24 Florida State Players Opted Out After College Playoff Snub…
The Orange Bowl matchup between Florida State’s fifth-ranked football team and their last matchup in the ACC Championship will be very different.
Several players—24 in all—will miss the matchup with sixth-ranked Georgia due to their exclusion from the College Football Playoffs.
Tate Rodemaker, the expected starting quarterback, was substituted for Jordan Travis due to an injury and subsequently entered the transfer portal.
After declaring for the NFL draft, star wide receiver Keon Coleman also disclosed that he would not be participating in the game. Along with Coleman, the Seminoles’ other two top receivers, tight end Jaheim Bell and wide receiver Johnny Wilson, will also be absent.
In addition, starting defensive linemen Jared Verse and Fabian Lovett, cornerback Akeem Dent, and leading rusher Trey Benson will not participate.
For Florida State, the past five weeks have been unforgettable. It all started when Travis suffered a horrific leg injury during a match against North Alabama.
The week after, Rodemaker began playing and suffered a concussion that prevented him from playing in the ACC championship game.
In lieu of a starting quarterback, Brock Glenn, FSU pulled off an ugly 16-6 victory over Louisville to end the season 13-0 and as the Power 5 conference champions, more than worthy of a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
Disputed was the CFP committee. A one-losing Alabama squad was included instead of the unbeaten P5 conference champion for the first time in the program’s brief history.
Draft-eligible players will probably sit out a game for Georgia as well, but head coach Kirby Smart says he doesn’t anticipate many doing so.
On December 30, Florida State takes on Georgia at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
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Florida State Listed as Possibility to Land Former Five-Star Wide Receiver in Portal…
Recruitments hold the Florida State Seminoles in high regard, and they may benefit from the transfer portal.
Mike Norvell has done a fantastic job of bringing in talent through the transfer portal since coming to Tallahassee in 2020, which has a significant impact on winning. Notable names in the transfer portal that happened to be big hits include Jared Verse, Jermaine Johnson, and Keon Coleman.
Due to Florida State having the No. 11 recruiting class for the 2024 cycle, Norvell and his staff have seen success with the portal translating to high school recruiting.
This season, the Seminoles have sent plenty of talent leaving, whether to the NFL Draft or outgoing in the transfer portal. With a highly ranked class coming in, Norvell can add to his roster with transfer coming in, as he did with Seminoles legacy player Marvin Jones Jr.
The Seminoles are currently in the running to sign a top receiver via the transfer portal. Former five-star wide receiver Evan Stewart is looking for a new team in the 2022 recruiting class. Stewart is transferring from Texas A&M, and according to Pete Nakos of On3, the Seminoles are in the running to sign him.
“I’ve heard Texas and Alabama rumored. And I’ve also been told by sources that those at not really viable options. In recent days, I’ve heard Florida State thrown out there. I’ve heard Ole Miss. I’ve heard Tennessee. I’ve heard USC. I’ve heard Oregon,” Nakos reported. “I think we’ll get a better feel in the days to come but I will tell you right now. I don’t think he lands at Texas or Alabama.”
Considering that both Alabama and Texas are playing in the College Football Playoffs in the coming days, it is wild to see he’s unlikely to land with either of those programs and, instead, has Florida State on his list of potential landing spots.
“I believe that many players respect what Mike Norvell and Florida State have created,” Nakos remarked. “I believe that Tallahassee may be the kind of place where Evan settles in and blends in with the locals.” and after that, achieve some degree of success on the field, the Keon Coleman mold is born.
After a swift rebuilding at Florida State, Norvell led the team to an ACC Championship season in just his fourth year in Tallahassee, going 13-0. Considering how he’s improved the locker room and on-field performance, it’s amazing to hear how much respect he’s received from the players.