Florida State dropped over $20 million into their roster for the 2026 season, according to CBS Sports last week, a massive chunk of change that will absolutely trump most of the ACC’s spending. That sounds like a big win, right? But hold up, because how FSU decided to spend that money could be a real problem, especially when you look at who’s getting paid what.
Norvell’s Nosedive: A $10 Million Head Scratchers
The Noles brought head coach Mike Norvell back for his seventh year, and honestly, after The Athletic’s latest head coaching tiers dropped, you gotta wonder what they’re thinking. Norvell slid all the way to the fifth tier, a two-tier fall from where he was in 2024. And get this: he’s the 11th-highest-paid coach in college football, pulling in $10 million or more! He’s obviously the most expensive guy in a tier that includes coaches like JMU’s Billy Napier, Boston College’s Bill O’Brien, and even Colorado’s Deion Sanders, who also makes over $10 million. But then there’s Virginia’s Tony Elliott, making $4.7 million as the 50th-highest salary in that same tier. It doesn’t take an economics degree to see that the names in this tier and Norvell’s monstrous salary just do not match up. Norvell himself said it best at John Garrett’s presser last season: “Now, you’re placing a value on what the individual is.” They placed a value on him, and The Athletic is saying that value ain’t producing.
The QB Conundrum: Too Little, Too Late?
It gets worse, folks. Just a few weeks before the coaching tiers came out, The Athletic also dropped their CFB QB rankings, and guess where Seminoles starter Ashton Daniels landed? Also in tier five, ranked 60th overall, behind FAU’s Caden Veltkamp! On3 listed Daniels with a $1 million valuation. What gives? Norvell and Garrett, FSU’s de facto general manager, seem to have completely missed the mark on investing in the quarterback position, according to those same rankings and On3’s NIL valuations. They did bring multiple other signal-callers on campus this offseason, including DJ Lagway from Baylor ($2 million valuation) and Anthony Colandrea from Nebraska ($2 million valuation). Those guys are slotted in the fourth tier of QBs, ranked 18th. So, they spent big, but seemingly in all the wrong places when it came to the most important positions on the field. It’s still unclear if Lagway or Colandrea will even work out.
What’s at Stake for FSU’s Future?
So, FSU has thrown over $20 million at this roster, but they’ve got a tier-five head coach making bank and a tier-five starting QB. It’s a bold strategy, that’s for sure. The talk around the league is already saying 2026 will be a total referendum on Florida State’s spending strategy. Will that massive investment pay off, or will it blow up in their face? FSU fans have gotta be watching this one super closely, because the stakes couldn’t be higher.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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