Gene Frenette: Norvell creates FSU football culture that makes players want to stick around

A train of dominos for a potential run at an ACC/national championship began falling in Florida State’s favor on Dec. 5, the day quarterback Jordan Travis confirmed he was delaying his NFL entry for another shot at college glory.

One by one, a boatload of Seminoles followed suit — among them linebacker Kalen DeLoach, running back Trey Benson, cornerback Jarrian Jones, defensive lineman Fabien Lovett — though FSU still had to wait for two other pieces of the Big Three to make their decision.

Then within a 24-hour period in the first week of January, the biggest statement about the impact Mike Norvell’s culture had created in Tallahassee was solidified — 6-foot-7 receiver Johnny Wilson and ACC sack leader Jared Verse announced they were also delaying NFL paydays to chase a championship.

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Undoubtedly, Verse had the toughest call. He was projected as a middle or late first round draft pick, a position in which most players tend to turn pro. Nobody would have blamed Verse if he opted for an immediate signing bonus of $6 million to $8 million.

But when the Albany State transfer and first-team All-ACC performer surprised some of his teammates by staying in school, the ripple effects reverberated through multiple facets of FSU’s program, as well as on the recruiting front.

With the momentum of last year’s 10-3 turnaround season still fresh, Norvell and the players were galvanized by the team’s big guns wanting one more shot to see if they could climb further up the college football mountain.

It turned out the temptation of chasing their NFL dreams was secondary to not only pursuing a championship, but doing that within the tight-knit environment Norvell established over a three-year period.

“I’m glad all them boys decided to come back,” DeLoach said. “They felt like what we had here, we need to leave our legacy, we need to leave a mark. They felt like we weren’t done yet.”

Few players were more overjoyed about Verse and some key components returning on defense than freshman safety K.J. Kirkland, a Raines High product who enrolled in January.

“As a recruit, I came in watching those guys on TV,” said Kirkland “[The decision to return to FSU] was like, ‘these guys are superstars.’ When I was able to get on campus and actually able to practice with those guys, sometimes I still catch myself, like ‘I’m really out there with these guys.’

“[Verse returning] did kind of surprise me. But then again, coach Norvell bases this a lot on family, so when you got a good family, you want to come back to that family and achieve that goal. With the success last year, they got a taste, so we’re this close to achieving that big goal. When all those pieces come together, something great can happen.”

Peer pressure influenced Verse

Near the end of last season, Verse was admittedly torn between turning pro and returning to a team that finished No. 11 in the final AP ranking, now up to eighth in the 2023 preseason poll.

Many consider the defensive line FSU's strongest unit from a depth standpoint. With Verse coming back, the ‘Noles legitimately have their best shot at reaching the CFP since a Jameis Winston-led offense catapulted them to a national title in 2013 and a semifinal berth against Oregon the following year.

Verse, who is on four different preseason awards watch lists (Bednarik, Walter Camp, Bronko Nagurski and Wuerffel Trophy) made it clear at the ACC Kickoff luncheon that seeing all the key band members opting to reunite were enticing factors in his decision.

The outcome of three huge matchups — a neutral-site opener against LSU (Sept. 3) a road showdown at Clemson (September 23), and a potential rematch in the ACC Championship game — will determine whether all of them will get the desired payoff.

“One of the biggest factors in coming back was seeing all these other guys come back,” Verse said. "All these guys came back, key players and they just kept telling me, ‘What are you going to do,' and I had a feeling I was going to come back. I’m not done here yet.

“I accomplished what I wanted and put myself in conversations where I was able to go high up in the draft, but it wasn’t where I wanted it. We still had a lot more as a team to do.”

While Verse is the team’s top pro prospect — somewhere inside the top 15, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic — the reality is FSU wouldn’t be considered in the second tier of contenders behind Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama and LSU without Travis. He’s arguably the top Heisman Trophy quarterback candidate behind USC’s Caleb Williams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Texas’ Quinn Ewers.

Travis took a major step toward national relevancy last season, throwing for 2,796 yards and 22 touchdowns, adding 367 yards and seven TDs on the ground. His continued ascent is paramount for FSU to snap a sevem-game losing streak to Clemson and win its first ACC crown since 2014.

You can feel the same vibe emitting from all the Seminoles. Nothing less than a championship, ACC or national, will be acceptable for this to be considered a successful season. It’s why Travis and all those starters didn’t run off to the NFL.

“Obviously, you did what’s best for you at the end of the day,” said Travis. “We talked a little bit. Jared [Verse] was probably the most secretive out of everybody. Yeah, man, we just knew we had unfinished business. We all came back. We have goals and expectations for the football team this year.

“All of us coming back, it brings confidence to this football team, a lot of experience.”

Stabilizing the program

It cannot be overstated how critical this season is to the Norvell tenure, which represents his best chance yet to put FSU back on the national map.

Without Travis, Verse and Wilson returning for one more season, it’s doubtful the ‘Noles would be considered a league co-favorite with Clemson. That also means FSU might be hard pressed to put together another double-digit win season, thus stunting the progress Norvell had made after going 9-13 in his first two years, albeit severely impacted by COVID-19.

Given the ACC’s somewhat tenuous future, and FSU seemingly stuck without a viable exit to either the Big Ten or SEC, few Power 5-contending programs are under greater pressure to deliver a special season.

Imagine how different things would feel in Tallahassee right now without Travis, Verse and all those impactful starters feeling such an intense loyalty to the program. As well as Norvell has done recruiting out of the transfer portal, expectations would be dialed down a bit.

“It’s huge, guys that want to be here,” Norvell said after the team’s first practice last week at the University of North Florida. “They’re bought into what we’re doing as a program and they also believe that they’re going to develop. These guys are great players with really good success throughout their career. They want to take another step.

“I’ve been really pleased with the work ethic, the desire. That’s encouraging to everybody. You get one chance for a career. … They all have big dreams and big goals. They see this as a great step to where they ultimately want to get to.”

The Seminoles haven’t been able to dream big since midway through the Jimbo Fisher era. FSU finally has some of its groove back.

All because its best players decided it was in their best interest to bring the band back together.

Gfrenette@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X (formerly known as Twitter) @genefrenette  

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: FSU's Big Three of Verse, Travis and Wilson delay NFL riches for CFP run