AMELIA ISLAND — Mike Norvell called Florida State’s edge into question back in February when his booster tour began. What he didn’t see on the football field in 2024 is what concerned him, and what he set about fixing in the construction of the 2025 roster.
Norvell observed practices in the spring with a critical eye for what a Seminoles roster full of new transfers and early enrollees would show on the field, and how they would do it while learning from two new coordinators as well as four new assistant coaches.
He at times questioned FSU’s edge after certain practices. But when asked about the Seminoles’ spring and if he saw more of that edge, Norvell feels positively about that aspect of the 2025 team.
“I felt the edge. Anybody can show up in the moment,” Norvell said. “… It wasn’t a perfect spring in how we practiced day in and day out or period to period. I felt the intent, I felt the response, the investment from January, our Tour of Duty (in February), the competitiveness in it. That’s what I want from this team is you get your butt knocked down, you sprint your ass and you go get better. You do not stay where you are. It’s a focus of going to get better and having that urgency in it. That’s what needs to be felt.”
Among the big concerns from last fall were intangibles that don’t necessarily show up on the scoreboard but can result in wins and losses. Norvell has talked throughout the offseason about physicality as well as leadership and accountability.
The roster flip occurs rapidly in college football as some players graduate and move on to the NFL. But the transfer portal is a revolving door, offering a way to upgrade at various positions while also thinning depth at others.
In Norvell’s post-practice interviews, he cited various players as leaders. He often pointed to Wake Forest transfer center Luke Petitbon as well as quarterback Tommy Castellanos. When asked about the BC transfer quarterback on Tuesday at the ACC’s Spring Meetings, Norvell praised more of what he saw off the field than on it.
“You can watch him over the last few years, you see the ability as a passer, as a runner. But what you don’t see and what you don’t feel just watching a guy on TV is the impact within a room,” Norvell said. “That’s probably been my favorite quality of his. He ignites not just one side of the ball – offensively, defensively, special teams. He has such a connective personality to those that he’s around. He’s willing to pour into others. He’s not just sitting there and talking about it. He's putting in the work and trying to uphold a standard of what we want this team to be.”
While Norvell discussed his frustration of the results from a 2-10 season in 2024, he also expressed his excitement of what he saw on the field this spring and what’s to come this summer. To the question of leadership, Norvell said he “felt” it throughout the spring.
“This was not a team this spring we had to do a ton of leadership training and leadership development,” Norvell said. “You show up and you pour into each other and you talk about those characteristics. You’re willing to have the 1-on-1 conversations. I felt leadership. I saw growth. I saw development. I’m excited to see where it goes. We’re going to have to have a great summer in the continued work in bringing that edge and intensity every single day.”
FSU’s spring portal focus
FSU added six transfers in the spring, with five of them on offense. Now that the portal has wrapped up and decisions have been made, Norvell feels confident in the “who” that the Seminoles added.
“I think we were able to address the positions of need and then some of the positions of desire,” Norvell said. “To be able to add a guy that can bring productivity to a position, bring experience, bring the right mindset, personality. I think we were able to address some needs. Some things fit, some things didn’t. Tried to be very particular in who as much as just what.
“I’ve been transparent. There’s times that I chased what — maybe didn’t fit the who. And didn’t work out as well. We stayed pretty true to getting the right guys coming into the program that are going to help build our roster.”
Running back is one position where Norvell and the staff found a versatile and productive option in Oklahoma transfer Gavin Sawchuk. He joins a crowded room but one that didn’t have a true No. 1 tailback exiting the spring.
Sawchuk scored nine touchdowns in a promising 2023 season before a hamstring injury and Oklahoma’s poor line led to limited opportunities and numbers in 2024.
“It had to be the right fit in that room,” Norvell said. “I like the ability. I think we have young talent. I think we have young guys that have a diversity of skill sets. But if we could bring somebody that possessed that total package and continue to elevate the room, that was something that we were going to look at.
“Gavin, he’s a home run hitter. He’s shown 10.6 100-meter speed there in high school. A guy that has shown being able to get there in the open field and score from distance, catches the ball out of the backfield. Probably the most improved (aspect) throughout his playing career is playing without the ball as a protector.”
Jenkins ‘progressing really well’
FSU defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins didn’t take part in spring practices due to injury. But Norvell feels the Tennessee transfer is on track, or perhaps ahead, for a return this fall.
“We’ll see,” Norvell said. “He is progressing really well in his rehab. To say ahead of schedule, I feel really good about where he is.”
Norvell observed practices in the spring with a critical eye for what a Seminoles roster full of new transfers and early enrollees would show on the field, and how they would do it while learning from two new coordinators as well as four new assistant coaches.
He at times questioned FSU’s edge after certain practices. But when asked about the Seminoles’ spring and if he saw more of that edge, Norvell feels positively about that aspect of the 2025 team.
“I felt the edge. Anybody can show up in the moment,” Norvell said. “… It wasn’t a perfect spring in how we practiced day in and day out or period to period. I felt the intent, I felt the response, the investment from January, our Tour of Duty (in February), the competitiveness in it. That’s what I want from this team is you get your butt knocked down, you sprint your ass and you go get better. You do not stay where you are. It’s a focus of going to get better and having that urgency in it. That’s what needs to be felt.”
Among the big concerns from last fall were intangibles that don’t necessarily show up on the scoreboard but can result in wins and losses. Norvell has talked throughout the offseason about physicality as well as leadership and accountability.
The roster flip occurs rapidly in college football as some players graduate and move on to the NFL. But the transfer portal is a revolving door, offering a way to upgrade at various positions while also thinning depth at others.
In Norvell’s post-practice interviews, he cited various players as leaders. He often pointed to Wake Forest transfer center Luke Petitbon as well as quarterback Tommy Castellanos. When asked about the BC transfer quarterback on Tuesday at the ACC’s Spring Meetings, Norvell praised more of what he saw off the field than on it.
“You can watch him over the last few years, you see the ability as a passer, as a runner. But what you don’t see and what you don’t feel just watching a guy on TV is the impact within a room,” Norvell said. “That’s probably been my favorite quality of his. He ignites not just one side of the ball – offensively, defensively, special teams. He has such a connective personality to those that he’s around. He’s willing to pour into others. He’s not just sitting there and talking about it. He's putting in the work and trying to uphold a standard of what we want this team to be.”
While Norvell discussed his frustration of the results from a 2-10 season in 2024, he also expressed his excitement of what he saw on the field this spring and what’s to come this summer. To the question of leadership, Norvell said he “felt” it throughout the spring.
“This was not a team this spring we had to do a ton of leadership training and leadership development,” Norvell said. “You show up and you pour into each other and you talk about those characteristics. You’re willing to have the 1-on-1 conversations. I felt leadership. I saw growth. I saw development. I’m excited to see where it goes. We’re going to have to have a great summer in the continued work in bringing that edge and intensity every single day.”
FSU’s spring portal focus
FSU added six transfers in the spring, with five of them on offense. Now that the portal has wrapped up and decisions have been made, Norvell feels confident in the “who” that the Seminoles added.
“I think we were able to address the positions of need and then some of the positions of desire,” Norvell said. “To be able to add a guy that can bring productivity to a position, bring experience, bring the right mindset, personality. I think we were able to address some needs. Some things fit, some things didn’t. Tried to be very particular in who as much as just what.
“I’ve been transparent. There’s times that I chased what — maybe didn’t fit the who. And didn’t work out as well. We stayed pretty true to getting the right guys coming into the program that are going to help build our roster.”
Running back is one position where Norvell and the staff found a versatile and productive option in Oklahoma transfer Gavin Sawchuk. He joins a crowded room but one that didn’t have a true No. 1 tailback exiting the spring.
Sawchuk scored nine touchdowns in a promising 2023 season before a hamstring injury and Oklahoma’s poor line led to limited opportunities and numbers in 2024.
“It had to be the right fit in that room,” Norvell said. “I like the ability. I think we have young talent. I think we have young guys that have a diversity of skill sets. But if we could bring somebody that possessed that total package and continue to elevate the room, that was something that we were going to look at.
“Gavin, he’s a home run hitter. He’s shown 10.6 100-meter speed there in high school. A guy that has shown being able to get there in the open field and score from distance, catches the ball out of the backfield. Probably the most improved (aspect) throughout his playing career is playing without the ball as a protector.”
Jenkins ‘progressing really well’
FSU defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins didn’t take part in spring practices due to injury. But Norvell feels the Tennessee transfer is on track, or perhaps ahead, for a return this fall.
“We’ll see,” Norvell said. “He is progressing really well in his rehab. To say ahead of schedule, I feel really good about where he is.”
