Florida State football is in full meltdown mode. Over 25 players have now announced their intention to enter the transfer portal. This is the most of any Division I program in the country. After back-to-back disastrous seasons, the Seminoles are watching their roster hemorrhage talent while Mike Norvell somehow keeps his job. And now, an FSU alum has come out with harsh words for the administration.

Former FSU cornerback and NFL veteran Antonio Cromartie didn’t hold back when he weighed in on the chaos engulfing his alma mater.

“All I’m going to say is if they hired me, a lot of this portal stuff wouldn’t be happening!!!” Cromartie posted. He made it crystal clear that he thinks the current staff has lost control. Cromartie has been vocal all season about FSU’s lack of accountability and leadership, and the mass exodus validates every concern he’s raised.

“With Danzy, McCoy and Deuce at WR ain’t no way these kids shouldn’t have at 600+ each if not more. IJS!!! Use your weapons and let them do what they do best,” he wrote a week ago.  He also pointed out an interesting insight when he wrote, “Is Gus system on offense pushing players away????” And all of his concerns are valid.

The running back room alone tells you everything you need to know. Gavin Sawchuk, who led the Seminoles with 486 rushing yards and eight touchdowns this season, is heading back into the portal after just one year in Tallahassee. Now he’s gone, along with Kam Davis, a former four-star recruit ranked as the nation’s third-best running back in 2024. Add in Jaylin Lucas, and FSU’s entire running back room has been gutted, leaving only Samuel Singleton and Ousmane Kromah for 2026.​

The defensive side of the ball is equally catastrophic. The defensive line is losing James Williams, LaJesse Harrold, Jayson Jenkins, Tyeland Coleman, Jaden Jones, and Jamorie Flagg. All of them are entering the transfer portal. But the real damage came after Mike Norvell inexplicably fired defensive backs coach Pat Surtain Sr., one of the few coaches who wasn’t the problem in Tallahassee. 

Surtain had developed multiple NFL-caliber players during his three-year tenure. But still Norvell showed him the door anyway. The fallout was swift and brutal. Ashlynd Barker, who started nine games in 2025 and tallied 48 tackles, announced plans to enter the portal on December 27th. Ja’Bril Rawls and Edwin Joseph are also expected to leave, gutting what was already a struggling secondary. 

Barker, who came to FSU as a late JUCO addition in 2023, is also signaling that he’s ready to move on to greener pastures.​ The next few weeks will reveal just how severe this situation becomes. But Florida State made a catastrophic mistake running it back with this staff. And the program is paying the price in real time.​

2024 Recruiting class’s mass exodus

The bleeding extends far beyond a few position groups. Of the 23 high school prospects FSU signed in its 2024 recruiting class, only ten remain with the program just two years later. 

Over half of the blue-chip recruits from that class have either already left or will enter the portal when it opens this week. Tight end Landen Thomas announced his departure after two seasons, further thinning out an already depleted position group. Wide receiver Elijah Moore, another player with high potential, also plans to enter the portal. 

The sheer volume and breadth of departures, spanning offense, defense, and special teams, make it impossible to chalk this up to individual playing time disputes. This is a wholesale rejection of the current coaching staff and the direction of the program. 

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And as if the transfer portal massacre wasn’t enough, FSU will also lose key contributors to the NFL Draft. It includes Tommy Castellanos, Darrell Jackson Jr., and Duce Robinson. The Seminoles are staring down one of the most daunting rebuilding projects in college football. And there’s zero indication they have the infrastructure or coaching acumen to pull it off. 

Mike Norvell’s buyout ensures he’ll be back in 2026. But the real question is whether any elite transfer or high school recruit will want to join what increasingly looks like a sinking ship. Players today have options, and they’re not going to waste their eligibility rebuilding a broken culture when they can transfer to programs that are actually competing for championships.