Florida State football experiences massive exodus of stars as culture change underway

Things went from bad to worse for Florida State after they lost several star players.

Outside of one upset win against North Carolina, Mike Norvell’s first season as the head coach at Florida State has been an unmitigated disaster. Norvell was handed the furthest thing from respite ahead of their game against North Carolina State, as the team experienced a mass exodus of players due to transfer, injury and outright leaving the program.

Leading receiver Tamorrion Terry was one of four star players who will not play one more snap of football this year as the losses racked up for Norvell. In addition to Terry leaving the program, Norvell was forced to confirm that injuries will sideline offensive lineman Devontay Love-Taylor and defensive tackle Marvin Wilson for the remainder of the season. In addition, quarterback James Blackman will opt out of the remainder of the season, a sign he likely intends to become a graduate transfer.

The culture change is well underway with Florida State football

Blackman, who has thrown 43 touchdowns against 26 interceptions during his four seasons in Tallahassee, might have the most minimal on-field impact, as he has been supplanted as the starting quarterback by dual-threat sophomore Jordan Travis. The 6-foot-5 Blackman still has some impressive arm talent, which could make him a very intriguing graduate transfer target.

The other three might’ve played their last downs of college football. Love-Taylor, an FIU grad transfer, has started all seven games at three different positions, and that versatility will serve him well in the pros. Terry, who almost topped 1,200 yards last season, is a 6-foot-4 receiver with plenty of speed, making him a prototypical field-stretching X receiver at the next level.

The biggest loss here is Wilson, who never saw eye-to-eye with Norvell. There is a very good chance that Wilson’s blend of run-stuffing and interior pass-rushing ends up landing him the designation of best interior defensive lineman in the 2021 NFL Draft. That defense is already thin in several key areas and Wilson’s injury only makes things more difficult.

Norvell was hired to change the culture in Tallahassee, but this year is essentially a wash as many of the problems that plagued the program at the end of the Jimbo Fisher era and the duration of the Willie Taggart era are still hampering one of college football’s blue bloods.

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