TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Coach Mike Norvell spent years slowly rebuilding at Florida State and then suddenly turned the Seminoles into a championship contender last season. His long-term plan included adding talented transfers, winning games and getting the program in position to recruit many of the state’s top players.
It appeared on track in 2023 as the Seminoles went unbeaten in the regular season and won the Atlantic Coast Conference title. Their current recruiting class, however, is shaping up to be as much of a debacle as anything that's happened on the field in the past three months. Florida State (1-9), the biggest disappointment in college football this season, has lost nearly as many recruits as games in 2024.
Norvell's class is down to 11 after offensive lineman Daniel Pierre Louis flipped to Florida on Tuesday. Pierre Louis made the move after watching the Gators upset LSU on Saturday — nearly a week after Norvell fired three assistants, including offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins. The Seminoles also recently lost four-star quarterback Tramell Jones to Florida.
Defensive end Javion Hilson and receivers CJ Wiley and Daylan McCutcheon also bailed on the skidding Seminoles. Their decisions came after defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and receivers coach Ron Dugans were let go. “It’s hard for kids, but they also understand all the things that are in store for them," Norvell said.
"And the opportunity that’s here has not changed. It’s.
