Danny Kanell says vibes around Florida State ‘as bad as I’ve seen them in the last decade’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Danny Kanell isn’t high at all on Florida State going into the 2026 season.
“My expectations are low, and I would say my expectations are higher than most fans,” the former Seminole quarterback said on Thursday’s edition of The Next Round. “We talk about vibes, like positive vibes only. The vibes around Tallahassee are as bad as I’ve seen them in the last decade.”
It’s not hard to figure out why. Since finishing 13-1 and controversially missing the College Football Playoff in 2023, the Florida State program has been in a tailspin. Mike Norvell is 7-17 in his last two seasons and 3-13 in ACC play. Amid a 5-7 mark in 2025, Norvell received a vote of confidence from AD Michael Alford.
Needless to say, Norvell is on thin ice going into his seventh season. And Seminoles fans won’t let him forget it.
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“I think a lot of the fans wanted to move on from Nike Norvell,” Kanell said. “I think they realized the financial situation that Florida State is in, and, I think, a lot of boosters that would potentially be able to step up and write checks have not cut those checks because they’re kind of waiting for what feels inevitable, that, oh, this season’s going to be a disaster. They’re going to have to move on from Mike Norvell. And it pains me. I don’t want to see that when I talk to fans.”
What’s the ceiling for the Seminoles, then?
“As far as just roster composition, they’re middle of the pack in the ACC. And so this will be one where Mike Norvell will have the opportunity, because I think it might be one of his best coaching jobs if he does get to eight wins or nine wins potentially, but the win total speaks volumes— it’s around six and a half. I think that’s probably the expectation.”
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
