Mike Norvell is heading into his seventh season with the Seminoles, and there’s undeniable pressure surrounding the program. During his tenure, Florida State has endured four losing seasons and managed just two winning campaigns, with no CFP appearances so far. With all that considered, GM John Garrett is now outlining a clear plan to revive the program so that Norvell’s unit could soon find its way back into the spotlight.

“The foundation is always good high school recruiting,” said Mike Garrett during Thursday’s appearance with Rivals’ Adam Gorney. “As you develop them and get them to the point, they can play; then the portal guys are people you add who can play right away because they’re experienced and productive.”

Before joining the Seminoles, Garrett spent two seasons as GM of player personnel at Duke, and his contribution to roster building helped the Blue Devils secure their first ACC title in 2025.

More importantly, FSU is familiar ground for the GM. In 2022, he first joined as the Director of Scouting for Offense and helped the Noles secure an ACC title and a 23-4 record over his two seasons.

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Given that kind of transforming capability, Garrett’s vision could not only pull FSU out of tough times but could also help them rediscover the form they had three years ago.

FSU saw some good days in 2023 with a perfect 13-0 regular season and an ACC championship victory under Mike Norvell. Despite that, the Seminoles faced a CFP snub, and since then, the program has struggled, posting a combined 7-17 record over two seasons.

But now a turning point could come as Garrett knows bringing the right pieces could amplify the possibility of FSU’s turnaround.

“When you bring good, talented people into your organization and they produce, things can change quickly,” said Garrett. “There is evidence of this throughout history in sports, out of sports, and everything.”

Joining the Noles just days before the transfer portal window opened, Garrett helped Mike Norvell and Co. to build a roster to restore FSU’s legacy.

Focusing on veteran transfer acquisition and a top-15 high school signing class, FSU landed talents like QB Ashton Daniel, WR Lawayne McCoy, RB Quintrevion Wisner, QB Jaden O’Neal, TE Xavier Tiller, and more. Now, the goal is crystal clear to all.

“We’re all charged and motivated to accept the challenge to return Florida State football to prominence in college football,” remarked Garrett. “That’s our challenge, and that’s our goal, and that’s what we think about and obsess about every single day.”

But don’t forget the FSU athletic department is already facing a financial crisis. Here’s where the latest update signals the Seminoles will receive a hefty eight-figure sum. So, with this new recruiting approach, they could invest more to bring in elite talent for the future.

Mike Norvell’s FSU may have better days ahead

FSU may have struggled last season with a 5-7 overall record, but its brand power still travels. That clearly shows as the Seminoles finished second in the ACC in total viewership. AD Michael Alford revealed that during Wednesday’s presentation to the Board of Trustees. Trailing only one ACC program, FSU generated 29.7 million total viewers.

“You hear us talk about eyeballs in viewer metrics because it does lead to more revenue,” said Alford. “This last season, we ranked second in the ACC. It directly impacts our revenue distribution. And it just confirms our brand across the country consistently.”

Here’s where dollars come into play, translating that massive audience, as FSU is projected to receive $44.9 million in media revenue distribution. With that, they expect to be the highest gainer in the ACC, and numbers tell the story.

This past season, the Seminoles averaged roughly 4 million viewers per game. The rivalry clash with Miami drew 6 million. To cap it off, their season-opening upset of Alabama exploded to 10.4 million viewers. With this kind of momentum on their side, Mike Norvell’s FSU will get more exposure in 2026 in the era of NIL.