Mike Norvell has been swimming in hot water with Florida State fans. After the brutal four-game losing streak and an embarrassing loss to Stanford, fans were ready to throw in the towel on Norvell’s tenure. The Seminoles were 3-4 overall and a dismal 0-4 in ACC play, reigniting frustrations from the disastrous 2-10 campaign last year. But now, Norvell caught a rare splash of support amid the backlash. And this is coming from former FSU legend Jordan Travis.

Travis broke his silence on the Seminoles’ rough 2025 season, putting the blame squarely on the players, not Mike Norvell. “I am so tired of the negative and the losing seasons that Coach Norvell brought to Florida State. Norvell did not do that s***,” Travis said on his Travis Take Two podcast. “We did that s***. And that’s what the players need to do this year, is take initiative, take it upon themselves to put their bodies on the line.” Ironically, both Travis and Norvell entered Tallahassee more or less the same time. Mike Norvell’s first year was rough as he went 3–6 in 2020. Plus, that was the year he even took a pay cut because of COVID.

Things got a little better the next season at 5–7, but the defense was a disaster, giving up 36 points and over 450 yards a game. It was one of the worst in FSU history. Injuries and transfers made the QB situation a total mess. Freshman Chubba Purdy looked promising but broke his collarbone in a preseason scrimmage and was done for the year. Before that, Travis had started four games, throwing for 864 yards, but his 4 TDs to 5 picks kind of summed up the struggle. Then he got banged up before Clemson, and to top it off, veteran QB James Blackman transferred out.

The next season finally had some relief. They went 10–3 that year, then followed it up with an impressive 13–1 season in 2023. How? Norvell crushed it in the transfer portal. He brought in proven stars like Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, and Keon Coleman. And guess what? Jordan Travis became the heart of the team. He became the first Seminole QB ever to beat Miami three times. In his senior year, he even made the semifinal list for the Davey O’Brien Award.

And he earned every bit of that respect. On November 18, 2023, against North Alabama, Travis went down with a brutal leg injury after fighting for extra yards. A defender hit him with a controversial hip-drop tackle, and his ankle twisted in a way nobody wanted to see. It was a tough, heartbreaking moment for a guy who always left everything on the field.

This season had a good start with a 31-17 win against Bama, no doubt. But then the momentum took a hit when injuries to key players like Tommy Castellanos and Gavin Sawchuk derailed their offensive firepower. Castellanos, a bright spot with 1,607 passing yards, has also thrown five costly interceptions, highlighting the struggles in clutch moments. They also had turnover and penalty issues. Castellanos threw a tough red-zone pick against Virginia, and his completion rate dipped to 60.2%. To make things worse, the team shot itself in the foot with 13 penalties in that 20–13 loss to Stanford. They racked up 444 yards but somehow only came away with 13 points.

Norvell himself pointed out the hesitation in the team. “There were moments a couple of games ago where I saw that. I saw a little bit of hesitation where guys are in a position to make a play and they just [don’t]. That’s what you have to avoid,” Norvell said.

FSU’s Franklin Temptation

Florida State is surely sticking with Mike Norvell for now, as AD Michael Alford stepped in with an official statement backing him. But even with all that, some positive names are roaming around Tallahassee for a potential coaching opportunity. James Franklin’s name keeps popping up as a top candidate to replace Norvell if the Seminoles decide to make a coaching change after this season.

Now, Franklin is no stranger to big-money deals. He was on a massive 10-year, $85 million contract at Penn State, which ranks among the richest in college football history. Yet, he’s reportedly open to new opportunities at Virginia Tech, Florida, LSU, and, notably, Florida State. The major point is his familiarity with the ACC and Florida recruiting grounds. Then the financial reality of moving on from Norvell is brutal, with a buyout rumored to be north of $54 million.

And then if you add in the cost of hiring a brand-new coaching staff, the total package balloons to around $100 million. It’s the type of money that would shake any program. On top of that, Franklin’s track record also brings hope for what FSU fans crave: a return to contention. Sure, Norvell is backed by the Athletic Director himself. But if the rest of the season moves around in the same momentum, one might actually guess who could be leading the Seminoles next year.