February Check-in: Noles/Bucs/Magic/Bolts

 

    This is as good a time as any to do a group check in. Not just because I'm spending the day at a coffee shop, but also because as we stand all 4 teams are currently on a break of some sort. The Noles have not only completed their season, but also the main portion of their offseason moves. The Buccaneers have completed their season, but are preparing for free agency in less than a month, as well as the NFL draft in April. The Lightning and Magic find themselves on respective mid-season breaks, (Olympic for Lightning, All-Star for Magic). Both have roughly 1/3 of their regular seasons left before playoffs begin in mid-April.

     So that sort of sets the foundation for this post. Recapping FSU's offseason and looking ahead to 2026. Previewing the Bucs offseason, with an emphasis on free agency and the draft. And previewing the final third of the season and playoff-push for the Bolts and Magic respectively, more specifically can the Bolts win the Stanley Cup, and can the Magic turn around what's been a bit of a disappointment so far.  

Florida State Seminoles

     For the second year in a row, it was a rough season for the Seminoles. While I will still take 5-7 over 2-10, this one almost felt worse in some ways because it started on an overwhelmingly positive note and gave us fans such false hope for what was coming. After the emphatic two touchdown win over top-10 Bama, everyone, myself included, truly believed things had been fixed and began re-calibrating our expectations for FSU. 10 wins, the ACC championship, and the playoff all felt very much on the table. But then by FSU's 4th game, a Friday night road trip to Virginia, things began to turn, and ultimately FSU would lose 7 of its final 9, guaranteeing a second straight season with a losing record and no bowl game.

     Mike Norvell's job status was a hot topic much of the second half of the season, but ultimately Norvell survived as the administration couldn't justify paying the large buyout Norvell would have been owed for termination. They instead decided to invest in building a more NFL-like front office to further support NFL, people who will be more directly involved with things like high-school and portal scouting and evaluations, talent acquisition, and managing NIL funds/contracts, allowing Norvell and his staff to focus moreso on the on-field activities (while still having some say in roster construction). I don't hate this idea, especially as college football has migrated to more and more of an NFL-style league over recent years, but ultimately this will still only work with the right coach leading the players.

     While Norvell remained safe, some staff changes did still occur. Most notably was the retirement of offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. Malzahn is 60, and was balancing time last season between football duties and a health situation with a family member. His offense produced mixed results last year. With his retirement, Norvell will resume play-calling duties, something he did every season but last. The other firings were mainly position coaches and off-field staff members.

Transfer Portal & Recruiting

     Once again, FSU had to hit the portal hard in an attempt to revamp its roster. To be fair, at this point that's not something super unique to them, but something every college football program deals with to some extent in this new era of NIL and portal. The Noles did a better job of retaining their own players than they did in 2024, when a mass exodus occurred, but still had a plethora of holes to attempt to fill. Most notable was quarterback, after Tommy Castellanos attempt to obtain a waiver and earn another season of eligibility was declined, meaning FSU would need a transfer QB for a third straight season, and also guaranteeing FSU 4 different QBs in the past 4 seasons (Jordan Travis, DJU, Tommy C, and ...)

     After vetting a few different options, FSU settled on Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels. Daniels was part of a 3-man rotation QB last season at Auburn, and FSU likes that he brings SEC experience playing against tough defenses and in hostile environments. I believe FSU was also drawn to his athleticism. I think FSU would like to find another Jordan Travis type, someone who is an uber good athlete, very fast, makes plays with their legs, etc. Daniels provides similar traits, but is probably not quite as polished as a thrower as Travis was. I also see this as similar to Castellanos, however Daniels has better height and is more willing to take contact as a runner whereas Castellanos was quick to slide or scamper out of bounds before defenders reached him.