Florida State football did not have the season that it wanted in 2024 as it had a 2-10 record. The Seminoles are used to competing for conference and national championships. It was disappointing to see the program go down a downward spiral after so much success during the 2023 season.
However, that is the reality that head football coach Mike Norvell is facing in 2025. They have a ton of pressure to succeed right now. The issue is that the majority of the team does not have championship experience (that doesn't mean that they cannot earn it down the road).
They have many players on the roster who are capable of being successful such as a linebacker Justin Cryer. The junior defender had a productive 2024 season before he suffered a season-ending injury versus North Carolina, where he recorded 32 tackles (two for loss), one interception, and one fumble recovery.
In case you didn't know this, Cryer's brother (LJ Cryer) is a superstar guard for the Houston Cougars. Cryer has averaged 15.6 points per game this season and was pivotal in giving the Houston program a chance versus the Seminoles' arch-rival Florida Gators on Monday night.
The do-it-all guard had 19 points, which is the leading scorer for the Cougars. Unfortunately, they lost the game by a score of 65-63. Linebacker Justin Cryer was in attendance in San Antonio, Texas to see his brother experience a heartbreaker.
It has to be beneficial to have Justin see his brother be such a pivotal member of a team during March Madness. I know that the coaching staff is excited to see what the defender does with an elevated role at the linebacker position.
New Florida State head basketball coach Luke Loucks will be entering his first season at the helm in what could be a rebuilding year. The Florida Gators will likely be a throne to his side for the first couple of seasons as the Seminoles look to find stability as a program. The national championship gives Florida a recruiting advantage over Florida State (obviously, the Gators have been the better program for a while too).
Regardless of the loss, I am happy for Justin as he got to experience the championship journey of his brother. I hope that translates to him getting to appear in the College Football Playoff on the gridiron one day.