When the dust settles on this offseason, Florida State will have one of the most impressive transfer classes in all of college football.
The Seminoles already have seven Division-I transfers enrolled for the spring semester, they have another one committed (former Kansas WR Andrew Parchment, who is slated to enroll this summer), and they likely have a couple more on the way.
But as important as that group is expected to be to FSU's success in the 2021 season, head coach Mike Norvell says that isn't necessarily the formula he wants to follow in the long-term.
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Speaking at the university's regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting Friday morning, Norvell said he plans to be more selective when using the transfer portal in the future. He won't be ignoring it by any means, but he also doesn't plan to rely on it so heavily.
“We want to build this program from the high school ranks," Norvell said. "We have the greatest recruiting base here in the state of Florida and south Georgia ... we want that to be the focus. But we’re always going to look for the right fit.”
Norvell said he went heavy on transfers in this class because of all the attrition the Seminoles have seen through the coaching transitions in recent years.
By the end of last season, the Seminoles were the youngest team in Division-I football, with 75 percent of the roster being freshmen and sophomores. So Norvell and his staff targeted players in the transfer portal who could provide college experience as well as leadership skills.
Norvell said those traits are already on display through the first several weeks of winter conditioning, and he added that he's also excited about what he's seen from the high school signees who enrolled in January -- receivers Joshua Burrell and Malik McClain, offensive lineman Bryson Estes, tight end Jackson West, defensive back Kevin Knowles and defensive end Joshua Farmer.
“They are absolutely the right fit for what we are looking for in the way that they have joined the football program already," Norvell said.
Speaking about the big picture of his program, the second-year head coach said he is seeing improvement from the Seminoles' players in all areas. He pointed out that the team grade-point average in the fall was 2.8, which is the program's highest ever during a fall semester.
“Our guys are making the investment," Norvell said, adding that the physical gains in offseason workouts have been significant as well. “It’s going to be exciting to get out on the field come March 9 (for the start of spring practice), to see the physical development being shown out there on the practice field.”
While Norvell is not allowed to discuss individual recruits, he also alluded to the success the Seminoles are enjoying on the recruiting trail. They have landed two commitments for the Class of 2023 in the last two days, and their 2022 class currently ranks in the top 10 nationally.
“I really am excited about where we are," Norvell said, "but you can also see the buzz and excitement of what’s going on in these future classes.”
FSU's spring game is set for April 10.
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