College football is coming to an end. Usually this upcoming Monday Night would be the National Championship Game. I am usually getting ready to go to the AFCA Coaching Convention. The calendar continues to move each year. College football was once a seasonal type event but like the NFL it has now become a yearly event. From coaching moves, to recruiting, to the portal, to NIL...It does not end. FSU did not have the season they wanted. 2-10 is never acceptable and I said that at the time....BUT....
The tide seems to have turned. FSU finished off their 2025 class strong and it looks like they will not only have the top portal class in the ACC but potentially the nation. Coach MN and his staff have done a phenomenal job at working the portal. They needed OL - Four new guys. They needed a QB - Check. They needed to bring in DL - Check. They are improving a team that has nowhere to go but up. The good thing about 2-10 is FSU can't do any worse. The question now is have they done enough to turn this team around, have a winning record and potentially play for and compete for the ACC Crown. That is a question that won't really be answered until they suit up against Alabama next fall. What this staff has done is give you a chance to compete and after this past season that is all we can ask for.
SIZE, SIZE, SIZE, SIZE....Been harping on this for a while now. I have felt FSU is one of the smallest teams in the P5. Heck there are some G5 teams who look bigger up front...With the addition of Jayson Jenkins (6'6-281), keeping Darrell Jackson (6'5-330), Deamonte Diggs (6'5-260), Deante McCray (6'4-285) - You add in the OL with Guys like Micah Pettus (6'7-350) it seems like someone was listening to me....FSU has gotten BIGGER....MUCH bigger and if you want to win this is what you need to do. GET BIGGER and FSU has done that.
Why? MN has preached in recent weeks that FSU needs to get more physical - Nothing against smaller players but you want physicality - bring in some guys with size who can move people. FSU has done that and expect them to be much better in 2025 on both the offensive and defensive lines. The days of being small, recruiting small....need to be over. I think they are. The one thing about hiring coaches like Gus and Herb Hand is they coached in the SEC....A pre-requisite of mine. They know what a national championship caliber team needs to look like. At least FSU won't get physically pushed around any longer....
So let’s look at some of the prospects they have pulled in this week....
Jayson Jenkins - Tennessee -6'6-280 -DL - 9 Tackles, 2 sacks, one forced fumble - He was basically a rotational guy but the good thing is he was productive when he played. That is a far cry from some of the guys they brought in last year. He is a big body....At 6'6, Jenkins is going to make it tough for opposing quarterbacks to throw through. He gives you the size and length FSU needed up front. I feel this is a big time get for FSU (Grade A)
Deamontae Diggs - Coastal Carolina -6'5-260 - He would have been a SDE in a 4-3 front. Not sure how FSU will use him in the 3-3-5. I like his ability to help set the edge on run plays. He should be stout against the run. I doubt you see teams just bully him on the outside. He lacks great burst so I don't expect much from him as a pass rusher. I do think the scheme will allow him to do his job and have the backers make plays behind him. Diggs is a quality get and should provide both depth and a guy who can come in a be productive on the field. (Grade B)
Caleb LaVelle- North Carolina - I love this get. Probably one of my favorite players MN has signed out of the portal since being at FSU. I think this is a guy who can play inside or outside. Probably will be a WILL in FSU new scheme. You can let him use his range to go and make plays. Now he does need to work on his technique. He has a tendency to run around blocks. Get this kid going downhill and watch him wreck some offenses. I think he provides FSU a guy who loves football. (Grade A)
FSU is now at 14 transfers - By no means do I think they are done. I could see them still take a RB, another WR maybe even 2. Possibly take 2-3 more OL. Take some more depth on the DL and potentially take another backer.
A name I would like FSU to go after - Red Murdock - Watched Buffalo in their bowl game yesterday - 13 tackles, 2 tackles for loss an interception for a touchdown. He was all over the field. He has size and speed. He has very good instincts. You add another backer like this and any issues at linebacker are gone.....
Last thoughts on FSU - If you look at the moves they have made this team can have a quick turnaround in 2025. Yes the OL needs to come together. The coaching staff needs to gel but I sure feel much better right now than I did after the Gator game. I said we have to see what the coaches do in the portal to really judge what this team is capable of doing.
College football....
Kirby Smart - Sad to see that his father passed away while coaching in the Sugar Bowl. Kirby seems like a good guy and this has to be a tough deal for him....Hope he and his family are alright.
SEC, SEC, SEC....Yeah the mighty SEC is not so mighty this year....Listen this trend started about 2 years ago. It takes time for these things to start to work themselves out. The conference should not have taken Texas and OU IMHO...I think that it is going to take time for the conference to regroup. I do think right now the Big 10 is the top Power conference.
TALENT - COACHING - I have always been of the belief that talent is about 75-80 percent of the equation and coaching is around 20-25 percent. I respect coaching but please don't tell me how much coaching matters when Dan Lanning whose one of the best had zero answers to trying to cover Jeremiah Smith. I live across the street from Chaminade. I have been watching Smith since he was a freshman at Monsignor Pace and no one has been able to stop Smith. Coaching is great but when the other guy has better players then you do it is much easier to win. Ryan Day and Chip Kelly are going to get all the credit....Take Smith off that roster and they are probably not in the playoffs.
Can anyone beat Ohio State? Everyone is crowing them champs...The odds are in their favor but how they have played the first two games is a lot to ask from a college team two more times. I do think while everyone is ready to crown Ohio State...yes, I think they are the best team, Texas, Notre Dame and Penn State all can pull the upset. ND and Penn State have great defenses and a run game. Limit the big plays, play keep away and let’s see how the Buckeyes play from behind.
Marcus Freeman - I was skeptical of this hire but man has he done a great job. He outcoached Kirby in a big game and that usually only happens when Georgia played Alabama and Nick Saban.
James Franklin - I never understood the hate for him. He has never had an elite team...Drew Allar is the real deal. His tight end #44 is the real deal. Singleton is probably the best RB in the nation never talked about. Carter is an elite pass rusher. This team is really damn good. Probably Penn State best team since Kerry Collins and Kijana Carter were in state college.
QB'S - Not that you guys need to know this...Look at who has the top QB's next year and I am willing to bet that those teams are vying for a playoff spot....LSU is my most likely team to get over the hump next year with Brian Kelly and make the playoffs. They could be one of the teams to beat.
Final Thoughts - hope everyone made it unscathed through the New Year. Hopefully covering team will be much easier this year. We still have junior days, spring football and before you know it we will be back here in the fall covering FSU. With a new season comes new dreams....
Once the portal season has past we will put up new Baker Dozes, hot boards and who FSU has legit shots at in the class of 2026.
The tide seems to have turned. FSU finished off their 2025 class strong and it looks like they will not only have the top portal class in the ACC but potentially the nation. Coach MN and his staff have done a phenomenal job at working the portal. They needed OL - Four new guys. They needed a QB - Check. They needed to bring in DL - Check. They are improving a team that has nowhere to go but up. The good thing about 2-10 is FSU can't do any worse. The question now is have they done enough to turn this team around, have a winning record and potentially play for and compete for the ACC Crown. That is a question that won't really be answered until they suit up against Alabama next fall. What this staff has done is give you a chance to compete and after this past season that is all we can ask for.
SIZE, SIZE, SIZE, SIZE....Been harping on this for a while now. I have felt FSU is one of the smallest teams in the P5. Heck there are some G5 teams who look bigger up front...With the addition of Jayson Jenkins (6'6-281), keeping Darrell Jackson (6'5-330), Deamonte Diggs (6'5-260), Deante McCray (6'4-285) - You add in the OL with Guys like Micah Pettus (6'7-350) it seems like someone was listening to me....FSU has gotten BIGGER....MUCH bigger and if you want to win this is what you need to do. GET BIGGER and FSU has done that.
Why? MN has preached in recent weeks that FSU needs to get more physical - Nothing against smaller players but you want physicality - bring in some guys with size who can move people. FSU has done that and expect them to be much better in 2025 on both the offensive and defensive lines. The days of being small, recruiting small....need to be over. I think they are. The one thing about hiring coaches like Gus and Herb Hand is they coached in the SEC....A pre-requisite of mine. They know what a national championship caliber team needs to look like. At least FSU won't get physically pushed around any longer....
So let’s look at some of the prospects they have pulled in this week....
Jayson Jenkins - Tennessee -6'6-280 -DL - 9 Tackles, 2 sacks, one forced fumble - He was basically a rotational guy but the good thing is he was productive when he played. That is a far cry from some of the guys they brought in last year. He is a big body....At 6'6, Jenkins is going to make it tough for opposing quarterbacks to throw through. He gives you the size and length FSU needed up front. I feel this is a big time get for FSU (Grade A)
Deamontae Diggs - Coastal Carolina -6'5-260 - He would have been a SDE in a 4-3 front. Not sure how FSU will use him in the 3-3-5. I like his ability to help set the edge on run plays. He should be stout against the run. I doubt you see teams just bully him on the outside. He lacks great burst so I don't expect much from him as a pass rusher. I do think the scheme will allow him to do his job and have the backers make plays behind him. Diggs is a quality get and should provide both depth and a guy who can come in a be productive on the field. (Grade B)
Caleb LaVelle- North Carolina - I love this get. Probably one of my favorite players MN has signed out of the portal since being at FSU. I think this is a guy who can play inside or outside. Probably will be a WILL in FSU new scheme. You can let him use his range to go and make plays. Now he does need to work on his technique. He has a tendency to run around blocks. Get this kid going downhill and watch him wreck some offenses. I think he provides FSU a guy who loves football. (Grade A)
FSU is now at 14 transfers - By no means do I think they are done. I could see them still take a RB, another WR maybe even 2. Possibly take 2-3 more OL. Take some more depth on the DL and potentially take another backer.
A name I would like FSU to go after - Red Murdock - Watched Buffalo in their bowl game yesterday - 13 tackles, 2 tackles for loss an interception for a touchdown. He was all over the field. He has size and speed. He has very good instincts. You add another backer like this and any issues at linebacker are gone.....
Last thoughts on FSU - If you look at the moves they have made this team can have a quick turnaround in 2025. Yes the OL needs to come together. The coaching staff needs to gel but I sure feel much better right now than I did after the Gator game. I said we have to see what the coaches do in the portal to really judge what this team is capable of doing.
College football....
Kirby Smart - Sad to see that his father passed away while coaching in the Sugar Bowl. Kirby seems like a good guy and this has to be a tough deal for him....Hope he and his family are alright.
SEC, SEC, SEC....Yeah the mighty SEC is not so mighty this year....Listen this trend started about 2 years ago. It takes time for these things to start to work themselves out. The conference should not have taken Texas and OU IMHO...I think that it is going to take time for the conference to regroup. I do think right now the Big 10 is the top Power conference.
TALENT - COACHING - I have always been of the belief that talent is about 75-80 percent of the equation and coaching is around 20-25 percent. I respect coaching but please don't tell me how much coaching matters when Dan Lanning whose one of the best had zero answers to trying to cover Jeremiah Smith. I live across the street from Chaminade. I have been watching Smith since he was a freshman at Monsignor Pace and no one has been able to stop Smith. Coaching is great but when the other guy has better players then you do it is much easier to win. Ryan Day and Chip Kelly are going to get all the credit....Take Smith off that roster and they are probably not in the playoffs.
Can anyone beat Ohio State? Everyone is crowing them champs...The odds are in their favor but how they have played the first two games is a lot to ask from a college team two more times. I do think while everyone is ready to crown Ohio State...yes, I think they are the best team, Texas, Notre Dame and Penn State all can pull the upset. ND and Penn State have great defenses and a run game. Limit the big plays, play keep away and let’s see how the Buckeyes play from behind.
Marcus Freeman - I was skeptical of this hire but man has he done a great job. He outcoached Kirby in a big game and that usually only happens when Georgia played Alabama and Nick Saban.
James Franklin - I never understood the hate for him. He has never had an elite team...Drew Allar is the real deal. His tight end #44 is the real deal. Singleton is probably the best RB in the nation never talked about. Carter is an elite pass rusher. This team is really damn good. Probably Penn State best team since Kerry Collins and Kijana Carter were in state college.
QB'S - Not that you guys need to know this...Look at who has the top QB's next year and I am willing to bet that those teams are vying for a playoff spot....LSU is my most likely team to get over the hump next year with Brian Kelly and make the playoffs. They could be one of the teams to beat.
Final Thoughts - hope everyone made it unscathed through the New Year. Hopefully covering team will be much easier this year. We still have junior days, spring football and before you know it we will be back here in the fall covering FSU. With a new season comes new dreams....
Once the portal season has past we will put up new Baker Dozes, hot boards and who FSU has legit shots at in the class of 2026.
