Three ways Mike Norvell could fix FSU football QB crisis in offseason
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How will Mike Norvell fix Florida State football’s quarterback problem? That’s the biggest question entering the offseason.
Norvell hasn’t exactly been a quarterback whisperer during his six-year tenure. In fact, the last two seasons have highlighted the challenge after Jordan Travis’ departure. If you take away Travis’ years, Norvell would be 10-26, with eight different quarterbacks making at least one start.
The experiment with DJ Uiagalelei in 2024 was a disaster, ending in a 2-10 record. This year, Tommy Castellanos showed flashes but couldn’t deliver enough wins, finishing 5-7. As it stands, Castellanos was denied an NCAA waiver but is appealing.
Now that Norvell is returning for another season, he is moving forward, but the pressure is on. He has to get this right. The Seminoles need stability — and playmaking — behind center.
So, who will it be?
Is Kevin Sperry’s upside worth the gamble for Florida State?
This would be a bold and risky move for Norvell to consider Kevin Sperry, who just finished his freshman season, especially given Norvell’s aim to compete for a championship next year.
Sperry appeared in only three games, completing 12 of 17 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns. He held his own when he replaced Castellanos after a head injury late in the fourth quarter and even led the Seminoles on what could have been a game-winning drive.
The former three-star quarterback flipped his commitment to FSU after being a longtime Oklahoma pledge.
Coaches and players have raved about Sperry throughout the season.
Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn repeatedly said Sperry doesn’t play like a freshman when asked about the Denton, Texas, native. After the Florida game, Castellanos said Sperry has a bright future and could be a starter someday.
“I think he’d be really good for this team,” Castellanos said.
“He’s probably the best freshman that I’ve seen with my eyes at quarterback. He’s very poised, very confident and very comfortable. I think he’d be good.”
Still, Sperry is unproven, and Norvell shouldn’t hand him the keys to the offense without earning it. Brock Glenn remains on the roster and could factor into the competition, as could Jaylen King, who transferred from East Tennessee State. Both have starting experience, but neither may have Sperry’s upside. If it comes down to those three, Sperry likely gets the edge.
If Sperry pans out, Norvell would finally hit on a quarterback he recruited and potentially find a long-term solution. Is that a risk Norvell is willing to take?
Mike Norvell can’t afford to miss on another portal QB
If Norvell is swinging at the transfer portal again, he’d better connect. FSU’s season showed what happens when quarterback play falls short — and the fix won’t come cheap. But if the right guy puts the Seminoles back in playoff contention, every dollar will be worth it.
Look around.
Miami has Carson Beck. Indiana has Fernando Mendoza. Those quarterbacks helped catapult their teams into the College Football Playoff. FSU should be able to find its own game-changer.
The portal window opens Jan. 2-16, so it’s early to lock in names, but Norvell needs more than a warm body. He needs a proven winner — someone who can adapt to any scheme and elevate everyone around him.
Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt is the headline name so far. The catch? His NIL haul reportedly sits around $3.1 million. Can FSU play in that neighborhood? Then there’s South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, who hasn’t decided between the portal and the NFL draft. Both would move the needle.
Norvell could also take a page from Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss playbook and look to a Division II quarterback like Trinidad Chambliss.
Marcus Stokes from West Florida is an intriguing prospect. He was a four-star QB coming out of high school, but after a viral video surfaced in which he used a racial slur during a song, all the offers went away. He’s a Harlon Hill finalist after throwing for 3,664 yards and 40 touchdowns — and FSU has already offered him.
The bottom line is that Norvell has to ante up, even for a one-year rental, because one year of elite quarterback play could be the difference between another ‘what if’ season and a playoff run.
Should Jaden O’Neal compete for the starting role
Is it plausible that Norvell may consider an uncommon move, which is starting a true freshman at quarterback?
Jaden O’Neal, one of 32 high school players to sign with FSU during national signing day, is a blue-chip prospect who committed to the Seminoles last summer after flipping from Oklahoma.
Originally from California, O’Neal played for multiple high school teams, finishing at Mustang High in Oklahoma. He was recruited by Malzahn and quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz.
At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, O’Neal has the arm talent and field vision to compete early.
Norvell expressed excitement about his potential when asked if the incoming freshman could challenge for the starting job. To him, the mindset is there after witnessing it firsthand.
“Jaden came out here a couple of years ago. I remember coming to one of our camps, and it was an extremely talented quarterback camp that was here, and you’ll be able to see his arm talent, what he’s able to do, the throws he’s able to make. It’s really impressive,” Norvell said.
“He’s a big kid. He moves well. He even, in the course of this last year, moved to Mustang High School there in Oklahoma. He is talking to their coaches, and just the way that he transitioned and just embraced every part of that football team with the ownership of the relationships with his offensive line, his teammates, that experience I think was a great one for him, and the impact that he could make on a football team…,” Norvell continued. “He’s got the right mindset, the right approach and definitely has ability.”
Starting as a true freshman is rare at FSU.
Glenn was the most recent to do so, late in 2023, after injuries sidelined Travis and Tate Rodemaker. During the Bobby Bowden era, only James Blackman in 2019 and Chip Ferguson in 1985 started as true freshmen in the regular season.
The stakes are high, and throwing O’Neal into the fire could backfire on Norvell.
Still, the coach has shown a willingness to play first-year players who prove consistent in practice, giving O’Neal a chance to showcase himself during spring football.
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: How will FSU football, Mike Norvell fix quarterback crisis?
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