Florida State saw two departures enter the transfer portal today in redshirt junior defensive end Aaron Hester and redshirt senior offensive lineman TJ Ferguson.
For clarification, Hester has not been able to crack the two-deep in the rotation and Ferguson was one of the worst guards in the country last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
There have been other players on the roster who decided to exit the program, such as wide receivers Hykeem Williams, Jalen Brown, and Jordan Scott, as well as offensive lineman Jaylen Early and quarterback Trever Jackson.
The Mike Norvell naysayers are out in full effect on social media. Norvell couldn't care less because he has a job to do and doesn't focus his time and energy on what other doubters say about him or his team.
It is funny how the fan base has turned on the job that he has done in Tallahassee, where he elevated his squad from 3-6 in 2020 to 13-1 in 2023. The 2-10 season was unacceptable at such a proud program that is used to competing for conference and national championships.
This begs the question: If the fan base has started to give up on Coach Norvell, do the players even trust head football coach Mike Norvell anymore?
The answer is yes. They trust him and feel like he could lead them to higher opportunities. 2024 looks to be an outlier. There were numerous factors as to why the Seminoles did not perform up to expectations.
Players have to feel confident that Coach Norvell is getting back to his roots of establishing the running game. He was highly successful when dual-threat quarterback Jordan Travis was running the show. It helps that a similar play style in Thomas Castellanos is leading the offense in 2025.
Norvell talks to his players often about battling adversity when their backs are against the wall. Florida State is in a critical stage where they have to play the likes of Alabama, Miami, Clemson, North Carolina State, and Florida in 2025.
This upcoming year will be monumental, with his players continuing to trust his process with how he operates. To be honest, I am very excited about how it could transpire.