FSU football: Nick Saban's retirement opens door for recruiting to take advantage

Bigger Recruiting Budget

The part about the substantial increase in resources, like the recruiting budget as part of the extension, caught my eye. FSU Athletic Director Michael Alford has done a great job helping to expand Mike Norvell's support staff and shadow staff. However, it's still not as large as some programs like Alabama and other major players. It's all about finding an edge, and the more manpower and resources, the better. FSU has steadily improved its recruiting efforts under Mike Norvell, who endured a pandemic and no face-to-face recruiting for the first year and a half at FSU. Some folks still don't believe Mike Norvell is an elite recruiter, but I don't buy that sentiment.

FSU is the only program with a top 10 class in the high school and transfer portal rankings. The departure of Nick Saban is one less obstacle to overcome on the recruiting trail. A lot is going in FSU's favor. Florida and Miami can't get out of their way. Clemson refuses to embrace the transfer portal, and FSU finally overcame them this past season. Georgia can only take so many players. FSU has smoked Brian Kelly and LSU the past two years, and Auburn hasn't won more than six games since 2019. FSU very well may have a more talented roster overall in 2024 than in 2023, and the young talent on the roster is among the best players at some key positions. It looks like FSU is in a very good spot to stack elite recruiting classes.