Maybe it’s time to call Florida State’s Mike Norvell the ‘portal king’
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin likes to refer to himself as the “portal king.” Well, the real portal king may actually reside about 410 miles southeast of Oxford, Miss. It’s Florida State’s Mike Norvell.
The Seminoles just finished off a 10-3 season, the school’s first year with double-digit wins since 2016. For much of the season, the Seminoles’ starting lineup included 11 transfers. FSU’s leading passer (Jordan Travis), rusher (Trey Benson), receiver (Johnny Wilson), tackler (Jammie Robinson), interceptor (Greedy Vance) and sack man (Jared Verse) were transfers. Three-fifths of the starting offensive line and half of the starting defensive line were transfers.
Norvell and his staff have done yeoman work in the portal this cycle, too. They’ve brought in one of the top offensive tackles (Jeremiah Byers from UTEP), a potential starting guard (Casey Roddick from Colorado), two of the top tight ends (Jaheim Bell from South Carolina and Kyle Morlock from Shorter), maybe the best defensive tackle (Braden Fiske from Western Michigan), a rising-star defensive tackle (Darrell Jackson from Miami) and arguably the top cornerback (Fentrell Cypress from Virginia).
That’s six potential starters; at the least, it’s seven important rotation guys – and they were acquired in roughly three weeks.
Especially impressive was landing Fiske and Jackson. Jackson grew up about 30 miles from Tallahassee, in Havana, Fla., and went to Maryland and then Miami before ending up at FSU. With the news that Fabian Lovett – himself a former transfer – will return for 2023, defensive tackle has gone from a question to a definite team strength. Joshua Farmer (a teammate of Jackson in high school) and Malcolm Ray also are set to return, giving FSU five viable defensive tackles – a luxury few coaches have.
Norvell’s portal work has been excellent, recruiting efforts not so much
To be blunt, though, Norvell has needed to hit in the portal because FSU’s high school recruiting has been relatively lackluster. The Seminoles’ 2023 signing class ranks 19th nationally in the On3 Consensus; the 2022 class ranked 24th. FSU has signed a combined seven On3 Consensus national top-200 players in the past two classes; its two main rivals signed 12 (Miami) and nine (Florida) in the 2023 class alone. And FSU has signed just three players considered among the top-20 recruits in Florida in the past two classes.
Still, Norvell’s use of the portal has helped FSU’s victory total rise in each of the past two seasons. The Seminoles went 3-6 in 2020, Norvell’s first season. They were 5-7 in 2021, then broke through with the 10-3 mark this season.
“We’ve had some great players that have come in [from high school] and you see the development, you see the growth,” Norvell told reporters earlier this month about his use of the portal. “But there are some positions where … you can maybe get a little bit more experience or to be able to bridge a gap.”
Next season looks good, too, thanks to the return of Travis, who will be a sixth-year senior in 2023. Travis transferred in under Willie Taggart, but has made great strides the past two seasons under Norvell and his staff. Indeed, it seems likely FSU will go into the 2023 season as one of the favorites in the ACC.
Sustainability when building via the transfer portal is a legit question. FSU, LSU and USC, among others, brought in big transfer groups in the offseason, and all had successful seasons. FSU has nine portal commitments already; LSU and USC have hit the portal again, but not quite as heavily as last year. Then again, this portal window remains open for another three weeks. And there’s another 15-day window that begins in late April. FSU added eventual starting right tackle Jazston Turnetine after spring practice last year (and USC added Jordan Addison late, too).
That means there’s more time for the “portal king” to find more players.