FSU coaches send major high school recruiting message to the masses after 2-0 start

There’s a misconception among some fans in the FSU football fanbase that Mike Norvell prioritizes recruiting the transfer portal over high school recruiting. I can tell you that’s not true.

Norvell fully understands the value of recruiting top high school players, but FSU wasn’t in a position to attract those players when he became the head coach. In fact, he was smart enough to utilize the transfer portal to close the gap with everyone else, demonstrating a proof of concept that would eventually attract better high school players to FSU.

FSU went 13-0 in the 2023 regular season and was poised to finally break through in high school recruiting during the summer of 2024. FSU had several top-tier guys committed, but that recruiting class fell apart when the Noles started out with losses and finished 2-10. However, Mike Norvell played a ton of freshmen during that dismal season, and he’s continued that trend early in the 2025 season with a mostly new coaching staff.

Some teams, like Miami, sell hopes and dreams to high school players, and those players never see the field because Miami continues to try to attract top transfer portal talent. Almost all of their production came from the transfer portal last year.

FSU, on the other hand, actually plays young players:

Some folks might say that was because it was East Texas A&M. Well, the following freshmen played against No. 8 Alabama in the season opener:

• Ousmane Kromah
• Jayvan Boggs
• Mandrell Desir
• Darryll Desir
• Chase Loftin
• Micahi Danzy(RS freshman)
• Ricky Knight (RS freshman)

Freshman Kevin Wynn would be among those players if he wasn't hurt, and the expectation is he'll return over the next couple of weeks. FSU is sending a clear message that you will get on the field early if you're talented and put the work in. We'll see if that message pays off if the continue to win.