FSU football: Several high-ranking former targets entering transfer portal

FSU football coaches had a tough job when they arrived in Tallahassee. They had to improve the talent on the roster while putting out a better product on the field simultaneously. FSU coaches went to the transfer portal to sure up some spots on the roster to close the gap with the competition in a hurry. At the same time, they were trying to reel in blue-chip players at every position. The only problem was they hadn't established enough of a proof of concept on the field for many blue-chip recruits from the prep ranks to trust them.

Those players liked FSU but couldn't pull the trigger to sign because of the uncertainty. Fast forward a year or two later, and FSU has won 19 straight games, including the ACC Championship for the first time since 2014. Guess what? Many players who finished second a year or two ago are entering the transfer portal. Will the relationships built during those initial recruiting phases be strong enough for the Noles to cash in on some talented players at positions of need?

Some Former Recruiting Targets

Former 5-star OL Elijah Pritchett

Former 4-star OL Aliou Bah

Former 5-star DE Marvin Jones Jr.

Marvin Jones Jr. is officially visiting FSU football this weekend. He was a five-star recruit in the 2022 recruting class. He choose Georgia over the Noles, Miami, and others. Aliou Bah is former FSU commit that flipped to Georgia and signed in the 2022 recruiting class. Elijah Pritchett is a former 5-star recruit from the 2022 recruiting class. He choose Alabama over FSU and Georgia, among others.

Final Thoughts

The thought at the time was to recruit these types of guys hard, and if you didn't sign them, maybe those relationships would pay off if they somehow entered the transfer portal at some point. Well, here we are, and FSU needs offensive linemen and defensive ends. I'm sure there will be more former targets entering the portal between now and when the College Football Playoffs end. However, I should note there is no guarantee the coaching staff will be interested in a former target just because they enter the portal. They could have developed injuries, among other things that may prevent the coaches from pursuing. It's something to keep an eye on for sure.