Since Mike Norvell took over FSU football in December 2019, the program has worked to reverse its downward spiral, which began at the end of Jimbo Fisher's tenure and continued under Willie Taggart. Norvell faced early limitations, but strategically used the transfer portal to elevate FSU from its lowest point back to respectability.
The expectation was that the 2022 and 2023 seasons would put FSU back among the elite in high school recruiting. FSU flirted with a top 10 class in its 2024 recruiting class, finishing No. 12 nationally, and had a ton of momentum going into the 2025 class before the class fell apart after a disastrous start.