Florida State’s 2025 schedule does not leave much room to breathe.
After a 5-7 finish and two seasons in which the Seminoles have dropped 17 of their last 24 games, Mike Norvell is staring at a slate loaded with ranked opponents, near-misses in the Coaches Poll, and a rematch with Alabama that arrives early enough to shape the whole season. Four teams on the schedule are in the Top 25 Coaches Poll, and two more came close enough to make this look like one of the toughest runs in the country. Those six opponents combined for 53 wins last season.
The first real test on that list comes in Week 2 against No. 20 SMU, a team Phil Steele pegs as the ACC’s No. 2 squad behind Miami.
Rhett Lashlee’s Mustangs have been steady under his watch, winning 70 percent of their games with a 38-16 record in five seasons. They bring back quarterback Kevin Jennings, who threw for more than 3,600 yards and accounted for 30 touchdowns, and they added running back Kendrick Raphael from Cal after he scored 13 rushing touchdowns last year.
SMU’s defense also looks sturdy, returning five starters from a group that led the ACC in rushing touchdowns allowed with five and gave up just 3.19 yards per carry. For Florida State, the message is simple: the offense cannot get stuck in one gear.
Week 4 sends the Seminoles into No. 11 Alabama, and that matchup comes with its own set of questions.
Alabama is outside the preseason top 10 for the first time since 2008, when Nick Saban’s second team in Tuscaloosa opened at No. 24.
Under Kalen DeBoer, the Tide were No. 5 in 2024 and No. 8 last season. This year, DeBoer did not name a starting quarterback after spring practice, instead pushing the decision into fall camp between Austin Mack and freshman Keelon Russell.
Mack knows the system from his time following DeBoer from Washington, but Russell’s talent could force the issue. Alabama is viewed as the SEC’s No. 3 team behind Georgia and Texas, and while the offense returns only three starters - including receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, who saw his production dip from 2024 to 2025 - the defense brings back seven starters.
The schedule doesn’t ease up after that. At Week 7, Florida State goes to Louisville, a team that drew 153 votes and narrowly missed the Top 25 Coaches Poll.
Jeff Brohm has Louisville rolling at 28-12 (.700) and will once again lean on a transfer quarterback, this time former Ohio State passer Lincoln Kienholz. Kienholz played in seven games last season and threw for 139 yards and a touchdown.
Brohm also brought back star running back Isaac Brown through the portal; Brown rushed for 884 yards, scored seven touchdowns, and averaged 8.76 yards per carry. With nine offensive starters back, Louisville looks like a team that could climb into the rankings quickly.
A week later, the Seminoles face No. 7 Miami in Week 8, and that one may be the hardest game on the board.
The Hurricanes reached the national title game last season before falling to Indiana, and their offense is stacked at the skill positions. Duke transfer quarterback Darian Mensah is in charge now, with Malachi Toney and Mark Fletcher returning, plus Cooper Barkate joining him from Duke.
That combination gives Miami a real claim as the ACC team to beat.
Then comes No. 23 Clemson in Week 9.
Dabo Swinney’s program had a rare down year by its standards, failing to win 10 games for only the fourth time in 17 full seasons. Even so, the Tigers still lost nine players to the NFL Draft, tying a school record and matching the ACC high.
The bigger concern this season is quarterback, where Chris Vizzina steps in as a new starter for the first time since 2022. He has 12 games of experience, 54 completions, and four touchdown passes.
Florida State has only beaten Clemson once under Norvell.
The final ranked-or-nearly-ranked opponent mentioned is Florida in Week 14, and the Gators are in the middle of a reset. Billy Napier is gone, former Tulane coach Jon Sumrall is in, and DJ Lagway is out as the quarterback, with his replacement still unclear.
Florida does return running back Jaden Baugh, who topped 1,100 rushing yards and scored eight touchdowns. Sumrall arrives with Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech as offensive coordinator, and Faulkner’s Yellow Jackets finished No. 11 nationally in total offense.
Florida State has lost the last two meetings and five of the last seven against the Gators.
In Other News...
Florida State Scrimmage Just Raised A Big Backfield Question
Florida States first fall scrimmage offered an early look at one of the more interesting camp battles on the roster, and the backfield is right at the center of it. With roles still up for grabs, Sam Singleton has been making a clear push to carve out a starting spot, giving the Seminoles another layer of competition in an offense that still appears to be sorting out how the running game will be structured.
Tre Wisners arrival through the transfer portal adds another wrinkle to the mix, and his presence gives Florida State more depth as the staff continues to piece together the rotation. There is also plenty else around the program to watch, from Duce Robinson landing on the Maxwell Award watchlist to the broader recruiting picture, where Mike Norvell is involved with 2028 quarterback Chandler Dyson, but the immediate question remains how the running back pecking order settles once the live reps keep stacking up. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Is Getting Poll Love Fans May Not Trust
The preseason coaches poll offered Florida State a small nudge of optimism, with the Seminoles picking up 13 voting points and landing around No. 40 in the extended ranking. For a program trying to climb back from the disappointment of the past two seasons, any sign of respect is noteworthy, especially after a 7-17 run that has left plenty of doubt about where things stand under Mike Norvell.
Still, the number feels more like a conversation starter than proof of a turnaround. Florida State has kept some key pieces in place and is handing the offense to a new quarterback, but the broader rsum remains hard to ignore, particularly with no road wins since late 2023. Until the Seminoles show they can change that script, poll interest is likely to be met with a fair dose of skepticism. [Read more 🡒]
Norvell Just Opened One More Path To Change FSUs Roster
Florida State has added another layer to a roster situation that already figured to stay fluid well into the offseason. Mike Norvell said the Seminoles have been in touch with former players after a recent ruling that granted a fifth year of eligibility to athletes who graduated high school in 2022, opening the door for a small group of players who had been somewhere else in the football maze to potentially circle back.
The catch is important, because the ruling does not create a blanket reset. Players who signed professional contracts are out, and any newly eligible player cannot jump into the transfer portal unless he already entered it earlier this offseason. Still, it gives Florida State one more avenue to explore as it keeps sorting through possible roster additions, with familiar names like former quarterback Tommy Castellanos and linebacker Elijah Herring now part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]