Transfers lead second year of Florida State Seminoles rebuild under coach Mike Norvell
The first year of the coach Mike Norvell era had the expected bumps in the rebuilding road.
Florida State’s COVID-19 shortened 2020 season saw the Seminoles compile a 3-6 record, which put the team near the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Only Duke and Syracuse performed worse in conference play.
So what does it mean for Year 2? Well, things need to start moving in the right direction. Florida Atlantic coach Willie Taggart didn’t even get two full seasons, before he was fired from his dream job at the Tallahassee school. Taggart’s two seasons produced the first losing campaigns since legendary Bobby Bowden’s first year in charge in 1976.
To help speed up the recovery before his recruiting classes can contribute, Norvell and his staff used the transfer portal to their benefit.
Former UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton was the biggest addition, but the defense received a boost from South Carolina transfers Jammie Robinson and Keir Thomas, Georgia transfer Jermaine Johnson II and Alabama A&M transfer Marcus Cushnie.
“McKenzie is the ultimate competitor,” Norvell said at ACC Media Day. “We had some of the greatest games in college football history going against each other. Just seeing the way he would respond. Getting to see the impact he made, not only on the field with his physical ability, but also making guys around him better.”
Milton rose to prominence in Orlando, guiding UCF to an undefeated season and Peach Bowl victory over Auburn. The following year, he was leading the Knights to a second straight undefeated season when he sustained a horrific leg injury against rival USF.
A long recovery period commenced, though it was feared his football career was over.
Instead, Milton built himself back and transferred to FSU for another chance to show how skillful he is. But it’s likely Norvell, who witnessed Milton’s prowess during his tenure at Memphis, will also utilize the game-breaking speed of Jordan Travis, who transferred from Louisville before last season.
In either case, if FSU gets the UCF-version of Milton, then that’s a big boon for the Seminoles, who have lacked having a great quarterback in recent seasons. Last year, FSU’s passing offense ranked 98th out of 127 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.
The criticism surrounding FSU’s offense in recent years is directed at the offensive line, but that unit succeeded in making FSU’s ground game into the No. 31 ranked rushing offense last season.
With improvements, the Seminoles are looking to have a more balanced approach on offense.
Meanwhile, FSU’s defense should be good in the secondary. The question marks coming in were in the trenches with the departures of three players to the NFL. But the aforementioned Thomas, Johnson II and Cushnie are expected to improve and bolster the D-line play, specifically in their pass rush.
“That has to be a strength for us,” Norvell said. “When you look through the years of our program, the great history that we have, that has always been a staple. It needs to return to that.”
However, FSU is still in a rebuilding phase, which is a phrase not often associated with the program the late Bowden turned into a national powerhouse.
Getting back to competing for conference championships and being in the national title picture are more long-term goals when taking a look at this year’s schedule.
An opener against tradition-rich Notre Dame, as well as conference games against Clemson, North Carolina and Miami and in-state rival Florida, should all be ones that FSU are underdogs in. And that could spell a long season for FSU fans.
Jason Dill: 941-745-7017, @Jason__Dill
This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
