The Week 0 loss to Georgia Tech was concerning. The Week 1 loss to Boston College made it clear that this team had taken a significant step back. But after a loss at home to Memphis in Week 3, coming off a bye, where does Florida State even go from here?
It’s nearly impossible to fathom how much this team has fallen off in less than a year, even with everything it lost from last year’s roster. FSU went 13-0 heading into the postseason last year before it was snubbed from the playoffs, and it was widely expected to win the ACC entering the year.
Now, Florida State is 0-3, and looking at the remaining schedule, only FCS Charleston Southern feels like a guaranteed win, and that’s a rough state of affairs in the ACC of all conferences.
But to answer the question posed above, what’s happening at Florida State isn’t some great mystery. In fact, it’s fairly self-explanatory.
The roster that surged to back-to-back double-digit win seasons in 2022 and 2023 was almost entirely built through the portal and was headlined by stars like Jared Verse, Johnny Wilson, Keon Coleman, etc. None of those players are on the team this year.
Coach Mike Norvell attempted to retool his roster through the portal again this offseason, but so far, it’s looking like it was more misses than hits.
Alabama transfer Malik Benson has just 12 catches in three games while running back Roydell Williams — another addition from Tuscaloosa — is averaging fewer than three yards per carry. But perhaps the biggest disappointment has been quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, whose limitations were well-known but appears to have regressed even further, approaching an unplayable form this season.
The inability to develop an in-house successor to Jordan Travis in five years is inexplicable for Norvell. He inherited Travis, a genuinely impressive reclamation project, but amid DJU’s struggles, he hasn’t turned to either of the backups (and former blue-chip recruits) in Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek, which speaks volumes.
Norvell’s strategy doesn’t seem to be working anymore, and while his past success and a buyout north of $60 million will probably save him from facing any real pressure unless this season truly goes south, it’s hard to feel good at all about the direction of the program at the moment.
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Publish date : 2024-09-16 12:23:00
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