FSU FOOTBALL IS ALL-IN ON TRANSFERS
Florida State football has many new pieces on its football roster for the 2025 season. That is expected given that the Seminoles finished with a 2-10 record last year.
However, some of the fan base are not in favor of the program continuing to completely flip the roster with new transfers to plug and play. I understand that the landscape of college football isn't like Dabo Swinney, where the portal needs to be utilized.
That also means that the portal shouldn't be highly relied upon, and there should also be some pieces developed in-house. Head football coach Mike Norvell used to be someone that college football media referred to as a "transfer portal king" with his ability to secure high-quality transfers.
NEW LOOK OFFENSE FOR THE SEMINOLES
One of the biggest storylines is that Florida State picked up former UCF head football coach Gus Malzahn, who has a great relationship with Mike Norvell. The offense for the Seminoles in 2024 was terrible. There isn't a better way to say it. They ranked near the bottom in every statistic.
Malzahn should be able to have success with transfer quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who is known to play dynamic plays outside the pocket. Castellanos is a dangerous weapon in an offense, but he needs to be protected.
Florida State hired a new offensive line coach in Herb Hand. He has had experience in multiple Power Four destinations. Coach Hand knew that the position group had to be overhauled. As a result, he grabbed six transfers and four recruits to provide depth and experience.
PETITBON IS A LEADER ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE
One of the pieces that I am most excited for is former Wake Forest interior offensive lineman transfer Luke Petitbon. He started in 22 games at center during his time with the Demon Deacons.
The offensive line suffered its fair share of injuries this spring, but Petitbon continued to put in the work and establish himself as a piece that made the offense function as well as provided guidance to the entire unit.
We knew how important offensive lineman Maurice Smith was on the offensive line during his time with the Seminoles. Even though he was undersized and everyone wanted to replace him, he did what he needed to do.
The fact that Petitbon is a very consistent run blocker should pay dividends for Malzahn's inside zone running scheme that the Seminoles want to operate with in 2025. It all starts at the center position of the offensive line. If that is off, then it could be the death of an offense.