Mike Norvell has had difficulty landing highly rated recruits out of high school, which has put him in spots to take major risks with players reclassifying. Football players reclassifying to graduate high school earlier to enroll in college is almost never successful, especially when its a player on the offensive or defensive lines.
Those positions require more time for guys to physically develop. FSU went hard after Armondo Blount out of high school. He reclassifed from 2025 to the 2024 recruiting cycle and ultimately signed with Miami. He was a five-star, ranked No. 28 player, and the No. 8 defensive end.
Blount redshirted in 2024, playing in four games and having two tackles. He appeared in 15 games in 2025 and had 17 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, and 2.5 sacks.
FSU recruited four-star athlete Amaree Williams who reclassified from 2025 to the 2024 recruiting class. He was the No. 209 player and No. 6 athlete nationally. Williams signed with FSU and appeared in eight games as a freshman, playing tight end, and had five receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns.
Related Story: Young Player Transfers To Place As Bad or Worse Than FSU
Williams switched to defensive end full-time in 2025 and had 10 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks. He has since entered the transfer portal and transferred to Mississippi State.
FSU has to take risks in recruiting, but the ROI on these risks hasn't been great
Williams didn’t develop as much because he split time between two positions. However, he physically couldn’t hold up as a defensive end. Blount’s likely in the same boat, though some of that was because Miami rarely took their starters off the field.
Nevertheless, both players likely would have benefited from staying in their respective recruiting classes instead of reclassifying. It looks like FSU is playing this game again with 2028 five-star Asher Ghioto. I know folks read that and say that he’s a five-star. It’s crazy early for 2028 rankings, and they’ll likely change a lot between now and the next year or two.
Think of how many players FSU has signed in previous classes who were five-stars, only to drop to four-stars by the time signing day arrived. Ghioto is 6’4” and 240 pounds, which is roughly the same size as Blount in high school. FSU can’t make a kid stay in high school, and it’s better to take him than allow him to reclassify and enroll at a rival school (if he wants to come to FSU).
However, I’d be careful with the resources dedicated if he decides to reclassify. The ROI on that investment will take quite some time, if it happens at all. If I were his parents, I’d do the research on players in the trenches reclassifying. It’s a difficult transition because of the lack of physical maturity.
I know they need players in the trenches and the momentum that comes from a highly-ranked player committing. However, history isn’t on their side when it comes to these situations.