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Published Nov 30, 2021
FSU Football makes strong case to transfer prospects
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Ira Schoffel  •  TheOsceola
Managing Editor
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@iraschoffel

The Florida State football team's second-year coaching staff would likely prefer to be in a place where they didn't have to rely so heavily on transfers.

But thanks to lackluster recruiting by previous staffs -- and a great deal of attrition due to two head coaching changes in three years -- it has been an essential tool in Mike Norvell's quest to turn around the program.

And don't expect the Seminoles to reverse course any time soon.

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When the 2021 All-ACC teams were announced Tuesday morning, eight Seminoles received recognition. It was the largest haul for FSU since 2016, and all but one of the Seminoles selected were transfers from other schools.

Defensive end Jermaine Johnson II and defensive back Jammie Robinson earned first-team honors, and they came from Georgia and South Carolina, respectively. Defensive end Keir Thomas and running back Jashaun Corbin each earned third-team honors, and they started their careers at South Carolina and Texas A&M.

FSU also had four players receive Honorable Mention, and three of them were transfers: offensive linemen Dillan Gibbons (Notre Dame) and Devontay Love-Taylor (FIU), and defensive tackle Fabien Lovett (Mississippi State).

Defensive tackle Robert Cooper, who also earned honorable mention, was the only one of the eight who actually signed with the Seminoles out of high school.

Once the All-ACC list was released around 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, it didn't take FSU staff members long to deliver a message to other top transfer prospects who might be currently considering the Seminoles.

FSU director of player relations Kenyatta Watson and director of high school relations Ryan Bartow quickly jumped on social media and made their pitch.

"Not happy where you at?" Watson posted on Twitter. "No worries! We got you!!!"

Bartow dubbed FSU the, "Ultimate portal destination."

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Why is Florida State in a position where it needs to bring in so many transfers year after year?

It's primarily a result of a slide in recruiting that started toward the end of Jimbo Fisher's tenure, it continued through Willie Taggart's stint and was exacerbated by the attrition that comes with coaching changes.

Of the 23 signees from Fisher's final signing class at FSU in 2017 -- players who could have been fifth-year seniors this season -- only four remain: defensive end Leonard Warner, wide receiver Ontaria Wilson, offensive lineman Brady Scott and linebacker DeCalon Brooks.

Of the 21 signees from Taggart's first class in 2018, only seven remain -- TE Camren McDonald, LB Amari Gainer, WR Jordan Young, WR Keyshawn Helton, OL Jalen Goss, DL Dennis Briggs and DL Robert Cooper.

And of the 22 prospects Taggart signed in 2019, six are no longer on the roster.

Here's a look at FSU's current efforts in the transfer portal:

* Updates on FSU's efforts in the transfer portal this week

* FSU looking at possible QB transfers

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