The Florida State Seminoles are just a couple of weeks away from kicking off the 2026 season against New Mexico State. With that at the forefront of the mind, there is still some time to look down the line at the future of the program.
With Mike Norvell's tenure in Tallahassee standing on shaky ground, it can create some uncertainty for recruiting classes. With the 2027 recruiting class having 13 commits, Florida State hopes the 2028 class can have better luck.
And they are in the race for a rising quarterback. Zach Blostein of 247Sports revealed that the Seminoles are in the mix for Sarasota (Fla.) QB Hudson West. Aside from Florida State, UF, UNC, and Georgia Tech are also keeping tabs on the signal caller.
West made it clear what he's looking for in his school, and it could go two different ways for the Seminoles.
"My biggest thing is definitely going to be relationships. That's what's going to be the deciding factor for me."
With West making it known what he desires from the school he wants to attend, Florida State has some hurdles they need to clear.
Mike Norvell's struggles could haunt Florida State in this key recruitment
One knock on Norvell has been his lack of landing recruits in the state of Florida. With that being something that he needs to overcome, he must find a way to convince West, or another in-state QB recruit like three-star Brady Quinn from Chaminade-Madonna, that Tallahassee would be the best place for him and his development.
And even if Norvell is a lame duck head coach, having John Garrett run the show as their general manager of player personnel can be massive. He's the one spearheading the future of this program, so if he creates a good relationship with West, that can help Florida State climb the rankings.
Another thing that can work in Florida State's favor is that West has made it known it isn't about money, which gives them a better chance of landing him over additional schools that have more NIL assets to throw his way.
When a player commits to a university, they want to feel safe, comfortable, and believe that this school is what's best for their development. And that's where the relationship aspect of West's comments comes into play.
If he feels that Florida State can provide that better than any other school, they will be a serious contender for him.
It's also a positive that, despite Florida State not being in the best shape, they are still getting interest, especially from players in the state.
As of now, West is a zero-star recruit, but he is someone who can climb the rankings fairly quickly. In 2025, as a sophomore, he finished with 2,836 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, and five interceptions.
The Seminoles are searching for a quarterback in 2028, and West joins the list with Quinn and four-star quarterback Chandler Dyson. It'll be interesting to see how things pan out with this recruiting class.
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