Nov 4, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell (right) gestures as he talks to head line judge Baron Baluster (left) against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. The Seminoles won 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

FSU Football lands in middle of pack in ACC post-spring power rankings

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Tommy Mire | Last updated May 17, 2025 9:00 AM ET

With spring camp over and the NCAA Transfer Portal closed, analysts around the country are poring through depth charts, updated rosters, and schedules to give their best take on the who's who heading into the 2025 season.

The Atlantic Coast Conference expanded its reach to 17 teams ahead of the 2024 season, and college football programs got an early taste of what it's like to play against teams like Cal and Stanford alongside a darkhorse SMU team that made it to the conference title game in its first season playing in the ACC.

The Florida State Seminoles didn't fare too well last year, and head coach Mike Norvell has made it a mission to right the ship once again, entering his sixth season at the helm. With that being said, the road to the national spotlight could prove to be tough.

Chip Patterson of CBS Sports recently released his post-spring power rankings for the ACC, and while the 'Noles sit in the upper middle class of the conference at No. 7, they will face four of the top 10 teams, including No. 1 Clemson, which is the odds favorite to win it all.

"If the coaching changes and transfer portal additions hit, Florida State could be as high as No. 4 or No. 5 in this ranking with a chance to cause problems for the teams at the top. But there are too many uncertainties in Tallahassee to even give Mike Norvell, who has been successful getting the Seminoles back on track before, the benefit of the doubt," Patterson wrote. "Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and transfer quarterback Thomas Castellanos is an apparent fit, but the biggest boost might come from new defensive coordinator Tony White getting the defense to play to its talent level consistently."

Granted, this is all speculation until the toe meets the turf, and Patterson was quick to point out that the middle tier of the group was closely contested, with some teams being separated by a touchdown or less on a neutral field.

It will be up to Norvell and the new regime brought in to climb the ACC ladder. The Seminoles brought in the No. 6 transfer class in the country to integrate into a roster full of players that showed promise at times last season.