Separate from Mike Norvell’s recruiting chops or the financial backing that his program is receiving from the donor base, Florida State is in a difficult spot on the recruiting trail. With the uncertainty surrounding Norvell’s future, the Seminoles don’t have a particularly compelling case to make to recruits.Â
Beyond the underwhelming 2027 class overall, with just 10 commitments, Florida State’s quarterback commit in this cycle is three-star Logan Flaherty, an in-state recruit ranked No. 39 at the position. Flaherty has some promise, but the pedigree is not up to FSU’s typical standard. The same goes for the staff’s early 2028 targets.Â
There is still plenty of time for rankings to change and the industry to catch up, but as it stands, Brayden Tillman is still unranked in the 2028 class. On Friday, Florida State quarterbacks coach Austin Tucker extended him an offer, according to Chris Nee of Noles247, becoming just the first Power Conference school to do so. Nee also reported that Tillman is heading to Tallahassee for the program’s next prospect camp on June 21.Â
Noles were the 1st Power Conference program to offer unranked 2028 QB Brayden Tillman
If you can’t outbid top programs for elite talent, which Florida State has been incapable of doing this offseason, it pays to be in early before a recruit rises up the industry rankings. Rankings aren’t everything, and in most cases, they’re informed by offers and evaluations from top college programs. Still, they tend to reflect interest, and if a player is still unranked, there isn’t much interest there.Â
Oftentimes, the interest and ranking aren’t there because the recruit isn’t of a particularly high caliber. Other times, it’s because they’re overlooked and undervalued. When it comes to Tillman, Tucker and Norvell are banking on it being the latter; that their scouting is better than the rest of college football. History isn’t necessarily on their side in that regard, but it’s certainly a possibility.Â
Time will tell if they’ve uncovered a hidden gem in the 6-foot-4, 170-pound quarterback from Traverse City, Missouri. Since FSU extended its offer, Wisconsin, which recently became a thorn in the Noles’ side by flipping their top-ranked 2027 commit, Mekhi Williams, has become Tillman’s second Power Conference offer. He also holds offers from much of the MAC, including Miami (OH), Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, and Toledo.Â
Until Florida State is willing to pay Norvell’s buyout, which drops to around $50 million at the end of the 2026 season, this is the recruiting world it will be living in. It’s unlikely that Norvell, facing arguably the toughest schedule in the ACC this year, will turn things around enough to save his job, so future recruiting is difficult to bank on.Â
More than a plan for the future, FSU’s offer of Tillman, who could be a good player who is simply being overlooked, is another sign of the dire situation the program finds itself in. Being the first power conference school to offer a quarterback recruit could be a shrewd move, but more likely, it’s a sign of desperation.
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