Schoffel column: NSD was tough, but Fisher made right call
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Florida State fans don't have to apologize for experiencing an extremely rare bout of the Signing Day Blues on Wednesday.
While all but a handful of fan bases in the country would gladly trade signing classes with the Seminoles, that doesn't mean FSU fans can ignore the fact that the last few days of the 2015 recruiting cycle were something between a bore and a bust.
First, Kai Locksley backed out of his commitment to FSU and Jordan Scarlett picked the Gators. Then Minkah Fitzpatrick stuck with his commitment to Alabama. Then came even more disappointment on Wednesday, when three more top prospects who listed FSU as a finalist picked other schools.
It's probably not fair to say the Seminoles went 0-for-6 on those recruits, because a couple of them were surely longshots. And if Locksley leaving made it likelier for Deondre Francois to stay (What were the chances of FSU really signing three four-star quarterbacks in the same class?), then most would argue the Seminoles won out in the end.
But it sure felt like 0-for-6.
And the fact that it came on the heels of losing out on No. 1-ranked defensive end Byron Cowart, who eliminated FSU two weeks earlier, only made it worse.
So it's understandable that FSU fans felt like they slept through Christmas morning, while the rest of the world opened their presents. Even with a brilliant class already in the bag - and make no mistake, Jimbo Fisher and his staff killed it with this overall class - it's painful to be told "no" over and over again on a day that traditionally has been so good to Florida State.
While we all know about Bobby Bowden's legendary status as a closer - when it seemed like he would lock up half of his signing classes in the final weekend - even Fisher had been great in the final days of each recruiting cycle until now.
Last year on National Signing Day, he landed 5-star receiver Ermon Lane, 4-star defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, 4-star offensive lineman Rod Johnson, 4-star reveiver Ja'Vonn Harrison and 3-star offensive lineman Derrick Kelly. In the final month, Fisher also hauled in 5-star receiver Travis Rudolph and 3-star defensive end Lorenzo Featherston.
In 2013, FSU snared four top prospects on signing day, including 5-star linebacker Matthew Thomas. In 2012, five signing-day decisions went the Seminoles' way, including 5-star quarterback Jameis Winston, 5-star defensive lineman Eddie Goldman and three 4-star defensive players.
It was much the same story in 2010 and 2011, Fisher's first two classes, when he landed five undecided prospects on the final day each year. Those groups included the likes of 5-stars James Wilder Jr. and Christian Jones and 4-star Timmy Jernigan.
So clearly, closing has never been a problem for Fisher and his staff.
But just as clearly, it's safe to say Seminole Nation had never experienced a Signing Day quite like this ... when the only real excitement came with the commitment of four-star defensive back Marcus Lewis, who most of us didn't even know FSU was still recruiting until 36 hours before Signing Day.
Having taken a day to reflect, I'm sure most fans have come to grips with the situation. As much as they disliked the final few days, they know that this is a fantastic signing class. Player for player, it might be as good as the Seminoles have ever landed.
But it's also fair to ask if Fisher and his staff could have handled things differently.
Should they have pushed harder for Scarlett earlier? Should they have spent less time chasing far-away prospects like Iman Marshall and Terry Beckner Jr.? When things started going south down the stretch, should they have tried to flip a few lower-rated prospects from other schools?
During his Signing Day press conference, Fisher insisted he had no regrets. While he acknowledged that the coaches will go back and evaluate what they did and the decisions they made, he feels strongly that they made the right moves.
"We took a gamble, but it's worth it," Fisher said, explaining that he was willing to hold out for the last few elite players because he refused to sacrifice quality for quantity.
While none of us outside the coaching staff knows exactly what happened in the final few days, you can rest assured that many prospects and their high school coaches were reaching out to FSU to see if the 'Noles were eager to land a few sure things. But Fisher explained on Wednesday why he had no interest.
"When guys come in late in your recruiting that you have not known about, it's for a reason," he said. "When you go get a 'number' and you find out he can't play, then how many years do you have him for? Then he becomes a problem for four years."
It doesn't take a recruiting expert to look back at previous years, particularly in the mid- to late-2000s, and see examples of players Florida State took late just to fill out classes. What Fisher said on Wednesday was that FSU no longer is that type of program. If he and his coaches aren't sure you can play at this level, and they aren't confident you'll fit in with their program, they aren't going to offer you a scholarship.
Especially not in a year like this, when they felt they already had met their major needs and know they will face a numbers crunch next year with a small senior class.
I personally admire that discipline. It would have been easier to pick up a few last-minute recruits than deal with the stigma of striking out on the final day.
When the disappointment of Wednesday fully wares off, I think most FSU fans will feel the same way. But those Signing Day Blues sure can be tough, especially when you've never felt them like that before.
Contact managing editor Ira Schoffel at ira@warchant.com. Follow @IraSchoffel on Twitter.