Florida State football did not have the 2024 season that it wanted as it finished with a 2-10 record. The Seminoles did not live up to the standard of a proud program that is used to competing for conference and national championships.
The harsh reality is that head football coach Mike Norvell needed to make a major change in the offseason, which revolved around hiring new assistant coaches.
The idea of continuity was something that Norvell valued within his program. However, after 2-10, everything is on the table for the experiment to get them back on track.
Florida State ended up hiring six new coaches to the staff. However, with the new rules of recruiting, the Early Signing Period was only a short time after the conclusion of the regular season so many teams had to scramble to make ends meet.
The fan base as a whole was used to the program disappointing during the Signing Period after the notable debacles with five-star defensive backs Travis Hunter and KJ Bolden choosing other schools.
However, the new coaching staff had some amazing victories during the period such as flipping LaJesse Harrold, Jayvan Boggs, Tylon Lee, Tae'Shaun Gelsey, Shamar Arnoux, and Sean Poret.
Many of those signings have enrolled early at Florida State. Enrolling early has benefits such as getting acclimated to the collegiate game and allowing an opportunity to get more reps as a true freshman.
With that said, will any summer enrollees crack the rotation for the Seminoles during the 2025 season?
I know that the popular fan vote would be running back Ousmane Kromah since the Seminoles have the same rotation as last year at the position besides adding Kromah. We all know that new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn wants to run the football, so the Georgia native could be in play for significant snaps.
However, one name that I know the fan base is not paying much attention to is four-star cornerback signee Gregory "Zae" Thomas from the powerhouse American Heritage High School. Thomas is the first member of the Seminole Tribe to sign with the Seminoles and receive a scholarship.
The cornerback position is up in the air for Florida State as Azareye'h Thomas, Kevin Knowles II, and Fentrell Cypress II navigated to the NFL. The Seminoles have some unproven, but talented options on its roster such as Edwin Joseph, Charles Lester III, Ja'Bril Rawls, Cai Bates, Shamar Arnoux, Quindarrius Jones, Jamari Howard, and Ricky Knight III.
Defensive coordinator Tony White has raved about certain members of the secondary this offseason, but Thomas could emerge as a viable option in the rotation with the team if he puts his best foot forward to be successful.