FSU was one of the worst offensive teams in 2024, and the new FSU offensive coordinator, Gus Malzahn, has his work cut out going into the 2025 season.
The coaching staff has seen several players enter the portal but took a calculated and selective approach to new talent acquired. I wrote how they did the majority of the work in forming the 2025 team in the Winter Portal window.
The Spring Portal Window was about identifying areas they could improve and the running back and receiver positions were targeted areas over the past week.
FSU added Oklahoma running back Gavin Sawchuk and North Carolina receiver Gavin Blackwell to the roster on Sunday. I wrote about why the staff pursued Sawchuck here.
Some FSU fans will criticize the Blackwell take, but here's the thing. FSU's top receiving targets in 2025 will likely be Duce Robinson, Squirrel White, Jayvon Boggs, and Randy Pittman (TE). Some other talented guys could factor in, so FSU coaches pursuing a No. 1 type receiver wasn't realistic.
Whoever they acquired needed to have experience and potential. Blackwell fits those requirements, likely at not much of a cost. The biggest issue for Blackwell has been injuries, and we've seen FSU take guys with a history of injuries and gain production(Mycah Pittman and Johnny Wilson come to mind). I don't expect Blackwell to contribute like that, but he had a solid season in 2022 as a young guy, so that's worth noting.
Whoever this receiver was, it's not like he'd be the No. 1 option, which could be why other receivers went elsewhere. That's fine, considering FSU will likely run the ball 55-58 percent of the time. Can he make the occasional play and be a willing blocker in the run game if one of the starters goes down?
If so, he's more than worth the take in the grand scheme.