Florida State’s 2026 plans are yet to take off. Mike Norvell was looking for some optimism after back-to-back disappointing seasons. However, he isn’t going to get any for CFB analyst Joel Klatt, who doesn’t have hopes for the Noles’ next season.

“Florida State was down bad last year, and there really isn’t any light at the end of that tunnel,” Klatt said during the February 16 episode of The Joel Klatt Show. “What happened after week one, beating Alabama [sighs], did not go well. QB looks like Ashton Daniels, who has bounced around and was Auburn’s backup last year. Played at the end of the season after starting out at Stanford.

Like, is that the answer you want? I don’t know. And then late in the coaching carousel process, Gus Malzahn, their offensive coordinator, decides to retire.”

When FSU beat Alabama 31-17 in the opener last season, it felt like the Seminoles were finally back to their 2023 form. Two more wins over East Texas A&M and Kent State followed, giving fans hope. But those hopes would take a massive U-turn. Florida State lacked team chemistry and struggled defensively throughout the season. Take the game against NC State as an example. In the 21-11 loss, it felt like FSU sabotaged itself through turnovers, penalties, and two missed field goals.

That was a microcosm of how the entire season went. No wonder Norvell fired his defensive coordinator. Despite his recent record, Klatt has a sympathetic tone towards Norvell.

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“I think Mike Norvell is a pretty good football coach. I think that’s a challenging place. And they went the portal route, and then once you miss in the portal route, now it’s like trying to get back on the merry-go-round once it’s going really fast. It’s tough to do, and it hasn’t worked out for them,” Klatt added.

If the program were to fire Mike Norvell, the buyout would cost the program around $58 million. That is because Norvell signed an eight-year extension worth over $84 million in 2023. The contract guarantees him 85 percent of his remaining salary if terminated without cause. If the team fails to show improvement early in the season, FSU may be forced to absorb the cost and make a coaching change.

Joel Klatt questions Mike Norvell’s transfer portal strength

It is now or never for Mike Norvell. With his job in question, many expected FSU to be aggressive in the transfer portal. Instead, the Seminoles took a cheaper approach and did not sign many big-name players. Some argue that spending less was the right move, especially since many of the departing players were not major on-field contributors. However, Joel Klatt believes it was a missed opportunity to upgrade the roster.

“Is it going to get better next year? If you just base it on who they brought in, both from the high school level and from the transfer portal, I question it. How good is the ACC going to be? I don’t know. But they’ve been good enough to beat Florida State, particularly when they were on the road,” said Klatt.

While FSU did not land many big names, it added depth with players such as Bradyn Joiner, Chimdia Nwaiwu, Ashton Daniels, Tre Wisner, Gemari Sands, Malachi Marshall, Xavier Chaplin, Paul Bowling, Jordan Sanders, Rylan Kennedy, and Nate Pabst, among others. The program was also able to keep players like Landen Thomas, Duce Robinson, Jayvan Boggs, and Kevin Wynn.

However, these additions are not high-profile enough to generate excitement, which makes it difficult to dismiss Klatt’s point. If the new pieces come together and correct last season’s mistakes, Norvell may buy himself more time. If not, his seat will only get hotter.