What happened to Mike Norvell, Florida State? Start with the obvious | Toppmeyer

When a coach free-falls to the extreme and with the expediency Florida State's Mike Norvell did, we tend to bundle half-baked theories in an attempt to explain why this occurred.

How, exactly, does a respected coach go from beating LSU twice, taming the ACC, building a playoff résumé (albeit not playoff selection) and enticing interest from Alabama to becoming a total stinker in a span of nine months?

Did Norvell lose the locker room? Not sure I buy this popular theory, but he lost the best players from his 2023 locker room. They paraded to the NFL. Ask Dan Mullen what happens when you lose good players and replace them with lesser players.

Did the playoff selection committee’s snub break the Seminoles’ spirit? I counter that claim with this: The committee’s decision didn’t affect DJ Uiagalelei. He has been a broken quarterback since he faced Georgia in 2021 as Clemson’s starter.

Is Norvell too reliant on transfers? This argument merits consideration. Becoming so dependent on transient players and putting less emphasis on signing and developing blue-chip recruits increases the chance of year-over-year variance.

FSU’s talent tapered off at several positions. It lacks the skill-position punch from a year ago. Its defensive front is neither as deep nor as disruptive.

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But let’s not ignore the most obvious explanation: Norvell invested in the wrong quarterback.

Uiagalelei completed his first five passes in Saturday’s 20-12 loss to Memphis. Those completions totaled 7 yards.

His sixth pass? Intercepted.

What happened to Florida State football? Start at quarterback

The Seminoles’ three losses are by an average margin of 8.7 points. What might their record be if Jordan Travis had unlimited eligibility? Or if Cam Ward had chosen FSU instead of Miami?

Unbearable to watch could have transformed to undefeated with just one player.

Easier said than done. The list of programs that need an A-list transfer quarterback is longer than the list of A-listers available.

Credit Norvell for developing Travis, but, in his fifth season at FSU, he still has not recruited and developed his own guy. Travis transferred from Louisville while Willie Taggart was coach of the Seminoles.

If you’re going to make your living with portal quarterbacks, you had better secure the right portal quarterback. Norvell didn’t.

Uiagalelei hasn’t been a blue-chip prospect for several years. The recruiting evaluators missed. That should have been evident when he sought a transfer for the second time. I can rattle off numerous quarterbacks who thrived at their second school after transferring. Like Travis, for instance.

But try this exercise: Generate a list of quarterbacks whose career accelerated at their third school after transferring for the second time.

If such a list exists, Uiagalelei won’t join the ranks.

Time for Mike Norvell to develop his own quarterback

Norvell, like Dabo Swinney before him, miscalculated in thinking “DJ U” stood for DJ Unbelievable. It’s actually short for DJ, Ugh.

Ward leads the ACC in passer efficiency. Uiagalelei ranks last in the ACC in that stat.

Is it any wonder why Miami is 3-0 and FSU is 0-3?

The chief problem isn’t that Norvell relied on a transfer. It’s that he wound up with the wrong transfer.

Here’s the simplest explanation for FSU’s drop-off: Norvell lost handfuls of very good players who fueled the 2023 team. Then he replaced them with inferior players. Nowhere is that more true than at quarterback.

“I am pleased with the way that he's preparing,” Norvell said Monday of Uiagalelei.

That’s a backhanded compliment. A coach applauds a veteran’s preparation when his performance falls short.

Can Norvell fix this mess? Probably not within the confines of this season.

Norvell’s future will be linked to his ability to develop four-star true freshman Luke Kromenhoek, the headliner of FSU’s 2024 signing class and one of the nation’s top-rated quarterback prospects. Or else, he can’t whiff on the next transfer.

Whether Norvell lost the locker room or lost his mojo after the selection committee’s rejection makes for interesting debate, but this fact is undeniable: Norvell lost an All-ACC quarterback and replaced him with a journeyman who’s suited to be FSU’s backup.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football: Where did Mike Norvell go wrong? Start on DJ Uiagalelei