Jul 23, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; aFlorida State head coach Mike Norvell answers questions from the media during ACC Media days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Florida State gaining national buzz as a 2025 rebound team

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Jackson Bakich | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Florida State Seminoles have a tremendous task on their hands. Or do they?

Since going 2-10 last season, the general sentiment is that things cannot get much worse than before in Tallahassee.

After only defeating one FBS program last year (Cal), FSU's expectations appear to be incredibly low compared to this time last year, as the win total line for the 2025 season rests at 7.5 wins, per FanDuel. However, sniffing that win total would technically be a massive improvement.

ESPN's Bill Connelly agrees with this line of thinking as he placed Florida State in the "Teams most likely to rebound from a 2024 stumble" category with Week 0 fast approaching.

Connelly began by saying that the 'Noles have a rejuvenated offense highlighted by their additions in the transfer portal and the coaching carousel, with former UCF head coach Gus Malzahn joining the staff.

"This is some pretty low-hanging fruit -- if the Seminoles are average in 2025, that will qualify as solid improvement after last season's disintegration," said Connelly. "I'm not sure what to expect from a remodeled offense; new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn has an awfully Malzahn-friendly QB in the speedy transfer Tommy Castellanos (Boston College) and new potential big-play receivers in Duce Robinson (USC), Squirrel White (Tennessee) and Randy Pittman Jr. (UCF), but it might be hard to get a rebuilt offensive line up to speed."

Furthermore, the ESPN writer spoke highly of the defense, but added that the team will need to get it right quickly to keep things afloat in Florida's capital.

"Regardless, the defensive front six has some new playmakers, and again, the bar for improvement is incredibly low. I'm not sure how many games Norvell needs to win to save his job, but the Noles will almost certainly not go 2-10 again," said Connelly.

The Seminoles kick off their season against the Alabama Crimson Tide at 3:30 p.m. ET in Tallahassee.

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