TALLAHASSEE — Mike Norvell passionately spoke for more than six minutes, touting his successes at Florida State and outlining the program’s failures the past two seasons. But when asked about the Seminoles’ future, he was unwavering in his expectations.
“I’ve got elite expectations, and we’re going to win a championship here in the very near future,” Norvell said.
FSU (4-5, 1-5 ACC) has lost five of its past six games, with each week seemingly a referendum on the program and Norvell’s leadership. The Seminoles are just 2-12 the last two seasons against the ACC going into Saturday’s home finale against Virginia Tech (3-6, 2-3).
Norvell also touted the coaches’ recruiting from the 2024 and ’25 classes, which includes players that he called “significant contributors.” He thinks the Seminoles will “ascend” in their final three games this fall, in part building momentum for FSU in 2026.
“I’m going to pour everything I have in this team with a championship expectation for us to grow and be better,” said Norvell, who helped guide FSU to an ACC title in 2023. “Why can I say that? I’ve actually won a championship. We’re going to do it again. We’re going to do it here.”
Here are three questions facing the Seminoles ahead of Saturday’s game (7:30 p.m. on ACC Network):
Who is FSU’s top tailback?
Gavin Sawchuk had been FSU’s top tailback in a deep rotation, earning 20 carries in the loss at Stanford on Oct. 18. But he had just six carries against Wake and one at Clemson. Ousmane Kromah had 12 carries against Virginia on Sept. 25 but has seen fewer opportunities of late (11 rushes in the last three games).
Samuel Singleton Jr. has been a beneficiary of playing time of late, with 14 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown against Wake, but just six rushes for 28 yards at Clemson. Singleton now appears to be FSU’s top tailback, but before the Wake game he had just one carry vs. a Power Four team.
“It’s something that we’re talking about as a staff,” Norvell said. “We’ve got a quality room of guys with diverse skills and talents. And I think we’ve got to continue to push that. But also I think there’s guys that have shown throughout the course of the season just the explosiveness, the capability of creating the big play.”
How important is reaching a bowl game?
FSU has plenty to fight for in the final three games, including a rivalry matchup at Florida and bowl-eligibility. The opportunity to play in a bowl and have added practice time to develop first- and second-year players is important to Norvell.
“I think they absolutely matter,” Norvell said. “The opportunity to compete, the opportunity to grow, especially for the young guys, I think the practices, the game, those are such valuable experiences for where they’re going to continue to ascend.”
Could Castellanos return to FSU in 2026?
Tommy Castellanos played in five games as a freshman at UCF in 2022, with the fifth one coming in the AAC title game against Tulane. The NCAA in 2024 modified its four-game redshirt rule, exempting postseason games (bowls or league title games) from counting toward eligibility.
It’s not yet clear if FSU has formally appealed to get Castellanos a fifth year of college football eligibility in 2026. But Norvell said bringing back Castellanos has been discussed.
“I know that’s all being evaluated,” Norvell said. “We’ll see where all that goes.”
