Joel Klatt Doubts Florida State Seminoles’ Playoff Chances in 2025

The Florida State Seminoles are gearing up for their season opener on August 30th against the Alabama Crimson Tide. After one of the most disappointing seasons in program history, the pressure is intense.

Joel Klatt, on a recent episode of The Joel Klatt Show, sounded pretty skeptical about their chances this season. He criticized their heavy use of transfer portal signings and raised doubts about the quality of their roster.

Defensive Coordinator Tony White seemed to agree, pointing out the team’s lack of cohesion after a preseason scrimmage. With so much at stake, can the Seminoles actually turn things around?

Joel Klatt’s Critical Assessment of Florida State

Joel Klatt didn’t hold back. He pointed out that the Seminoles lost nine games last season by 10 or more points—not just close calls, but real blowouts.

For a team once seen as a top 10 contender, that’s a tough pill to swallow.

Roster Concerns

Klatt questioned the strength of the roster, saying their supposed quality is mostly a fake image built by transfer signings. He argued that leaning so hard on transfers doesn’t make a team a true contender.

He pointed out that the last two national championships didn’t come from teams built this way.

Recruiting Failures

Klatt also called out Florida State’s struggles in high school recruiting. Their rankings keep falling short: 19th in 2025, 12th in 2024, 20th in both 2023 and 2022, and 23rd in 2021.

That suggests a bigger problem with building a solid, homegrown roster.

Defensive Coordinator Tony White’s Perspective

Tony White’s recent comments make it clear the Seminoles have real challenges. After their second preseason scrimmage, he said he was disappointed in the team’s performance.

Not all players are meeting the program’s standards, and that’s a problem.

Lack of Cohesion

White pointed out that some players just aren’t on the same page. Maybe that’s because, as Klatt suggested, FSU isn’t developing enough talent from within.

“It’s unacceptable. We all need to make sure we are all on the same page and we understand what’s asked of us and what the expectations are,” White said.

Need for Improvement

White did mention that a few players are giving it their all. But overall, the team doesn’t look like a complete unit yet.

“There are some guys who need to, quite frankly, step their ass up,” he said. That’s about as blunt as it gets, and it shows just how urgent the need for improvement is.

Looking Ahead: The Season Opener

The Seminoles open their season at home against Alabama in just 18 days. The pressure’s on, and the team needs to pull it together fast.

Right now, though, there’s still a lot of work to do to meet those expectations.

Key Areas of Focus

• Team Cohesion: Getting everyone on the same page and clear about their roles.
• Player Development: Growing talent from within instead of just leaning on transfers.
• Recruiting: Improving high school recruiting to build a deeper, more sustainable roster.

Conclusion

The Florida State Seminoles face a pretty pivotal moment as they get ready for their season opener against Alabama. Last season didn’t go as planned, and now there’s pressure to step up fast.

Joel Klatt’s critical assessment and Tony White’s blunt comments really drive home how much the team needs better cohesion and player development. Recruiting has to improve, too—no way around it.