Florida State football is at a crossroads. After a brutal 2-10 finish in 2024 and a disappointing 5-7 campaign in 2025, the Seminoles are staring down a reality that doesn’t match their championship ambitions. While the program still talks about competing for ACC titles and national relevance, the results on the field tell a different story - and watching arch-rival Miami surge into the College Football Playoff only adds salt to the wound.
Despite the frustration, Florida State is sticking with head coach Mike Norvell for a seventh season. That decision has sparked debate across Seminole Nation.
Some are skeptical, others cautiously optimistic. But one thing is clear: if Norvell is going to turn this around, it starts in the trenches.
Let’s be honest - the offensive line was one of the few bright spots last season. Under first-year position coach Herb Hand, the unit held its own more often than not.
But the success came with an asterisk: nearly the entire starting group was made up of transfers. That’s not a sustainable model for building long-term dominance.
Florida State now faces a choice - hit the portal hard again or develop the high school talent already on the roster. Either way, they need answers, and they need them fast.
On the defensive side of the ball, the situation is even murkier. The Seminoles took some big swings in the transfer portal, but many of those additions didn’t land.
Players like James Williams, Jayson Jenkins, and Deamontae Diggs were brought in to make an impact and never quite found their footing. That’s a miss Florida State can’t afford to repeat.
There were some encouraging signs, though. The Desir twins flashed real potential as freshmen, showing the kind of high-motor, high-upside play that gives fans something to believe in. But relying on a couple of underclassmen to anchor a defensive front isn’t going to cut it, not in a conference where elite line play separates contenders from pretenders.
To their credit, the Seminoles are trying to address the issue. The 2026 recruiting class includes nine defensive linemen and six offensive linemen - a clear attempt to restock the cupboard. But perception is a tough thing to shake, and right now, the narrative around Florida State’s trenches is that they’re behind the curve.
Meanwhile, Miami is building from the inside out, and it’s paying off. The Hurricanes boast blue-chip talent in the trenches, including defensive linemen Rueben Bain Jr. and Armondo Blount, plus offensive line anchor Francis Mauigoa.
Say what you will about Mario Cristobal’s game-day decisions - and there’s plenty to say - but his commitment to dominating the line of scrimmage is undeniable. When you’ve got that kind of talent up front, it covers up a lot of other issues.
That’s the blueprint Florida State needs to follow. Norvell doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel, but he does have to get back to basics.
Build from the inside out. Win at the line of scrimmage.
Develop talent and supplement it with the right portal pieces. Because right now, the margin for error is razor thin, and Norvell’s job security is very much in play.
There’s still time to get this right - but not much. The Seminoles have to hit on this recruiting class, find impact players in the portal, and finally establish a foundation in the trenches that can carry them back to national relevance. The clock is ticking in Tallahassee.