Florida State has slowed down a bit in the transfer portal so far. Some of that could be because the Seminoles are introducing a new coaching staff as well as having a 2-10 record last season.
Head football coach Mike Norvell and his staff are on a mission to maintain the standard at Florida State. The Seminoles were coming off a 13-win season in 2023 and ended up falling flat on their face in 2024. That is a learning lesson to ensure that the coaching staff and players maintain sustainability like top programs.
Part of the sustainability section involves acquiring talented prospects in the recruiting trail and transfer portal. There have been times when the Seminoles have struck out on recruits. One transfer that I am excited to see if Florida State can secure the deal on is USC wide receiver Duce Robinson.
Robinson's father (Dominic) played wide receiver with Florida State from 2001-2004. However, we have seen how the processes go with recent legacy prospects such as Marvin Jones Jr., Julian Armella, and Lamont Green Jr.
There is no disrespect from those individuals because we at ChopChat hope that they have flourishing careers at their next destinations. It just didn't pan out in Tallahassee.
Florida State tried to acquire two wide receiver prospects in the transfer portal last year, Malik Benson (Alabama) and Jalen Brown (LSU). Neither were very productive with those previous schools. I was higher on Benson because I thought his speed could translate over to being an important piece on offense. However, with the offense struggling, Benson didn't stand a chance.
One piece of the puzzle that Florida State missed last year with wide receivers was consistency and size. Duce Robinson is listed at 6'6" and recorded 39 receptions for 747 yards and seven touchdowns in his two-year playing career with the Trojans.
This could be a reliable weapon that Thomas Castellanos could trust if the Seminoles are faced with third-down or goal-line situations. Florida State is the leader for Robinson's recruitment at this time. Can the Seminoles shut down his recruitment soon?