruiting battles too. FSU put Notre Dame in the dirt in Braden Fiske’s recruitment.

Deion Sanders got bodied again by Casey Roddick’s recruitment since they tried to keep him there. Tennessee got bodied in Kyle Morlock’s recruitment. Oregon and others got bodied in Jeremiah Byer’s recruitment.

A lot of guys that folks called ace recruiters have taken losses to Mike Norvell over the past month, and the 2024 recruiting class is off to a great start and shouldn’t slow down any time soon with the Noles expected to have a high ranking going into the 2023 season.