Norvell says FSU in touch with some former players about fifth-year eligibility

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell confirmed that the Seminoles have had discussions with former players after a recent ruling granted a fifth year of eligibility to athletes who graduated high school in 2022.

“We’ve talked to compliance. We’ve had some former players that we have communicated with, or they reached out, to get a sense of what it might look like,” he said during a press conference on Tuesday. “So, we’re just going to work through the process there. I know that it is definitely a unique dynamic.”

While the ruling is a blanket one to all athletes who began their collegiate careers in the 2022-23 season, there are a few exceptions and limitations involved with it. The ruling does not include football players who signed professional contracts, and it prohibits the newly eligible players from entering the transfer portal unless they had already entered the portal this offseason.

Former Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos, who only received a couple of rookie minicamp invites as a wide receiver rather than signing with a team as an undrafted free agent, has reportedly explored the idea of a comeback — either as a quarterback or as an “athlete.”

Linebacker Elijah Herring is the only other player eligible to return to the Seminoles under the current ruling, as defensive back Jerry Wilson and wide receiver Squirrel White signed contracts as undrafted players, with White having also retired from football in May.