It’s been a while since Florida State submitted a truly elite recruiting class. Jimbo Fisher, not Mike Norvell, is the last Seminoles head coach to land a top-10 group in the country, and the 2027 class, ranking No. 57 with just 13 commits, certainly isn’t on track to end that drought.
A major reason for those recent struggles, more specifically than Norvell’s general lack of recruiting acumen and effort, is the program’s inability to land talent from its own backyard. FSU isn’t quite LSU, which seemingly has first dibs on all the talent in its state; there’s Florida and Miami to contend with on top of the other powerhouse programs that converge on the Sunshine State each year. Still, there are enough good players in Florida to go around, but the Noles can’t land them.
Of the 13 commits in the 2027 class, only four are from Florida, and Norvell’s top-ranked in-state recruit, Anthony Cavallaro, ranks just No. 46 in the state. That’s a major problem, and it’s only getting worse.
FSU isn’t just failing to land top recruits like 2028 four-star cornerback Kahmaree Crumity; now, it’s failing to make the top 10. Last week, Crumity cut down his recruitment to 10 programs, including in-state rival Miami, but the Tallahassee Lincoln High School prospect from right down the road left the Seminoles off.
🏡👀👀?? pic.twitter.com/Fw8NI7khgU
— Kahmaree Crumity (@KahmareeCrumity) July 2, 2026
If Kahmaree Crumity isn't paying FSU any mind, why should other recruits?
There are so many factors in recruiting, especially in the NIL era, that it’s hard to dig into the psyche of a decision like Crumity’s. Maybe it has everything to do with NIL, a space in which Florida State has been lagging far behind under the stewardship of athletic director Michael Alford. Maybe he hasn’t talked money at all with any of these programs and just knows he wants to move away from home; I know I did when I made my college decision. Maybe Crumity was just never a Florida State fan, even during the 2023 undefeated season.
Still, not making significant inroads and building a strong foundational relationship with a top player so close to campus is a failure of the Florida State program, and it’s been happening far too often. Sure, there have been some in-state wins by Norvell and his staff, and this offseason the program made efforts to improve its in-state recruiting, but it’s all too little too late.
This is a player who currently ranks No. 322 in the 2028 class and top-50 in Florida. He’s not an unattainable talent, even for this staff. Yet, despite taking an unofficial visit last month, one of many he’s made to Florida State along with multiple camps, he left the Noles out of his top 10.
If you’ve lost the state of Florida, you can’t coach Florida State
Recruiting is a national game more now than it ever has been. Top programs go cross-country to get the players they believe fit best into their system. And still, it’s as true now as it ever has been: if the state you’re coaching in doesn’t believe you can win, you’re done. Once the in-state talent loses faith, it becomes even harder to branch out because if those closest to the program don’t want to be a part of it, why should anybody else?
This isn’t the first sign that Norvell has lost Florida; far from it. But it’s a clear message that the 2028 in-state class isn’t believing any more than the 2027 class. The hole is dug too deep for Norvell to climb out of. That’s true with Crumity’s recruitment and returning the Seminoles to their rightful place as a college football power.
Add us as a preferred source on Google