Florida State’s 2027 recruiting class already has plenty of names on the board, but the bigger conversation around the Seminoles right now is the one Andy Staples of On3 is driving: he thinks FSU has the toughest schedule in the ACC.
The Seminoles’ slate is loaded with high-profile matchups and plenty of road tests, starting with a pair of home games before the calendar flips into the heart of the season. New Mexico State comes to Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 7:00 p.m. on The CW, followed by SMU in Tallahassee on Monday, Sep. 7 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. After a bye, Florida State heads to Tuscaloosa for Alabama on Saturday, Sep. 19 at Bryant-Denny Stadium, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
The rest of the schedule doesn’t get any friendlier. Central Arkansas visits on Sep. 26, then Virginia comes to Tallahassee on Oct.
- A Friday night trip to Louisville follows on Oct. 9 at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN, before the Seminoles meet Miami at Hard Rock Stadium on Oct.
- Another bye leads into Clemson’s visit to Doak Campbell Stadium on Oct. 31, then Florida State goes to Boston College on Nov. 7 and Pitt on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN.
NC State comes to Tallahassee on Nov. 21, and the regular season closes with Florida on Friday, Nov. 27 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
On the recruiting side, Florida State’s 2027 class currently includes quarterback Logan Flaherty, running back Jayden Miles, tight end Connor Winn, wide receivers Sean Green and Majay Thompson, defensive linemen Sam LeJeune and Eric Vaulx Jr., edge rushers Anthony Cavallaro and Jaxon Holly, linebackers Jernard Albright and Olrick Johnson III, and defensive back Jemari Foreman.
Away from football, Florida State also had a major individual honor in track and field. Senior sprinter Shenese Walker was named the ACC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Wednesday, and 19 other athletes were placed on the All-ACC academic team.
Walker, who recently walked across the stage with a bachelor’s degree in public health, became the fourth person overall and the first woman since Colleen Quigley in 2015 to win the award. The St.
Thomas, Jamaica, native finished her career as a two-time national champion after sweeping the indoor and outdoor short sprint titles in the same year. She also picked up back-to-back ACC Women’s MVP and Performer of the Year honors.
To qualify for the All-ACC Academic Team, student-athletes must post a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average in their academic careers, while also competing in either the ACC Championship or the NCAA Championship.
In Other News...
One National Take Has Florida State Fans Bracing For A Reset
A national conversation around Florida State has turned back to 2026, and not in a way that should make Seminoles fans comfortable. Josh Pate took a skeptical view of the programs outlook, pointing to the combination of a punishing early schedule and lingering uncertainty at quarterback as reasons the next season could start with more questions than answers.
For a fan base already carrying the weight of recent disappointment under Mike Norvell, the backdrop matters as much as the forecast. Florida State has won just seven games over the past two seasons, and the broader concern now is whether the Seminoles can show enough traction early against a slate that includes major tests before September ends and a string of difficult ACC matchups beyond that. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Norvell Finally Has Proof He Got These FSU Evaluations Right
Mike Norvells latest evaluation win came before the 2027 cycle has even settled in, with blue-chip defensive lineman Sam LeJeune joining a class that still needs help climbing the rankings. It is a useful reminder of how much the Florida State coach has leaned on recruiting conviction since 2020, when the Seminoles were trying to rebuild both the roster and the programs credibility on the trail.
The payoff has started to show up in more than just commitments. Mandrell Desir turned into a Freshman All-American and became a disruptive force off the edge, Micahi Danzys move from running back to wide receiver has given FSU a big-play option, and Joshua Farmers path to the league only added to the growing list of Norvell signees who have backed up the scouting reports. Ja'Khi Douglas gave the offense steadiness in 2024, too, which is why the next question matters so much: whether Norvell can keep turning those evaluations into the kind of star power that changes the programs ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Took Another Recruiting Hit In The Secondary
Florida States 2027 secondary board has already taken a few turns, and the latest one only adds to the uncertainty. Four-star safety Mekhi Williams and three-star cornerback DaYon Cooper both backed off their pledges, leaving three-star safety Jemari Foreman as the lone defensive back still committed in the class. Against that backdrop, the Seminoles had been keeping close tabs on four-star cornerback Tae Walden Jr., a prospect they had offered and were expecting to bring in for an October official visit.
Waldens decision now forces a recalibration for a group that was hoping to steady itself with an early defensive back haul. Florida State still has plenty of time to recover in the 2027 cycle, but losing another target the staff had prioritized is a reminder that the secondary remains very much a work in progress. For a program trying to keep pace in the recruiting chase, the next few months on the trail will matter even more. [Read more 🡒]