Florida State’s spring camp is in the throes behind a Seminole team looking for redemption and a new branding in the eyes of the college football world ahead of 2025. The ‘Noles will have an uphill battle facing playoff contenders Alabama, Clemson, Miami, and Florida this season, and will be breaking in a new coaching staff and a plethora of transfers, head coach Mike Norvell added this past year.
ESPN recently released its latest edition of College Football Future Power Rankings, which is a metric used by the network to evaluate a team’s potential for success, and in this case, success over the next two seasons.
The 68 teams listed were ranked based on their returning quarterback (if applicable), the likelihood of a multi-year quarterback remaining on the roster, the strength of their offensive and defensive lines, roster management, star power, and the quality of their coaching staff.
Previously holding the No. 9 spot in Adam Rittenberg’s list, the ‘Noles dropped out of the top 10 and now sit at No. 39, which is a significant decrease in ranking.
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The reason for such a dramatic decrease, Rittenberg explains, is primarily due to new quarterback Tommy Castellanos playing in his last year of eligibility and the lack of depth behind him.
There are major questions surrounding the future of the position at Florida State.
“Castellanos, a dual threat who initially started college at UCF to play for current Florida State offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, should get the first opportunity in his final year of eligibility. In 2023, he became the first Boston College player to eclipse 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. If FSU turns away from Castellanos, it has Glenn and a few other non-senior options.”
It isn’t all doom and gloom for the ‘Noles. Rittenburg noted that potential starting wide receivers Squirrel White and Duce Robinson will have a chance to make an impact, defensive tackle Darrell Jackson’s decision to forgo the NFL and play another season at Florida State, safety Shyheim Brown’s return alongside defensive end James Williams and cornerback Jeremiah Wilson could be the difference makers this season.
“Florida State has pillaged the transfer portal in both good times and bad, and will need its newcomers to engineer a turnaround after a 2-10 disaster. Castellanos could provide the lift Uiagalelei didn’t, and will be throwing to transfer wide receivers Duce Robinson (USC) and Squirrel White (Tennessee). FSU added several impact transfers on defense, including Williams and cornerback Jeremiah Wilson (Houston). The team also lost several notable defensive linemen and others to the portal. High school recruiting has lagged under coach Mike Norvell, as FSU’s 2025 class finished just outside the top 25. The 2026 class ranks 25th.”
Keeping Castellanos upright will be key for the ‘Noles this season and Norvell seems to have addressed that situation in the transfer portal.
“The offensive line needs greater stability after a turbulent 2024, and will turn to veteran transfers such as Luke Petitbon (Wake Forest), Adrian Medley (UCF) and Micah Pettus (Ole Miss).”
With a restructured coaching staff, a reloaded roster, and a quarterback in Castellanos who offers immediate upside, the Seminoles are hoping to prove that last season was an outlier rather than the start of a decline.
READ MORE: Coveted recruiting target has disappointing news for Florida State football
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