Honestly, if you told a Florida State fan in August that their quarterback situation would end up being a three-car pileup, they probably would’ve laughed you out of Tallahassee. Coming off an undefeated 2023 regular season, the vibes were high. Mike Norvell looked like a genius. The portal was his playground. Then reality hit. Hard.
The 2024 season wasn't just a disappointment; it was a historic faceplant. We're talking about a team that started in the Top 10 and finished 2-10. That doesn't happen by accident. Most of the finger-pointing, fairly or not, landed squarely on the Florida State QB 2024 rotation. It started with a high-profile transfer and ended with a desperate look at the future while the present went up in flames.
The DJ Uiagalelei Experiment that Tanked
When DJ Uiagalelei committed to Florida State, it felt like a safe bet. He was the "bridge" guy. A veteran who had seen it all at Clemson and Oregon State. Mike Norvell basically bet the house that he could take DJ’s massive arm and experience and turn it into a continuation of the Jordan Travis era.
It didn't take long for the wheels to come off.
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DJ struggled with accuracy from the jump. The opener in Ireland against Georgia Tech was a sign of things to come—stagnant offense, lack of vertical threat, and a weirdly hesitant pocket presence. By the time he went down with a finger injury against SMU, he had thrown for 1,065 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions across five starts. The completion percentage sat at a miserable 53.8%. Fans were booing at Doak Campbell Stadium, which is a wild thing to see for a kid who just got there, but the frustration was boiling over.
The injury was a clean break, metaphorically and literally. It forced the coaching staff to stop trying to make the DJ experiment work and finally look at the younger guys. But by then, the season was already circling the drain.
Brock Glenn and the Growing Pains
Brock Glenn is a tough kid. You've gotta give him that. He was thrown into the fire as a redshirt freshman in 2023 during the ACC Championship, and 2024 wasn't much kinder. When he took over for DJ, the offensive line was essentially a sieve.
Glenn’s stats don't look great on paper—44.7% completion rate, 597 yards, and 5 interceptions. But he brought a certain energy that DJ lacked. He would actually pull the ball and run, something the offense desperately needed to keep defenses honest. He started seven games and had a nice moment in the win over Charleston Southern (3-for-3 for 31 yards in relief), but against the heavy hitters like Miami and Notre Dame, he looked overwhelmed.
Basically, he was a young quarterback playing behind a line that couldn't block a shadow. It’s hard to judge a guy’s ceiling when he’s running for his life on every third-and-long.
The Luke Kromenhoek Camoe
Then there’s the true freshman, Luke Kromenhoek. He was the prize recruit, the four-star kid from Georgia that everyone wanted to see. We saw him in six games, and he even got two starts. Honestly? He showed flashes.
Kromenhoek finished with 502 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. He also added 113 yards on the ground. The difference with Luke was the "it" factor. He’s got a quick release and isn't afraid to take a hit to deliver a ball. But like Glenn, he was a victim of a system that had completely broken down by October.
Why the Florida State QB 2024 Room Failed
You can't just blame the guys under center. That's the easy way out. The truth is much messier. The wide receiver room, led by Malik Benson and Ja'khi Douglas, struggled to create separation. The running game, which was supposed to be a pillar with Lawrance Toafili, averaged a paltry 2.9 yards per carry as a team.
When your run game is non-existent, the Florida State QB 2024 depth chart is essentially being asked to perform a miracle every Saturday.
- DJ Uiagalelei: 1,065 yards, 4 TD, 6 INT (Injured mid-season)
- Brock Glenn: 597 yards, 4 TD, 5 INT
- Luke Kromenhoek: 502 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
It was a carousel of mediocrity. Norvell kept shuffling the deck, hoping to find a spark, but the fire was out. The firing of offensive coordinator Alex Atkins late in the season was the final admission that the plan had failed.
Looking Toward 2025 and Beyond
So, where does this leave them? FSU is in a weird spot. DJ Uiagalelei has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, ending his college journey on a sour note. Brock Glenn eventually decided to enter the portal, landing at Western Kentucky. That leaves the keys to Luke Kromenhoek and whoever else Norvell brings in to compete.
The school also brought in Gus Malzahn as the new offensive coordinator to replace Atkins. That’s a massive shift in philosophy. Malzahn loves a mobile quarterback, which fits Kromenhoek’s skillset a lot better than it would have fitted DJ’s.
Actionable Insights for the Future
If Florida State wants to avoid another 2-10 disaster, the blueprint is pretty clear:
- Prioritize the Trenches: No quarterback succeeds with a bottom-tier offensive line. They need portal help immediately.
- Commit to a Style: The 2024 season felt like a team caught between two identities. With Malzahn, they need to lean into the spread-option looks that let Kromenhoek use his legs.
- Stability in the Room: Stop looking for the one-year "bridge" transfer if you have talent in the building. Let the young guys grow.
The Florida State QB 2024 season will go down as one of the most baffling collapses in modern college football history. It serves as a warning: the transfer portal can give, but it can also take your entire season away if you don't have a Plan B.
The path back to the top of the ACC starts with the arm—and legs—of Luke Kromenhoek. He’s the last man standing from the 2024 wreckage, and the fans in Tallahassee are banking everything on him being the "real" deal this time around.