Despite a rise in the role that NIL is playing in high school recruiting, relationships are still key on the recruiting trail.

Florida State has seen as much both negatively and positively in the final weeks leading up to early signing day.

With the decision to fire offensive coordinator / offensive line coach Alex Atkins with three weeks left to go in the season, many of those relationships were going to be put to the test. At that time, Florida State's offensive line class had the highest number of commitments still in the boat with four pledges — including five-star Solomon Thomas.

The immediate fear became losing Thomas, who very publicly had a strong relationship with Atkins. In the end, that's exactly what happened as Florida State lost Thomas on signing day to LSU in a move that felt inevitable. Three-star Daniel Pierre-Louis and four-star Peyton Joseph also decided to move on to Florida and Georgia Tech, respectively, prior to signing day.

But Florida State managed to prevent the cupboard from being completely barren, as they held on to four-star Mario Nash Jr. and flipped three-star Sean Poret away from USF on signing day.

Nobody is arguing that the losses don't hurt Florida State, but head coach Mike Norvell and interim offensive line coach Gabe Fertitta's effort to keep key pieces still on board despite not having a named hire is commendable.

"There are definitely real challenges, especially with the high profile players that we're on, it's every day for the last three years that it's been building and working (on relationships). Then when there's change it's hard. I'd like to tell you that we were able to overcome it in every situation. We weren't. I respect those young men for the time they gave us, for the opportunity to build relationships, and some of them chose to go in different places where maybe they had a little bit more familiarity with what that looks like, and you know, that's fine. It's part of the challenge when there is change," Norvell said.

"I'm definitely excited for the guys that we have and what that's meant," he continued. "For the ones that believe in not only the place, but the people that are in those rooms that are current players. And then obviously what I'm going to be able to do in bringing in the right assistant. There's some positions that it would have been great to have somebody in position, but it's all about being right, and that's our No. 1 focus of what is the right fit for us."

Fertitta, who has since been reported to have been hired as the offensive coordinator at Nicholls State, has stepped up multiple times during a dreadful season. Fertitta would be returning to Louisiana, where he was a coach at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge for four years before joining the Seminoles staff.

"I think Gabe Fertitta did a wonderful job with both those guys. He really worked his tail off throughout the year and just building a relationship. Obviously change is hard, but those guys believe in the program. They believe in the leadership of what we're doing, and they believe in the opportunity that's here for them," Norvell said.

Offensive line was not the only position to be left without a position coach on signing day. The Seminoles’ wide receiver class had been completely stripped of talent by the time Dugans was relieved on Nov. 10. Mike Norvell took a more hands-on role in salvaging the wide receiver class, having been a former wide receiver and receivers coach himself. The Seminoles ended with four receiver signees, including one in the Rivals100.

"Norvell is very important, he's hands on with his receivers. He played receiver in college, coached receivers — I believe what he has going on with Florida State," said three-star signee Teriq Mallory on his official visit prior to flipping to the Seminoles.

The challenges were real in terms of salvaging the 2025 recruiting class in the dying moments of the cycle. But the efforts of Norvell at wide receiver and Fertitta at offensive line to add and help retain prospects was a factor in the Seminoles soaring up the recruiting rankings in an impressive signing day finish for Florida State.

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