Florida State’s running back room has already seen a lot of movement this offseason, and the Seminoles may not be done yet.
Kam Martin arrived in Tallahassee as the new position coach with the expectation that he’d be working alongside Gus Malzahn, just like he did at UCF. Malzahn’s surprise retirement changed that setup, but it hasn’t changed the early results for Martin.
He brings energy, and he’s already shown he can develop talent. Last month, he landed his first commitment since taking the job, beating out Ohio State, LSU, Auburn, Kentucky and Texas Tech for four-star back Jayden Miles.
Now Florida State is still in the mix for another runner.
Three-star running back Asa Barnes is set to announce his commitment on July 29, with Florida State, Arkansas, Tennessee and USC still in contention. Barnes was originally supposed to take an official visit to FSU last month, but that trip never happened. Even so, the Seminoles have stayed on his radar.
The timing of his visits may matter here. Barnes made trips to Arkansas and Tennessee, while Tallahassee never got its official look.
That gives the Volunteers and Razorbacks a real edge heading into decision day. Florida State’s level of push at this point is still unclear.
Barnes has been on FSU’s board for a while. The Seminoles were one of the first programs to offer him, but the staff around him has shifted since then. Martin has replaced David Johnson, and Johnson now coaches running backs at Arkansas, which only adds another layer to Barnes’ recruitment.
There was also another Florida State target in the same general space. The Seminoles had interest in three-star athlete Marquis Fennell, but the South Georgia standout chose Stanford instead.
Barnes’ production at Westview High School explains why so many programs stayed involved. As a junior, he ran 146 times for 1,208 yards and 25 touchdowns, then added 27 catches for 567 yards and six more scores. He helped lead Westview to a 14-0 record and a state championship.
At 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, Barnes is ranked as the No. 551 overall prospect, the No. 33 running back and the No. 24 recruit in Tennessee in the 2027 class, according to the 247Sports Composite Ratings.
Florida State currently has 13 verbal commitments in #Tribe27, a class that sits at No. 59 nationally.
In Other News...
Mike Norvell Pressure At Florida State Just Hit A New Level
Mike Norvells run at Florida State still carries the memory of 2023, when he guided the Seminoles to a 13-1 record and an ACC championship, but that success now feels increasingly distant. The conversation around the program has shifted hard in the other direction, with the Seminoles recent slide putting a very different kind of spotlight on the coach who once looked like he had the whole thing pointed back up.
Florida States on-field struggles have been paired with recruiting concerns that only add to the unease, as the 2027 class sits at No. 59 nationally and does not yet look like the kind of group that can quickly reset the trajectory. Even among ACC coaches, Norvell is being viewed through a harsher lens now, and the longer the results lag behind the standard he set, the harder it becomes to ignore the pressure building around him. [Read more 🡒]
Can FSU Finally Trust Its Linebackers In Year Two Under Norvell
Florida States linebacker room looks a lot different heading into the second year of the 3-3-5, and that is by design. The Seminoles have turned to transfers Ernie Sims, Chris Jones and Mikai Gbayor while also keeping a core that includes Blake Nichelson, Omar Graham Jr., Caleb LaVallee and AJ Cottrill, with freshman Izayia Williams adding another layer of competition. After a season of shuffling and uneven play at the position, the hope is that a cleaner fit in the scheme and a deeper group will finally give the defense more stability in the middle.
Jones arrives with a strong track record from Southern Miss, while Gbayor brings familiarity with Tony White after previous stops and a productive year at Nebraska. LaVallees return from a leg injury should matter too, because Florida State needs bodies it can trust, not just names on the depth chart. The bigger question is whether all of those pieces can settle in quickly enough to make the linebacker spot a strength instead of a weekly concern, especially with so much riding on how the new-look group handles the demands of year two. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Hit A Familiar Roadblock With Elite In State QB
Florida State is back in the familiar position of trying to hold its ground with an in-state quarterback who has plenty of options. Hudson West, a 2028 target for the Seminoles, is drawing interest from Florida, North Carolina and Georgia Tech, and his recruitment already has the feel of a long one. For a program that still sells itself on staying home and winning big in Florida, landing a player like West would matter well beyond one class.
West has made relationships a major part of his decision-making, which gives Florida State a clear opening if it can keep building trust over time. The challenge is obvious, though: Mike Norvells uncertain tenure and the programs recent struggles to consistently secure top in-state talent hang over this pursuit, and those are the kinds of questions that can linger deep into a quarterback recruitment. [Read more 🡒]