Mike Norvell is asking Florida State to trust a rebuilt offensive line, but he still hasn’t fully picked his five.
That tension sat right at the center of his first game-week press conference Monday, when the Seminoles opened preparation for New Mexico State in Week 0. Norvell said he will not release a depth chart all season, and he also stopped short of naming a finished starting five after a fall camp battle that was supposed to replace every starter from last year’s line.
According to Norvell, the group is “still evaluating” where it stands. At the same time, he said he is “confident in the guys that we have.” Those two ideas do not exactly line up, especially this late in the preseason calendar.
Florida State is set to open as a 30.5-point favorite against New Mexico State, which gives Norvell and offensive line coach Herb Hand a live setting to sort through options before Week 1 brings SMU into the picture. There is some real value in that, because Saturday can function as a useful evaluation point while the staff keeps working through the details.
The line appears to be built around left tackle Xavier Chaplin and center Bradyn Welch-Joiner, the only two spots that look settled right now. That leaves Andre Otto, Paul Bowling, Nate Pabst, and Chimdia Nwaiwu battling for the other three jobs. Otto, Bowling, and Pabst can all play either guard spot, while Nwaiwu and Pabst are both in the mix at right tackle.
Pabst looks like he will be involved no matter what, and Bowling has reportedly put together a strong fall camp push to earn a guard job. If the group is still unsettled because a younger player is forcing his way into the conversation, that is one thing. It is a much different story if the line is still in flux because the staff is unsure what it has.
That matters because offensive line chemistry is built on repetition. Linemen have to know how the next man reacts to a blitz, how a stunt gets passed off, and how a double-team turns into work at the second level. Those are the kinds of details that only sharpen with time together.
Florida State is going to get some of those reps in real action this week, and maybe more as the staff keeps mixing and matching through the opening stretch. Injuries and attrition can always force changes later. But to start the season, the Seminoles need a group that is settled enough for everyone else to share Norvell’s confidence.
In Other News...
Mike Norvell Just Gave Florida State Fans Another Reason To Groan
Florida State fans got another reminder this week that Mike Norvell is willing to break from convention. Even with Ashton Daniels already named the starting quarterback, Norvell has decided the Seminoles will not release depth charts during game weeks for the 2026 season, starting with the Week 0 matchup against New Mexico State. It is the kind of move that immediately stands out in college football, where teams usually give at least a snapshot of who is likely to line up where.
For a fan base already eager for clarity, the choice only adds to the noise around a program trying to steady itself and build trust heading into a new season. Depth charts do not decide games, but they do help set expectations, and Florida State will now be keeping that information in-house when opponents and supporters are looking for every clue they can get. The decision has already drawn criticism from fans and media, and it leaves one more question hanging over a team that could have used a quieter offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Norvells Quarterback Problem At FSU Just Got Harder To Ignore
Mike Norvells quarterback track record at Florida State has become one of the clearest pressure points of his tenure. The Seminoles have repeatedly chased answers at the most important position, but the results have not matched the recruiting buzz, and the program has leaned on transfer quarterbacks to open multiple seasons in a row.
Luke Kromenhoeks path only sharpens the concern. Once the highest-ranked quarterback recruit Norvell signed in Tallahassee, he transferred twice and then lost a starting competition at South Florida, a reminder that the Seminoles still have not found a true homegrown fix. Since 2020, Norvell has brought in several blue-chip passers, yet the overall production, starts and staying power have remained limited, leaving the position group a lingering issue the staff cannot keep skirting. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Lands A Proven Outfielder With One Huge Roster Catch
Florida State has added a veteran piece to its future outfield plans, with former Pitt and UCF standout AJ Nessler committing to the Seminoles for the 2027 roster. Nessler brings a long college track record to Tallahassee, having played in more than 150 games already, and his Pitt season showed why he remains an attractive transfer target. He started 56 games there and posted a .310 average with a .410 on-base percentage while swiping 13 bases in 14 tries.
The fit is obvious on paper: a proven bat, speed on the bases and experience against college pitching. The catch is the same one that hangs over the entire move, since Nessler is reportedly eligible for an extra season because of a court ruling in California, leaving the exact shape of his future timeline still to be sorted out. For Florida State, though, the commitment at least adds a player with real production and plenty of game reps to a roster that can use both. [Read more 🡒]