FSU's doing a helluva job in the portal..again. Last year 'conventional wisdom' was that they sucked. Now 'conventional wisdom' is that what they're doing isn't sustainable. Goal post moving? Appears to me that Norvell is enjoying success, and re-building the brand. With limited resources.
What if re-building the brand makes FSU more attractive to HS recruits?
Sincerely think we need to throw out this idea of there being a particular formula for success - as in Mario has it and FSU doesn't. NIL and the portal are relatively new frontiers. Just 'what if' Mario recruits great (evident) but gets poached while building with youth (losing)?
I really hope this isn't the case, but strongly feel a lot of the 'conventional wisdom' perpetuated around here should be up for review.
You can acknowledge their portal success and still question the sustainability and ceiling of that model.
1. FSU had a successful year and their HS recruiting did not improve. A class score of 234 is very average and not close to championship caliber. Why would we think it can improve? Dan Mullen went 10-3 and 11-2 and was criticized for not capitalizing on the recruiting trail.
His classes were 277, 273, and 264. Norvell is well below that despite a good season.
2. FSU has been very lucky with the injury bug. Portal players come to start. What happens when they get bit by the injury bug and a few of those players can't play. Now you are relying on players from weak HS classes to step up.
The likely outcome is a 6 to 8 win season. Good luck convincing elite HS kids to sign up to that in year 4 or beyond.
3. We have yet to see a team that is portal heavy and relatively weak in HS recruiting sustain success. There are more examples of one year wonders than the opposite.
No one has won a natty yet going portal heavy. Maybe that changes. But I still don't see elite lineman entering the portal.
If your goal is to win a natty, you have to build like it from the start.
4. Miami has done well in the portal and isn't done. 4 guys, 3 likely starters, two studs. And 1 quality depth piece. Keep in mind Mesidor and Darrell Jackson were added in spring.
Our approach is HS heavy and will likely still be portal heavy this year.
Each year thereafter it will be less and less dependent on the portal.
That is how you sustain success and build towards a shot at the natty.
