A month and a half ago, I wrote about why FSU fans need patience with the new staff on the recruiting trail. Of course, a segment of FSU fans will find reasons to whine and complain about everything under the sun.
FSU's 2026 recruiting class isn't anything special, and I don't know definitively what their recruiting angle has been. However, I know the seeds I'd be planting if I were them.
Top-flight players are not going to give FSU coaches the benefit of the doubt right now, although most of the coaching staff wasn't part of the 2-10 season last year. The only thing the new coaches can do is provide a vision of what they want it to look like, coupled with the proof Mike Norvell has had great recent success at FSU.
They'll probably get a few commits this summer, but the bulk of the top targets will probably commit elsewhere or wait it out to see what the FSU product looks like on the field this season.
FSU coaches are battling the perception of last year and the negative recruiting from other schools.
The good news is the FSU schedule lays out nicely and puts FSU in a position to realistically go 4-2 in the first six games. That would build on the potential message they've been telling recruits(the product will be much improved this year). If they do that, they can start zeroing in on a few of those top targets and possibly gain commitments as they get closer to the Early Signing Period.
If FSU somehow starts 5-1 or 6-0, that would create a ridiculous amount of energy on the recruiting trail, and FSU could likely sway some top targets to join Mike Norvell 2.0.
It's a gamble, but they don't have anything to sell without recruits seeing the product on the field, and if they go 3-3 or 2-4 in the first six games, it probably means more losses are on the way and Mike Norvell is out regardless.
They need to have early success because that grabs the attention of the media and recruits. If they start 3-3 and go 5-1 in the second half, that might be too late to make a move with some top guys. They must deliver the goods early to have the effect needed to land quality players.