The magic number for Florida State football coach Mike Norvell managing his roster is 105.
That is the projected limited number of players in a college football roster in parts of the emerging NCAA House Settlement case.
Between now and July 1, when the settlement determines roster size, Norvell is preparing to put finishing touches on his 2025 roster following the conclusion of spring ball. While it is still a work-in-progress, he is preparing as if the roster limit will be 105.
“There are so many dynamics that are still up in the air with the potential roster, grandfather. “What’s that going to look like? We’ve kind of went into it with the approach of the 105, but understanding that there’s going to be some flexibility,” Norvell said.
“So there are some areas where we could, you’ll be fluent in just our roster count right now, and what we’re looking at. I think there are a couple of situations that could be great for what could add competition. You’ll add impact players at a position, and we’re definitely going to look at that.”
So far, FSU has 89 players on its current roster. There will be 14 more on the way heading into the fall, leaving it at 103.
The Seminoles signed three more players out of the transfer portal, including cornerback Jeremiah Wilson out of Houston, quarterback Jaylen King from East Tennessee State, and most recently, offensive tackle Ja’Elyne Matthews. With these three additions, FSU has signed 19 players out of the transfer portal.
“What we saw this spring is that there’s a lot of excitement around our program, about the guys that we have on this team. As you go through a season, you want to put everybody in the best position to achieve,” Norvell said.
“And you know that depth, competition, play-making ability, making sure you’re finding the right guys that can bring that edge and desire to go be the best that this football team can be. That’s one of the things that we’ll always evaluate.”
Mike Norvell wants his experienced offensive line to build continuity
One of the downsides of spring was that Norvell didn’t get to see his offensive line at full strength. Some of the marquee players on the offensive line, including their newly acquired players from the portal, missed time due to injuries.
Despite the challenges of plugging available players, Norvell still looks forward to what his front five could be because of the level of experience it provides, especially from the four signees.
“I’m excited about the guys that we have, and I really think that it’s going to be a group that has a great experience,” Norvell said.
“It’s a group that, you think of ability, size, strength, all the key components. Now it’s about developing that continuity. As much as they can, make this summer together. I think it’s going to be huge.”
Mike Norvell had tough conversations with his receivers. Wants to take ‘active role’ in developing players
During his press conference on Wednesday, Norvell admitted that there were tough conversations made with some of the players at the wide receiver position.
Norvell lost three receivers to the portal, including former five-star prospect Hykeem Williams. While Norvell took some depth in some of his position groups, he liked what he saw from the newcomers for jumping into the mix for snaps.
“I’m really pleased with some of the newcomers that joined the program in January, and I really believe that the growth of guys that have been here,” Norvell said.
Norvell is aware of the changes in college football and the pressure that comes with them, such as players urgently seeking playing time right away. He challenges his players to stay patient while enjoying the process, knowing that not all players will make an immediate impact.
“I’ve seen as much of that now as ever before. How guys deal with that pressure is critical. We’ve had guys that come in with big expectations, and all the things, and if it doesn’t go, if it’s not an immediate, return on that, then how they handle the outside, within their families, within everybody telling them what it should be and what it should look like,” Norvell said.
“Seeing guys that handle it really well and come in and have great early starts to their career, same guys that have and if you allow that to say, the pressure of it, if you allow that to tighten you up, if you’re not able to go play free, if you’re not able to have fun doing this, it’s hard to go out there and be your best and and so, I’m really trying to take a very active role in just helping guys through the process, because you’re going to see growth.
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: How FSU football’s Mike Norvell is managing his roster as NCAA House Settlement approaches
Reporting by Peter Holland Jr., Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
