FSU FOOTBALL's ABYSMAL 2024 SEASON
I don't like to bring up the past of what the Seminoles did in 2024, but it is a learning lesson that should be taken seriously. This isn't the standard of what this proud program is all about. Florida State is used to competing for conference and national championships.
Unfortunately, 2-10 did not meet this standard. Let's remember that Florida State is not Florida International, Florida Atlantic, or even Miami over the past twenty years (yes, I threw a shot at the Hurricanes).
The squad was supposed to prove the doubters wrong in 2024 after being left out of the College Football Playoff in favor of a one-loss Alabama Crimson Tide. However, the team had to replace so many valuable contributors who went to the NFL, where it became difficult to keep up.
The season was built with an abundance of hype that the offense had playmakers who could put points on the scoreboard. The Seminoles added playmakers Malik Benson and Jalen Brown (who are no longer on the team) last offseason, and it was a disaster. They tried something different this time around and added USC's Duce Robinson, Tennessee's Squirrel White, and UNC's Gavin Blackwell via the transfer portal.
SQUIRREL HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE
The Seminoles felt a large impact from Robinson early on, but it is difficult not to make plays when he is listed at 6'6" and 224 pounds. The biggest question was about senior wide receiver Squirrel White, as he had dealt with numerous injuries during his time with the Volunteers.
Head football coach Mike Norvell mentioned him earlier this week for the first time, stating that White had a big play and showed up in practice this week. As we know, the former Tennessee Volunteer had over 800 yards and two touchdowns in the SEC for 2023, but struggled to stay healthy in 2024.
There looks to be a reason that Tennessee didn't want to keep him. However, the Florida State offense averaged 15.2 points per game last year, so the potential of that 2023 campaign still being a sample size is too tempting to turn away as White looks to take the top off of opposing defenses for the Seminoles.