After landing blue-chip defensive lineman Sam LeJeune last week, Mike Norvell and Florida State are still chasing a strong finish to the summer and hoping to climb in the 2027 recruiting rankings. But before turning the page to what comes next, it’s worth looking back at the high school recruits who actually delivered for the Seminoles under Norvell.
Since Norvell arrived in 2020, Florida State has had its share of swings and misses. Still, a few signees have clearly stood out from each class, and those players have become the best examples of what the staff can get right when it locks in on the right talent.
Mandrell Desir was the easy choice from the 2025 class. The 3-star defensive lineman wasted no time making his presence felt, earning Freshman All-American honors while leading Florida State with 6.5 sacks.
He finished second in ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, and that sack total landed among the best ever by a true freshman Seminole, alongside names like Ron Simmons and Brian Burns. That’s elite company, and Desir looks like a core piece for at least the next two seasons.
Micahi Danzy gets the nod for 2024, and he brings a different kind of threat entirely. Listed as a running back during his recruitment, the 4-star ended up showing he’s really a wide receiver who can turn any touch into a problem for defenses.
Last season, he averaged 20.2 yards per touch, making him the clear big-play weapon on the roster. There’s been plenty of buzz around Ousmane Kromah and Duce Robinson, but Danzy has the kind of explosiveness that can define an offense.
MICAHI DANZY! THE TRACK STAR FROM TALLAHASSEE!
TOUCHDOWN TO TAKE THE LEAD!!! pic.twitter.com/z9vqHFucf2
- Clay Fink (@clay_fink) August 30, 2025
Ja'Bril Rawls earns the spot for 2023 after taking a major step forward as a redshirt sophomore. Even with injuries costing him several games, he still put together a strong year with 40 tackles, 2 PBUs and an interception. He gave Florida State real stability in the secondary, and if he strings together another season like that, the NFL Draft conversation should get louder.
For 2022, Azareye'h Thomas stands out as the top success story. The 4-star cornerback is the highest draft pick among the high school recruits Norvell has signed, going 73rd overall to the New York Jets in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
He was steady for three seasons and, by the numbers and the eye test, probably deserved All-ACC recognition in 2024 even though Florida State’s rough season kept him from getting the honor. It’s also a neat twist that some fans saw him as the fallback after the Travis Hunter recruitment collapsed on signing day, because Thomas ended up being a very good player in his own right.
Joshua Farmer takes the 2021 spot. The 3-star defensive lineman became the second-highest draft pick among Norvell’s high school recruits, going to the New England Patriots in the fourth round at No. 137 overall in the 2025 draft.
He was steady from start to finish, and he fit right into the long line of Florida State defensive linemen fans have come to expect. His best stretch came in 2023, when he posted seven tackles for loss and five sacks while lining up with Jared Verse and Braden Fiske.
He followed that up in 2024 with eight tackles for loss and four sacks.
Then there’s Ja'Khi Douglas from the 2020 class, the best pick from the group Norvell specifically brought in after arriving in Tallahassee. That class was a little unusual because Norvell also inherited recruits who had already committed to Willie Taggart in the summer of 2019, including running back Lawrence Toafili, so Douglas is the cleanest example of one of Norvell’s own evaluations.
He was probably underused and maybe should have had more of the opportunities that Mycah Pittman got in 2022, but when Douglas was on the field, he was dependable. In 2024, he was the one receiver the Seminoles could really count on, finishing with 32 catches, 519 yards and four touchdowns.
He also brought the kind of steady presence every team needs, showing up and doing his job.
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 🡒]
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 🡒]