FSU offering 2028 4-star OT Quinston Howard is key for the future, even if it's without Mike Norvell

On Monday, Florida State added only its 12th member of the 2027 recruiting class with three-star linebacker CJ Ohuabunwa’s commitment. Yet, even with a recruiting class hovering outside the top 50 much of the offseason and a head coach entering what is almost definitely a lame duck year, Florida State has no choice but to turn some of its attention to the 2028 class. 

While 2028 recruiting officially opened this month with coaching staffs finally able to directly contact prospects, that process has primarily occurred through prospect camps held in Tallahassee this spring. Those camps not only serve to identify prospects, but they are also an opportunity to connect with them and offer scholarships, as Florida State did with four-star in-state offensive tackle Quinston Howard. 

Howard was on hand for FSU’s Elite Camp on Sunday and left with an offer, which he announced on social media. 

FSU needs to lay the groundwork for a 2028 class, no matter who the coach is next offseason

For those most pessimistic Florida State fans, the 2027 recruiting class is all but irrelevant because if Mike Norvell does get fired the moment his buyout reaches a number FSU boosters are willing to pay, the class he constructed will dissipate. In many cases, that’s actually a feature more than a bug because the next head coach will presumably bring much of his 2027 class and active roster to Tallahassee. 

For those most pessimistic Florida State fans, the 2027 recruiting class is all but irrelevant because if Mike Norvell does get fired the moment his buyout reaches a number FSU boosters are willing to pay, the class he constructed will dissipate. In many cases, that’s actually a feature more than a bug because the next head coach will presumably bring much of his 2027 class and active roster to Tallahassee. 

The problem with that line of thinking, however, is that while Norvell could be out the door, the front office Florida State just brought in to help him run the program, likely won’t be. This offseason, FSU hired John Garrett as its general manager of player personnel, Taylor Edwards as its director of football and player acquisition, and Joe Manion as its director of football scouting. 

It’s not a guarantee, but it feels likely that trio will be involved in the next hire and help to oversee the transition, so while recruits’ strongest relationships will still be with the coaching staff, they won’t be the only ones. If FSU is extending an offer to Howard, who is the No. 31 offensive tackle in the 2028 class and ranked No. 324 overall by 247Sports Composite, that’s not just indicative of Norvell’s and Herb Hand’s interest; it’s a seal of approval from Garrett, Edwards, and Manion. 

Sometimes, when a program hires a new head coach, that first recruiting cycle isn’t the hardest; it’s the second one because the long-standing relationships aren’t necessarily there between recruits of their new program’s caliber or in their new program’s typical territory. Through Garrett and Co., Florida State should have those established, and that will be critically important in the 2028 class, whether Norvell hangs onto his job or not.

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