![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier gives fist bumps to fans during Gator Walk at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023 befoe the game against the Florida State Seminoles. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_3137,h_1764/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/270/01jxp3db3tkgypj33ngv.jpg "Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier gives fist bumps to fans during Gator Walk at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023 befoe the game against the Florida State Seminoles. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
FANS ARE SO PESSIMISTIC
Let me start by saying that I am not in any way suggesting that Florida State football's 2-10 record in 2024 was acceptable. Honestly, I never thought that I would see that in my lifetime. I don't want to sit here and make excuses. It was a terrible season, and I want to flush it down the toilet.
With that being said, many of the fan base are now skeptical of head football coach Mike Norvell. This is coming off a 10-3 record in 2022 and then having a 13-1 campaign in 2023 with the Seminoles. Then the Alabama Crimson Tide came calling, which forced Florida State to pay up to keep him in Tallahassee.
At the time, many individuals thought it was a smart investment for the longevity of the program. However, once the 2-10 season transpired, it all went out the window. One reasoning behind the pessimism is that fans believe that the coaching staff lacks an ability to effectively recruit high school talent and have to rely heavily on the transfer portal.
RUNNING BACK TARGET COMMITS TO THE GATORS
Florida State football had several highly-touted prospects on campus this weekend, where it saw four-star wide receiver Brandon Bennett and three-star defensive lineman Wihtlley Cadeau commit to the program.
However, you cannot win them all, as four-star running back Carsyn Baker pledged to the arch-rival Florida Gators.
BREAKING: Four-Star RB Carsyn Baker has Committed to Florida, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 14, 2025
The 6’2 200 RB from Fairburn, GA chose the Gators over Florida State, South Carolina, & Ohio State
“Gator Nation I’m home🐊🐊🐊”https://t.co/TSz0gR8sHc pic.twitter.com/6vU68uPDbZ
This is ChopChat, we discuss Florida State athletics. Why are we talking about a running back prospect that committed to the perky Florida Gators?
Florida State fans are critical of Baker committing to the Gators, but they failed to realize that the Seminoles already have four-star running back Amari Thomas in the recruiting class and haven't been involved with the Georgia native for that long as Florida State offered him in January 2025, while Florida made an offer in August 2024.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Plus, the Gators were his first official visit. In my opinion, running back should not be a position that the coaching staff doubles up on unless they think Thomas will back off his pledge. I know that Florida State likes four-star target Jae Lamar, too, but I believe that he ends up at Georgia in the end.
I think Florida State needs to put the effort, energy, and resources into acquiring more of the trenches on the offensive and defensive side of the football in this recruiting class. True freshman running back Ousmane Kromah should be the future at running back for the Seminoles.