Florida State's offense did not have a season it wanted to remember in 2024. The Seminoles finished the year with a 2-10 record that fans thought only programs like Kent State could accomplish (sorry, Golden Flashes for the random stray).
The offense fell flat on its face as they were one of the worst units in all of college football. Transfer DJ Uiagalelei was supposed to be a reliable veteran option, the running game was expected to be a strength of the team, the offensive line was supposed to be veteran enough to create opportunities to be successful, and wide receivers were thought to be dangerous enough to make plays.
I was thought to believe that head football coach Mike Norvell was one of the best playcallers in college football. However, after the disastrous year, he gave the keys to the offense to former UCF headman Gus Malzahn.
New coaches such as Malzahn, Herb Hand, and Tim Harris Jr. have acquired certified contributors to change the narrative of the struggles. The quarterback has been secured in Thomas Castellanos with his big-bodied playmaker Duce Robinson, and then he has an offensive line that has proven starting experience.
As it relates to the running game, Malzahn loves to run it in his scheme where UCF running back RJ Harvey had 232 carries on 1,577 yards and 22 touchdowns. This opens up opportunities for there to be a bell cow for the Seminoles in 2025.
However, does Florida State have that running back on its roster? We will see if senior Roydell Williams returns for another year. But the Seminoles potentially lost talented pieces such as Lawrance Toafili and Caziah Holmes.
I was a fan of true freshman Kameron Davis, even though he didn't break many tackles last year with reps. Plus, speedy Jaylin Lucas will be back in 2025 after suffering a season-ending injury versus Boston College. Then the Seminoles landed a four-star prospect Ousmane Kromah in the 2025 recruiting cycle, who flipped from Georgia.
Kromah would not flip from the Bulldogs if he wasn't expected to contribute as a true freshman. With that being said, the Seminoles cannot afford to wait on a true freshman to develop if he has lumps and bruises with reps. Simply put, 2025 is too important for Mike Norvell and company.
One name that Florida State is trying to get on campus is Utah State senior running back transfer Rahsul Faison. The veteran back recorded 198 rushing attempts for 1,109 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024. He had 278 combined rushing yards versus USC, Utah, and Boise State.
I am a huge supporter of Kromah being the RB1 in 2025, but if Florida State can get Faison in the rotation with Davis and Kromah, then I would not be upset to get as many playmakers on the field as possible.