Florida State's Mike Norvell Thinks Seminoles Hit "Home Run" With Transfer Portal Haul

Florida State targeted players with size, power, and a track record of proven playmaking ability.
Sep 2, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell before the game against the Boston College Eagles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images
Sep 2, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell before the game against the Boston College Eagles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The Florida State Seminoles are gearing up for spring camp ahead of the 2025 season, looking to rebound off of a less-than-stellar year in 2024. After going 2-10, Florida State went through a major coaching overhaul and turned to the NCAA Transfer Portal again to help rebuild its roster ahead of what could be a significant year for head coach Mike Norvell and the 'Noles.

Norvell held a "Vision of Excellence New Year's Presentation" on Tuesday to discuss big-picture ideas in leading the program and what they looked for when building #Tribe25. He said that whether it was through the high school ranks or the transfer portal, a major emphasis was on size, power, and proven playmakers.

"I think big picture, whether it was portal or it was high school, we wanted to really have a big emphasis on size, explosive power, and guys who were proven playmakers," Norvell said. "Especially when we looked into the guys who were going to be able to come into the program through the portal, I mean, we wanted to have an emphasis on production and guys that have done it."

Florida State currently holds the No. 5 transfer and the No. 18 ranked overall recruiting class featuring blue-chip prospects like defensive lineman Kevin Wynn, LaJesse Harrold, alongside running back Ousmane Kromah, offensive lineman Mario Nash, Jr., and defensive back Gregory Thomas alongside many other talented players from the high school ranks.

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The 'Noles landed promising transfers to fill positions of need and some that Norvell and Co. want to develop into future playmakers. Transfers like Squirrel White (Tennessee), Luke Petitbon (Wake Forest), Micah Pettus (Ole Miss), Duce Robinson (USC), Thomas Castellanos (Boston College), and James Williams (Nebraska) are at different stages of their careers, and Norvell acknowledged that high-ceilings and experience was the direction that FSU wanted to go.

"Everybody is at a different stage in their careers, and there are still guys that we feel have high ceilings of advancement and where we believe they can go. But, it was something that we really wanted to be able to rely on some of those past experiences," Norvell continued. "Whether it was specific needs that we had or to be able to bolster the competition at a room or just within our roster, was kind of a key component for us."

A lot is riding on the 2025 season for the Norvell and the 'Noles and they kick off on August 20 against Alabama for the first home-and-home matchup in the series. Whether or not this year's transfer class and coaching staff will be as successful as ones in the past remains to be seen, but Norvell thinks that they hit a home run.

"I thought we hit a home run with the guys that we targeted and were able to attract here to Florida State. We really got a dynamic group that when you see the size, the speed, that explosive power that was a priority for us, I really think that we were able to check all the boxes in what we needed and what I believe could truly compliment the guys that we had here on the roster as we push forward here in 2025."


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Tommy Mire
TOMMY MIRE

Tommy Mire joined NoleGameday in 2023 as a writer and editor. He initially worked as lead voice at SBNation's Tomahawk Nation and contributes to football, NFL and recruiting coverage. Connect with Tommy on Twitter at @TommyM3III