The future doesn't seem all that bright for the Florida State Seminoles right now. The departure of head coach Mike Norvell feels much more like a matter of when rather than if, and with that departure comes transfers, decommitments, and a full-scale rebuild.
Norvell has experienced his moments with the Noles, but the lack of success and the struggles on both sides of the ball in 2026 seem to indicate the issues that plague the team are far more likely than a return to the ACC Championship.
Despite knowing this season was likely to be mediocre at best, FSU's hands were somewhat tied. Norvell was guaranteed a boatload of money from his contract that the university would struggle to produce, but that still doesn't make it any less bittersweet that other options existed.
James Franklin, coming off his worst year at Penn State, was one of the hottest names on the coaching market last season, and it even appeared that he was interested in coaching FSU if Mike Norvell was fired.
Some fans brushed off the idea, noting Norvell's buyout and Franklin's lack of postseason success as reasons to stay away, but at the end of the day, does the lack of playoff wins really matter? Would FSU fans really mind going 10-2 every year and playing in a great bowl game? Based on the inconsistency of the past few years, perhaps it wouldn't be all that bad.
To further salt the wound, Franklin's Virginia Tech is already off to a hot start. A perfect 4-0 mixed with an explosive offense has caused the hype to immediately propel VT into the "sleepers in the ACC" category behind frontrunner Miami. Meanwhile, the same can't be said about FSU.
Make that 9 blue chips for James Franklin/Virginia Tech already in this class.
— Owun (@CryptoOwun) June 7, 2026
This commitment puts VT at #7 in the nation, passing Penn State.
And we’re not even close to done…👀🦃 #LGH https://t.co/eg2PtXYPCo pic.twitter.com/31qVRH4EeS
As the Hokies continue to see their recruiting class grow and their stocks rise, FSU is on an opposite trajectory, and the true fallout won't actually start until after the Seminoles make the likely choice to move on from their head coach.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but it still feels like this one was also easy to see in the moment. Head coaches like James Franklin don't become available often, and that sure feels like it will remain a moment that FSU fans will ask themselves "what if" about plenty over the coming years.
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