Four Years Later: How has Mike Norvell's first recruiting class at Florida State panned out?
Throughout Mike Norvell’s tenure, Florida State has been one of the most prolific users of the newly popularized transfer portal. Consequently, FSU critics have been quick to accuse Norvell of being unable to land blue-chip high school talent.
But things are heating up in the high school recruiting world for FSU.
The Seminoles secured four commitments this past week and are currently ranked with the 14th-best recruiting class in the On3 rankings. This should come as no surprise after what Norvell teased on Twitter to close out the month of June.
As difficult as it may be to believe, FSU’s 2024 signing class will be Norvell’s fifth in Tallahassee. Although the first one, which came together shortly after he was hired in December 2019, was hardly formed under ideal circumstances.
Most of the recruits who signed that December were primarily recruited by former Florida State head coach Willie Taggart and his staff. Norvell and his assistants added a few more prospects they were able to get involved with late, and that led to FSU finishing with a class ranked No. 21 in the country.
Only 10 of the 25 high school signees from that transition class are still at Florida State. And with each of them entering their fourth seasons at FSU, this is a good time to reflect on how the Seminoles were able to land them and what they’ve done in their college careers.
RB Lawrance Toafili
Offered: Taggart (January 2018)
Committed: Taggart (August 2019)
Signed: December 2019
Recruitment: Toafili was the fifth-highest rated recruit in Tribe ‘20 and the highest of those who remain. He returned to campus a week before the early signing day to meet Norvell and the new staff, and he ultimately decided to remain committed.
As A Seminole: He would appear in eight games as a true freshman and run for 356 yards on only 37 carries. Going into his redshirt junior season, Toafili is the Seminoles’ strongest pass-catcher out of the backfield and is looking to make a large impact on the upcoming season.
WR Ja’Khi Douglas
Offered: Taggart (January 2019)
Committed: Taggart (July 2019)
Signed: December 2019
Recruitment: Douglas was ranked seventh in this class. Before the Norvell hire was made official, FSU receivers coach Ron Dugans made an in-home visit with Douglas in early December. Just over a month later, Douglas was on campus as an early enrollee.
As A Seminole: Douglas saw early action as a true freshman, appearing in eight games and earning one start. The Louisiana product burst onto the scene in Florida State’s opening game of 2021 against Notre Dame, hauling in a deep pass from Jordan Travis on a wheel route and outrunning the defense for a 60-yard score to give FSU the lead early in the third quarter. Later that same season, with the Seminoles trailing Miami in the final minutes, Travis hit Douglas on a similar play to pick up 59 yards on FSU’s game-winning drive. In 2023, Douglas will compete for a starting spot as a slot receiver.
WR Kentron Poitier
Offered: Taggart (January 2019)
Committed: Norvell (December 2019)
Signed: December 2019
Recruitment: Was ranked ninth in this class. Poitier, who was viewed as a project because he didn’t begin to focus on football until late in high school, visited FSU multiple times and was high on the ‘Noles before Norvell was hired. After meeting the new head coach, Poitier committed and signed in December.
As A Seminole: Poitier was relatively quiet his first two years in the program with only eight catches across 17 games, but Poitier showed immense growth throughout the 2022 season. He hauled in 14 receptions for 283 yards and four touchdowns last fall, was outstanding this past spring and will be a key figure in FSU’s WR rotation this fall.
OL Robert Scott Jr.
Offered: Norvell (January 2020)
Committed: Norvell (January 2020)
Signed: February 2020
Recruitment: If Scott had participated in the December signing period, he almost certainly would have ended up at Ole Miss. The Arkansas product had committed to the Rebels in June 2019 and did not take an official visit to Florida State until mid-January. By the end of January, Scott flipped his commitment to FSU.
As A Seminole: Scott earned seven starts as a true freshman and started in all 11 of his appearances in each of the next two seasons respectively. He currently measures in at 6-foot-5 and 304 pounds, and if healthy there is a strong chance he will be the starting left tackle in 2023. He missed all of spring due to injury.
QB Tate Rodemaker
Offered: Norvell (December 2019)
Committed: Norvell (December 2019)
Signed: December 2019
Recruitment: Shortly after Norvell was hired, Rodemaker flipped his commitment from USF to FSU with less than a week until signing day. He was Norvell’s first quarterback commit with the Seminoles and enrolled in January.
As A Seminole: Rodemaker competed alongside Jordan Travis and James Blackman that spring until the COVID pandemic ended camp prematurely. He started one game as a true freshman — his only collegiate start thus far — and saw more action out of necessity, not because he was truly ready. In 2022, a more developed Rodemaker filled in for Travis following an injury at Louisville and rose to the occasion. He entered the game on a third down in which the Seminoles needed 22 yards, and he rifled an absolute strike in the direction of Johnny Wilson, who corralled the ball a step out of bounds. Things looked bleak at halftime after a horrendous interception, but Rodemaker silenced his doubters in the second half as he threw two touchdowns to secure an FSU victory. The redshirt junior is expected to be Travis’ top backup again this fall.
WR Darion Williamson
Offered: Norvell (January 2020)
Committed: Norvell (January 2020)
Signed: February 2020
Recruitment: Another commitment flip for Norvell. Williamson sustained season-ending ACL and MCL tears in his right knee during his senior high school season, and after committing to the home-state Tennessee Volunteers, he ended up switching to FSU. David Johnson, FSU’s running backs coach and recruiting coordinator, had been Williamson’s primary recruiter at Tennessee. When Johnson left to join Norvell in Tallahassee, Williamson ended up taking a visit to Florida State about two weeks before signing day. He would decommit from Tennessee in the following days and commit to FSU the day after that.
As A Seminole: After recovering from his knee injury, Williamson appeared in three games as a true freshman and caught a pair of passes. He appeared in 12 games in 2021, then unfortunately got injured again in 2022. When healthy, Williamson led the team in receiving yards against Boston College last season with 98 on five catches — and he did that while being on the field for only eight snaps. The 6-3, 200-pound wideout gives FSU another large and athletic target on a 2023 offense filled with them.
LB DJ Lundy
Offered: Norvell (January 2020)
Committed: Norvell (January 2020)
Signed: February 2020
Recruitment: Lundy was not a very highly touted recruit, but he did have offers from some SEC schools and was leaning toward Virginia Tech before Norvell and FSU got involved. The Seminoles brought him in for an official visit one week before signing day, and Lundy would ultimately commit and sign with the ‘Noles.
As A Seminole: Lundy appeared in seven games as a true freshman, started 11 of 12 games in 2021, and played in all 13 games this past season while making a pair of starts. In the past two seasons, Lundy has tallied 117 total tackles, and he has transformed his body to become more effective in pass coverage. Lundy played both ways in high school and made his college debut at fullback against LSU, with his first carry going for a one-yard touchdown. He did it again against Clemson, and he also caught a two-yard TD pass against Miami in Florida State’s 45-3 victory over the Hurricanes.
TE Markeston Douglas
Offered: Norvell (January 2020)
Committed: Norvell (January 2020)
Signed: February 2020
Recruitment: Douglas had a similar FSU recruiting experience to high school teammate Darion Williamson. The pair came on their official visit together, received offers on the same day and committed on the same day. Before that, Douglas was much less-heralded as a recruit. He didn’t switch from basketball to football until his senior year, and his massive size at 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds had some debating whether he would stay at tight end or move to offensive tackle in college.
As A Seminole: After sitting out his first year and playing in just four games as a redshirt freshman in 2021, Douglas finally got to showcase his abilities last season. He appeared in all 13 games and even earned four starts. His first career touchdown, against Louisiana, was a one-handed beauty. With dynamic South Carolina transfer Jaheim Bell entering the tight end room this year, it is expected that Douglas will not be FSU’s top pass-catching tight end. But his rare athletic ability for his size (6-4, 274) will certainly allow him opportunities on the field.
P Alex Mastromanno
Offered: Norvell (December 2019)
Committed: Norvell (December 2019)
Signed: December 2019
Recruitment: The Australian was not on many college football fans’ radars when he announced his commitment to Florida State in late 2019. Mastromanno did not even have a Twitter account before he created one to share his commitment announcement. So once FSU offered, it didn’t take long for his decision.
As A Seminole: Mastromanno has served as Florida State’s primary punter since his arrival, and he’s also been the holder on field goals and extra points the past two seasons. The former Australian Rules Football player was FSU’s Special Teams MVP in 2021 as he went the whole season without allowing a touchback. In 2022, he averaged nearly 42 yards a punt and booted five that carried at least 50 yards. Mastromanno is set to be the Seminoles’ starting punter again for the 2023 season.
OL Thomas Shrader
Offered: Taggart (February 2019)
Committed: Taggart (July 2019)
Signed: December 2019
Recruitment: After committing to FSU during the summer before his senior season, Shrader ended up being re-recruited by Norvell and the Seminoles’ new staff and stuck with the ‘Noles. He took multiple visits during that process.
As A Seminole: Saw action in four games and even started one as a freshman in 2020 but has been hampered with injuries the past two years. Is expected to be one of the Seminoles’ top backups this fall.
Here are the other 15 high school signees from that first Norvell class in 2020, who have since found new homes: QB Chubba Purdy, DB Demorie Tate, WR Bryan Robinson, DB Jadarius Green-McKnight, LB Stephen Dix Jr., LB Jayion McCluster, RB Corey Wren, DB Sidney Williams, DE Josh Griffis, OL Zane Herring, TE Carter Boatwright, OL Lloyd Willis, RB La’Damian Webb, DL TJ Davis, DL Manny Rogers.
*Tribal Council Extra: Where those other 15 players ended up and how they’re doing
Talk about this story with other die-hard FSU football fans on the Tribal Council.
