Florida State’s search list, at least in theory, starts with a pair of former Auburn assistants who now sit in very different spots on the college football map.
Rhett Lashlee and Kenny Dillingham were identified as the top two potential Mike Norvell replacements at FSU if the Seminoles move on from their head coach at any point over the next few months. Both have ties to Auburn, but the fit - and the odds of actually landing either one - look wildly different.
Josh Yourish of Chop Chat laid out the case for both men, and his read on Lashlee was blunt. “This is a situation where Florida State may not be able to pry Lashlee away from SMU.
He’s tapped into a deep-pocketed donor base and has that program rocking for the first time since it suffered the death penalty. Would the former Miami OC leave to coach Florida State, which has been lagging behind in the NIL era and has not been nearly as competitive in the ACC as SMU for the past two seasons?
It’s at least worth making the call,” Yourish wrote.
That sounds about right. Florida State should absolutely make the call, but Lashlee leaving SMU for Tallahassee feels like a long shot at best.
The Mustangs are positioned to keep winning in the ACC, and the program already has momentum after two years of serious investment. SMU took no media rights money from the conference for seven years, and that financial setup has helped fuel the kind of roster-building that has them expected to be contenders again in the 2026 season.
The money matters here. SMU has already shown it can spend enough to compete in one of the toughest leagues in the country, and the NIL ceiling still feels high.
Lashlee also has the kind of setup where the program could target local talent in the DFW area and save on recruiting travel at the same time. Against that backdrop, FSU’s revenue gap with the Power 2, plus the weight of Norvell’s buyout, makes the pitch a hard sell.
So yes, FSU can ask. But the most likely outcome is simple: Lashlee listens, gives it a few minutes, and turns it down.
Dillingham is a different conversation, even if the answer may still be the same. Yourish pointed out that he turned down Michigan to remain at Arizona State this offseason, a choice that appears tied to family and his comfort level at his alma mater. He also has history in Tallahassee, having coached under Norvell in 2020-21, and he’s spent the offseason pushing for more money to keep the Sun Devils in College Football Playoff contention.
Still, the Arizona State situation isn’t exactly a dead end. Dillingham has talked about the lack of resources for roster building, but his tone shifted last November, and he now seems more committed to the infrastructure around the program.
Even so, the job comes with its own battles. He’s dealing with in-state competition from Arizona and out-of-state pressure from Big Ten programs and Texas, while Florida State would bring a different kind of fight entirely - Florida, Miami and the SEC blueprint.
On paper, the FSU job carries more prestige. In reality, it also brings suffocating expectations after the Seminoles’ post-2023 collapse. Dillingham already has something rolling at Arizona State, and with the Big 12 path to the CFP potentially cleaner than the ACC route, a return to Tallahassee may not make practical sense for him.
But FSU still has to make the call. Dillingham is one of the names worth forcing to say no.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech Fall Camp Is Creating A Real Starting Job Debate
Fall camp has opened a real conversation up front for Virginia Tech, where a handful of newcomers are pushing to make an immediate impression and reshape the depth chart. Redshirt freshman Stuewe, Penn State transfer Denmark and Ohio State transfer Terry are all in the mix for playing time, giving the Hokies a legitimate set of questions to sort through as they try to settle the line before the season begins.
The intrigue is not just about who can help right away, but how each piece fits into the larger puzzle of a unit still sorting out roles. Terry has drawn the most attention in that battle, while Denmark and Stuewe appear to be working toward spots in the rotation and two-deep rather than a definitive starting claim, leaving Virginia Tech with a few decisions still hanging as camp moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Just Added A New Twist To Its Backfield
Virginia Tech has added another piece to its backfield in Bill Davis, a transfer from Louisiana who brings a different kind of run-game profile to Blacksburg. Davis arrives as a physical runner with more than 1,700 college rushing yards, and he gives the Hokies a sturdier option to pair with Marcellous Hawkins and Jeffrey Overton Jr. as they keep building out a deeper, more varied ground attack.
Davis track record suggests this is more than just an extra body on the roster. He has produced steadily throughout his college career and has already shown he can handle ACC competition, which is part of what makes him such an interesting fit for this offense. If Virginia Techs run game is going to stay multi-dimensional this season, Davis could end up being one of the more important additions of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech's Offensive Line Rebuild Just Added An Intriguing Piece
Virginia Techs offseason push to reshape its offensive front picked up another notable addition with the arrival of Justin Bell, a former three-star lineman who transferred in from Michigan State. Bell brings size at 6-foot-6 and around 322 pounds, and while his college rsum is still in the developmental stage, he fits the kind of profile the Hokies have been chasing as they try to strengthen a unit that needs more depth and upside.
Bell did not appear in a game during his redshirt season at Michigan State, so the move to Blacksburg is as much about long-term growth as immediate production. For Virginia Tech, that makes him an intriguing piece rather than a finished product, and his development will be one more storyline to watch as the Hokies continue rebuilding the offensive line around a broader new-look approach. [Read more 🡒]