With Mike Norvell floundering at Florida State, it may be prime time for Deion Sanders to take over
Florida State was must-see TV eons ago. Could Deion Sanders be the one to push the Seminoles back into prime time?
Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek interviewed the Jackson State head coach for his program's opening in 2019 and believes it is "inevitable" that Sanders will coach at a Power Five school, per CBS Sports.
Florida State head coach Mike Norvell caught a bit of a reprieve from rumors about his potential dismissal when the Seminoles began the year 4-0 and made it to No. 23 in the Associated Press poll. That was their first ranking since the AP's preseason poll in 2018.
FSU (4-2, 2-2 in ACC), which hosts Clemson on Saturday, has lost its past two as the offense has cratered, scoring 38 points.
Before the season, it appeared as if Norvell's days were numbered. Wins over FBS competition tempered those calls, but after consecutive defeats — including a befuddling end to the Seminoles' 19-17 loss to No. 15 NC State — they've been reignited. Only needing a field goal to win and already in range, Norvell called for a deep pass play on 2nd-and-8 that ended up being intercepted.
On the current trajectory, it's hard to see Norvell lasting much longer. It doesn't help that six hours away, at Jackson State, perhaps the most famous Seminole football player of all time is having success at the FCS level in his first role as college head coach.
In his third year, Sanders has led Jackson State (5-0, 4-0 in SWAC) to an overall record of 20-5 and 14-2 in conference games, quickly making the HBCU team a national story. He has been outstanding, both in terms of leading his team to victories and making enormous strides in recruiting.
Per 247 Sports, the season before Sanders arrived, Jackson State had the No. 252 class. He increased that ranking to No. 61 in 2021 and secured a commitment from five-star recruit Travis Hunter in the 2022 offseason.
Florida State hired Norvell in 2020, the same year as Sanders at Jackson State. He is 12-15 at FSU, 8-12 in ACC. Norvell has posted top-20 recruiting classes each season at Florida State. If he can bring talent to a moribund program, there's no telling how well Sanders could do in the same position.
Per CBS Sports, there's a belief that "it's going to take a special set of circumstances" for a team to pry Sanders from Jackson State.
He is coaching his son, sophomore QB Shedeur Sanders, to incredible success. It wouldn't seem likely for Sanders to leave his current spot with his son still at quarterback, but with the sport's lax rules on transfer athletes, who's to say he wouldn't come with him?
An opening at his alma mater would qualify as a "special set of circumstances." If Sanders makes a move — and Florida State isn't the one to bring him in — the Seminoles' athletic department will have a lot of questions to answer.
Florida State is still operating in darkness after winning a national championship in 2014. Bright lights follow Sanders wherever he goes. The Seminoles could use some of that.
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