Florida State’s decision to move on from Mike Norvell could end up sending a ripple straight into Alabama’s recruiting board.
The Seminoles fired their seventh-year head coach on Sunday after Saturday’s home loss to Clemson dropped them to 3-5. Florida State announced the change immediately, with athletics hall of fame member Rick Stockstill stepping in as interim head coach.
Norvell’s run had already taken a sharp turn after those back-to-back double-digit-win seasons in 2022 and 2023. Since going 13-1 in 2023, Florida State has slipped to 10-22, with the upset of Alabama in last season’s opener standing out as the lone bright spot in that stretch.
For Alabama, the timing matters. The coaching change could shake loose parts of Florida State’s recruiting class, and one of the biggest names to watch is 4-star safety Jernard Albright.
Albright has been trending toward a decision for a while now, and Alabama has made a strong push. He has taken two visits to Tuscaloosa in recent weeks, including an official visit for the win over Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide have clearly turned up the pressure, and with Florida State now in transition, Alabama may have the inside track.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound safety from Springfield, Georgia, would fit as a versatile piece in Kane Wommack’s defense. The fact that he has been to Tuscaloosa twice in October says plenty about the level of interest on both sides.
South Carolina could also try to get back into the mix. Albright was once committed to the Gamecocks before flipping to Florida State over the summer, but he has not been back to Columbia this fall. Outside of trips back to Tallahassee, his only visits have been to Alabama.
He may not be the only Florida State commit worth watching for Alabama, either. Three-star wide receiver Majay Thompson decommitted from the Seminoles soon after Norvell’s firing became public. Alabama had been interested in Thompson during the summer before he picked Florida State, though it is still unclear whether the Tide will jump back into that recruitment, especially with 4-star Osani Gayles and 3-star in-state receiver Cedrick Simmons already committed in the 2027 class.
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