Florida State alum and ACC analyst EJ Manuel has never been afraid to speak his mind about what he thinks of his former school. His message was only amplified when he took the job with the ACC Network in 2019.
When current FSU head coach Mike Norvell was hired by the Seminoles the following year, he knew what was brewing in Tallahassee. Last year's season that ended with a No. 11 ranking, ten wins and a 35-32 Cheez-It Bowl victory over the Oklahoma Sooners only further served his point.
Manuel, along with his colleagues Eric Mac Lain and Kelly Gramlich, sat down to discuss FSU's success last season and he continued to have high praise for Norvell.
"It was momentous in the sense of it validated everything that coach Norvell has been teaching at Florida State since he's taken over," Manuel said. "Of course, a lot of fans and even alums, you know, we're very sensitive. We want the 'Noles to win. We want them to do well, and I've only had so much confidence in coach Norvell since I met him."
"That ten wins says a lot, but what it also does, guys is it puts a lot of emphasis on this season; it puts a lot of expectations. It's a lot of 'ok, well, you can't go any less than that; otherwise, it would be a disappointment.'"
With a cast of players that could've taken their game to the next level, like defensive end Jared Verse, Manuel remarked on the culture changes made these past few years.
"The fact that you had amazing players come back. You had Jared Verse, who was a first-round pick this coming up draft in another couple of weeks. To me, that's culture building. That means that things are changing. Guys aren't quick to say, 'Oh, I'm gonna follow the money.' I want to stay at Florida State and continue my education but yeah also have a chance to win an ACC title, win a National Title and potentially maybe even, you know, if they don't make the Natty at least another Orange Bowl or something like that. So it's really exciting times there in Tallahassee."
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