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Florida State Seminoles true freshman Ousmane Kromah has a powerful message for anyone who doubted Mike Norvell last year
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Mike Norvell and his Florida State Seminoles didn't have a good year at all in 2024. Of course, you knew that already. They went from 13 wins to two in a span of just months. Last season was by far one of the worst in program history, and definitely the worst one since the 1970s.

So, how does a guy like Norvell, who's coaching a two win team, convince recruits to commit, convince transfers to buy in, and convince the program not to fire him? It was pretty easy and simple for true freshman running back Ousmane Kromah.

"You don't know how many folks came to me and told me I was stupid… Mike Norvell came to me and told me he had a plan,” Kromah told reporters on site at the facilities Tuesday.

He never gave up.

Seminoles true freshman RB Ousmane Kromah saw the vision

It's only been two games into Year 1 for Kromah, but he already looks like he can be the best RB in the country in due time. He was FSU’s best RB two weeks ago in the win over Alabama, and backed it up with a pretty good showing last week against East Texas A&M. He finished with 37 rushing yards on five carries, and was an absolute unit when it came to finishing through tackles. Kromah also has a knack for being patient on the handoff, and finding the right gap to hit for the biggest possible gain.

Kromah had to see the vision for what Norvell had, because he's been playing out of his mind, despite not getting as many opportunities as the three RBs ahead of him on the depth chart. FSU was 2-10 with no run game, and no signs that they would have one in 2025. But, Kromah, a pretty big recruit last year, bought in to it all, and that's already paying off for him.

The Seminoles have already seemed like they've turned things around, and that has already had an effect on their 2026 recruiting class. They had the 20th-ranked class for 2025, and have moved up to the 15th-best class for 2026. Norvell's plan seems to be working, and it could only get better from here on out.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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