FSU missing out on 4-star EDGE to Auburn is more frustration for Mike Norvell

The EDGE board continues to expand as another name gets crossed off
Boston College v Florida State
Boston College v Florida State | James Gilbert/GettyImages

It feels like FSU's recruiting momentum has hit a wall.

The good news is the class is still ranked in the top 15 and holding fairly steady there right now. But the class is reeling from the loss of four-star running back Amari Thomas and have lost out on several targets at edge rusher.

One more came off the board yesterday when top 100 national prospect Jaquez Wilkes committed to Auburn. FSU tried to put together a late rally to convince the 6-foot-4, 225-pound blue chipper to come to Tallahassee, but the Wadley, Alabama, resident decided to stay home.

And so the search continues.

The failure to recruit pass rushers has to be a major frustration for Mike Norvell and much of it falls at the feet of former defensive end/current linebackers coach John Papuchis. Outside of Patrick Payton, FSU has struggled to develop home-grown pass rushers during Norvell's first five seasons. 

That's a shocking development for a program that has produced Peter Boulware, Brandon Jenkins, Josh Sweat and many others. FSU had plenty of success with Jermaine Johnson, a one-and-done transfer from Georgia, and Jared Verse, an FCS transfer from Albany. Both became first-round picks and Verse is on the fast track to NFL stardom.

But Johnson's development was heavily aided by his one season as a third-down pass-rush specialist at Georgia and a lot of the credit for Verse comes from the work ethic he developed self-training during his COVID non-season at Albany. 

When Papuchis was handed a less developed prospect like Marvin Jones Jr., it didn't work. This isn't to point to Papuchis' ability to coach, but his struggles with in-house talent have clearly had ripple effects on recruiting. 

Right now, FSU continues to extend their edge board, offering three-star prospect Elijah Satchell, an N.C. State commit from New Jersey. But you get the sense that Norvell's patience with the lack of success the program has had recruiting the edge position is beginning to run thin.