The nature of sports is such that success is short-lived and issues are incessant. Particularly in college football, the dynamics are constantly changing. Not only is the game undergoing modernization with the introduction of the transfer portal and NIL, but at its core, players are only available for a limited period of time. You can go from being an invincible juggernaut to the absolute pits within a single recruiting cycle. This has transpired with Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles in 2024. But at the same time, the inverse is also true. You can, in theory, go from vanquishing at the bottom to the upper echelons if you make the right personnel moves in the off-season. 

Florida State concluded 2024 with a record of 2-10, placing them at the bottom of the ACC. A twisted, unfathomable turn of events after their 13-0 regular season the year prior. Alas, there’s no time to sulk. Not for that playoff snub, still a fresh wound, and certainly not for last season. HC Mike Norvell has got to put that egregious 2-10 record in their rear-view mirror and drive forward. Which, to his credit, he is. The transfer portal afforded him a chance to bring some quality to Tallahassee. Coach Norvell has taken that chance and onboarded a 340lb man mountain.

On3’s Pete Nakos has some very good news for the FSU faithful. He reports that the program has acquired the services of Rutgers transfer offensive lineman Jaelyne Matthews. Matthews only enrolled with Rutgers in January ‘25, and leaves the Scarlet Knights without ever playing a game for them. A 4-star recruit, the New Jersey native initially chose to remain in-state in the northeast. However, Jaelyne Matthews is trading the familiarity of NJ for the Sunshine State. The exact reason is inconspicuous, but Mike Norvell sure doesn’t care. It’s more depth for him at the line of scrimmage, and rather large ones at that!

In his scouting report of Jaelyne Matthews, 247Sports’ Gabe Brooks spoke about him being capable of playing both as a tackle and a guard. That versatility sure will help him get reps earlier than the average freshman ascending from high school to the collegiate game. Brooks even mentioned Matthews being a capable prospect on the other side of the trenches. He deemed Matthews a “multi-year Power 4 starter,” a potential Norvell will hope he realizes and even breaches.

It remains to be seen how much playtime Jaelyne Matthews gets, if any, in 2025. With a new quarterback in Thomas Castellanos expected to occupy the backfield, protection for him could also come via newer pieces. Coach Norvell’s expertise lies on this side of the football, so you’d expect him to come to a sound conclusion. Alas, even if Matthews isn’t ready to play right away, he does project as a quality contributor down the line.

FSU needs to turn the ship around now, but losing sight of the future in favor of the present isn’t ideal either. This revelation around Jaelyne Matthews’ arrival should quell some of the outrage reverberating out of Tallahassee, directed at Mike Norvell. One Florida State insider didn’t mince their words after a different recruitment drive went south-or west, rather.

Mike Norvell and FSU losing out on a particular recruit sparks outrage

The South has perpetually been a hotbed for athletic talent. Over the years, FSU has found great success within the confines of its backyard. The likes of Deion Sanders and Marvin Jones Sr. are examples of the program putting up a fence around the state of Florida and keeping talent in proximity from going elsewhere. At the same time, they’ve also had a stronghold on nearby states such as Georgia. This was before Kirby Smart transformed the Bulldogs into a dynastic powerhouse. That stronghold really is slipping. Mike Norvell has just fallen short in the recruitment of a 4-star prospect who basically had one foot through the door at FSU. They didn’t lose him to that blueblood in Athens, mind you. But to a school about 3000 miles away. Naturally, this hasn’t gone down too well within FSU circles.

Class of ’26 EDGE Cam Brooks was supposedly trending towards Norvell’s Seminoles. He even had an OV lined up in June. However, rather abruptly, he has committed to Cal. Now conceded, FSU isn’t the most magnetic program after what happened last season. But losing out on a player to the Cal Golden Bears is something. In the aftermath of this announcement, FSU insider Ira Schoffel let Mike Norvell know of her wrath.

“[Cam Brooks] is a 4-star who wants to come to your school, is 30 minutes up the road, and has been talking about Florida State his whole life!” he remarked. Brooks is a Thomasville native, which is right across the border. Close enough for Ben Doak Stadium to cast a shadow on it.”It’s the biggest embarrassment yet. And there’s been a ton of them,” added Schoffel.

As much as they try to shrug off the calamity that was 2024, its aftershocks continue to rattle FSU. Prospects don’t view them in the same light anymore. The allure and sheen of that 13-win season have dulled rather quickly. Jaelyne Matthews’ arrival is a step in the right direction, though. However small. Mike Norvell and the Florida State brass will hope to conjure some momentum off it as they work towards filling out their 2026 class