FSU football: Mike Norvell explains recruiting evaluation importance

FSU football head coach Mike Norvell has proven he knows how to build a roster, whether it’s through the transfer portal or high school recruiting.

Actually he’s used both in a short matter of time to transform FSU from an afterthought, to a top 10 program going into the 2023 season.

FSU has filled holes on the roster with talented guys from the portal, while acquiring talented high school players at certain positions. However, high school recruiting has had a noticeable uptick in the quality of players committed.

Even still, some FSU fans complain about certain guys committed to the class. I’ve always spoken about how recruiting is much more than looking at how many stars a player has. Just because a player is a four or five-star doesn’t mean you should spend the resources to recruit.

Mike Norvell hits the nail on the head in a quick explanation in how they view recruiting:

The coaching staff has traits they want at each position to fit what they’re trying to do as a team. I often see fans say, “we should be recruiting this guy, because he’s a four or five star.” What if that guy was originally from the midwest and transferred to IMG for one year?

The staff has no real ties to the player. Plus, they usually enroll at a school closer to their home region. What if they evaluate a player ranked highly, and it’s clear he struggles to process information? I don’t care how big, fast, and strong you are.

If you don’t know where to be or what to do? The player won’t be good on the field. What if that guy is incredibly selfish and not willing to buy into the team aspect? What if a guy is lazy and doesn’t want to put in the work required?

Coaches evaluate players to incredible depths and ways you wouldn’t believe. They trust those evaluations. Trey Benson is a prime example. Quindarrius Jones had one offer last recruiting cycle, FSU, and has already displayed he’ll likely be a player at FSU.

FSU is the first to offer many players. Luke Kromenhoek, KJ Bolden, Ricky Knight III, and the list goes on. The FSU roster is at a point where they can afford to say no to a talented player, and they’ve done that in this recruiting cycle.

If they take a commitment from a player nowadays, it’s because they believe he can help the team.