The Florida State Seminoles are back, and it just feels right to see them at the top of the ACC. But how did Mike Norvell take this team from a deep, win-deprived sleep to a “way-too-early” preseason darling for 2023?

The transfer portal.

Let’s not limit it there. Norvell clearly has the locker room bought into his vision, and he’s able to recruit all over the country. He’s a fantastic coach whose experience in the sport precedes him. But the argument can be made that nobody in college football has utilized the transfer portal as well as Norvell and his staff.

Consider this: Florida State’s leading rusher, Trey Benson, transferred from Oregon. Two of the Seminoles’ three leading receivers, Johnny Wilson and Mycah Pittman, transferred in from the Pac-12. Their two leading tacklers, Jammie Robinson (South Carolina) and Tatum Bethune (UCF) were brought in through the portal. Their sacks leader, Jared Verse, transferred from Albany and their interceptions leader, Greedy Vance Jr. came from Louisville.

QB Jordan Travis also transferred from Louisville in 2018, but it was about a year before Norvell took over the program. But Travis’s decision to stick with Norvell after a couple of inconsistent seasons speaks wonders about what he’s building, and it paid off for the athletic quarterback with a huge year in 2022 and another chance to ball out next fall.

It’s not just about the statistics. These players were crucial pieces in leading Florida State to its first 10-win season since 2016. Most of them left Power Five schools to play for Norvell in Tallahassee at a program that had won just eight games in its previous 21 attempts coming into the season.

And these players improved at their new destination. Benson was deep on the depth chart in Eugene, and Pittman struggled to find consistency amid injuries and constant coordinator turnover. Verse had only played on the defensive end for a couple years full-time before arriving to Tallahassee, and he was one of the most dominant players in the country. Though Robinson and Bethune had strong careers at their previous stops, they both saw their numbers improve at FSU.

Going back to 2021, Jermaine Johnson II and Keir Thomas transferred from SEC East schools to help improve the FSU defensive line. Leading rusher Jashaun Corbin was another SEC transfer who stepped in right away.

And guess what else? Norvell hasn’t taken his foot off the portal pedal either. He might have the best cohort of transfers in 2023.

He loaded up on guys who can make a difference along the line of scrimmage, adding defensive linemen Darrell Jackson (Miami), Braden Fiske (Western Michigan), and Gilber Edmond (South Carolina), along with offensive linemen Jeremiah Byers (UTEP) and Keiondre Jones (Auburn). The Seminoles also beefed up at tight end, creating a lethal duo of South Carolina transfer Jaheim Bell and Shorter transfer Kyle Morlock. Oh, and they also picked up the top cornerback in the portal in Virginia transfer Fentrell Cypress.

The Cheez-It Bowl is a clear representation of what Norvell and his staff are building at Florida State. Some of those transfers could easily have skipped the bowl game, thanked FSU for getting them more attention and a chance to elevate to the next level, and dipped. Can’t blame ’em, but they all chose to play one last time alongside their brothers. Robinson, Verse, and Wilson all gave Norvell and his staff all they had one last time in 2022, and the latter two, along with Bethune, opted to spurn the NFL to return to school in 2023.

I don’t think we’re giving Mike Norvell enough roses for the job he’s done at Florida State in making that program respectable again. At this rate, it won’t be long before he’s discussed for the job he did returning FSU to the top of the ACC and even college football. And a big reason for this turnaround is the transfer portal, a resource some coaches have criticized or even refused to use altogether.

As the saying goes — don’t hate the player, hate the game. And Mike Norvell is playing the hell out of the game right now.