Norvell pitching his vision for program
New coach making some solid moves to pick ’Noles up
Mike Norvell has been busy since FSU hired him in December.
He has filled out his coaching staff, but most importantly he has quickly established relationships on the recruiting trail. It paid off in a big way during the early signing period in December.
The Seminoles signed 17 players in December, landing several key recruits in a 10-day span. Norvell and his staff have not eased up since then.
FSU is looking to close the 2020 recruiting class on a high note Wednesday on national signing day, potentially signing at least six players.
Rivals.com has the Seminoles with the 16th-ranked class in the country and the fourth-best class in the ACC entering Wednesday. 247Sports.com has FSU with the 20th-ranked class and fourth-best in the conference.
In December, Norvell addressed a need at quarterback, signing four-star Chubba Purdy and threestar Tate Rodemaker. FSU added four transfers, including former Texas A&M running back Jashaun Corbin and former Louisville defensive lineman Jarrett Jackson.
In all, Norvell helped salvage a class in the wake of Willie Taggart’s dismissal.
“He’s done a solid job,” Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Farrell said. “These transitional classes are always difficult.
“The most important thing for him was to get the quarterback position solved, and he’s done that . ... The cupboard was left bare at quarterback, and certain other positions, and I think he’s done a good job of getting some guys.”
FSU has six players committed entering Wednesday, with four-star wide receiver Malachi Wideman from Venice High School the highest-rated player. Wideman, ranked the 116th player in the country by 247Sports.com, took official visits to Oregon, Tennessee and Ole Miss in January, so he could flip and sign elsewhere.
Farrell said one of the more intriguing commitments the Seminoles have right now is three-star athlete Corey Wren from John Curtis High in New Orleans. Wren has dynamic speed and is a track star, running in the 10.4-second range in the 100-meter dash, according to 247Sports.
Norvell won’t finish this week with a top-10 class. However, he’s been able to pitch his vision to future recruits. A strong close Wednesday could be a springboard for future recruiting success.
“Recruiting is the one thing where you can create the story yourself, from the first paragraph to the last, however you want to sell it,” Farrell said. “And I think the way they sell it at Florida State is, ‘We haven’t been good the last two years, but we’re a proud program; we won a national championship as recently as [2014]. We’re in a conference where we can certainly compete and get back there. Come on board, take the program back to the top with us.’ And I think that’s the right pitch to make.”