One guy could be key to reviving Mike Norvell's offense and it's not who you think

The retirement of FSU offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn caught everyone by surprise, but it’s likely something Mike Norvell has known was possible for some time. Mike Norvell has already confirmed that he’ll return to calling plays in 2026, and the reaction to that news has been a mixed bag.

Norvell had a reputation for being an advanced offensive mind when he took the FSU job. We’ve seen variations of awful, mediocre, good, and elite with Mike Norvell’s offense. The one common denominator with the FSU offenses that were good involved Jordan Travis at quarterback.

The other common denominator was that the offensive line was awful to serviceable at best with Alex Atkins as the offensive line coach.

Jordan Travis has been gone for two years, but FSU made an important hire after firing Alex Atkins before the end of the 2024 season. They hired well-respected offensive line coach Herb Hand.

Hand went to the transfer portal and got four starters for the 2025 season. The FSU offensive line improved drastically under Hand’s leadership. It was among the best nationally:  

The Florida State offensive line only allowed 23 sacks and 59 tackles for a loss in 2025. That's a stark contrast from the 49 sacks allowed and 95 tackles for a loss allowed in 2024 under Alex Atkins.

Obviously, whoever FSU trots out there at quarterback will have a big impact on how good the offense is. However, if FSU can’t block it up on the offensive line to run the ball and give him time to throw? It won’t matter who is back there. That’s why Herb Hand could be the one guy who helps revive Mike Norvell’s offense in 2026. If the offensive line replicates anything close to what we saw in 2025, it'll be the best unit Mike Norvell has had to call plays with by far.