Mike Norvell believed in Luke Kromenhoek before anyone else did.

“[Florida State] was my first offer,” Kromenhoek told the media back in February during his newcomer interview, “It was definitely surreal. I’m probably not supposed to say this, but I remember my dad tearing up a little.”

“For Coach Norvell to take a chance on me when I haven’t even taken a snap at quarterback in high school, it was really awesome, and I am forever thankful for them.”

On Tuesday, it was reported that Kromenhoek had decided to leave Tallahassee after just one season and six games. The linchpin of the 2024 recruiting class, potentially gone before the bulk of his signing class had the chance to play meaningful football for Florida State. It would be easy to vilify Kromenhoek, but in the new age of college football, it is not his fault.

Do not hate the player; hate the game.

After reports done by On3, The Osceola and Noles247, there seem to be two factors at play: playing time and money.

Per reporting by Noles247, the reason Kromenhoek entered the portal is money. With money flowing into the sport at unprecedented rates with the introduction of NIL (and non-regulation of it), part of the college game has now become cashing in your value, as soon as possible. If Kromenhoek believes he can get X dollars on the market or get paid a starter’s salary when the coaching staff sees him as a backup, then they end up in the situation they are in today. Should the reporting prove accurate, Norvell should be respected for putting his foot down and not being held hostage (especially after last off-season), and Kromenhoek and his family are within their right to see if someone will meet their asking price. It is an ugly process that should be reeled in, but today, these are the circumstances of the sport. None of what happened makes either side in the wrong.

On the flip side, per reporting by The Osceola, the move is one reflective of Florida State’s pursuit of a transfer quarterback. The Seminoles are in a similar situation to what they were in the last off-season — win now — but for different reasons. I’m of the belief that had FSU made the playoff, regardless of outcome, Norvell would’ve run it back with Tate Rodemaker while bringing Brock Glenn and Kromenhoek along. Of course, the program felt like it needed to go on a revenge tour and immediately “reload” by taking a supposedly proven veteran quarterback out of the portal.

On3 reported today that FSU will go “all out” for Boston College’s Thomas Castellanos, who played under Gus Malzahn at UCF, and Castellanos will visit campus tomorrow. Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter has also been linked to Florida State.

The easiest question to ask here, considering what just played out this season, is why? Didn’t the staff realize the risks of taking a transfer quarterback after last year’s debacle?

After going 2-10, with a fanbase way past the point of tolerating another losing season, Norvell cannot hold out hope and risk the future of his tenure on a young quarterback who flashed some talent but still struggled in 2024 taking a gigantic leap in 2025.

He needs results.

In the transfer portal era, things are never over. Kromenhoek could very easily return to Florida State after all of this, either due to FSU meeting him on NIL demands or massaging the idea of competing with a portal addition. Assuming he does depart from FSU, though, the effects resulting from the decision go beyond simply who lines up under center next year.

With Castellanos and Salter both holding just a year of eligibility, Florida State may very well need to turn to the portal for the third year in a row if the Seminoles are left without a serviceable, home-grown option available on the roster. Every little edge matters in recruiting, and opposing staffs could point to Florida State’s consistent turnover at the position in future recruitments.

The benefits, should the pairing work out, are obvious. Castellanos in particular fits the prototype of what a quarterback in Gus Mahlzan’s offense should look like, no small part due to the fact that he was recruiting by FSU’s new offensive coordinator at his previous spot. Playmaking ability on the ground was one of the many things lacking from Florida State’s offense this year and infusing the sort of player that instantly brings that skillset is a major step in rectifying that.

Ultimately, Kromenhoek’s decision became a perfect storm of the wild west transfer portal and the circumstances at FSU today. He wanted to be a Nole and everything leading up to Tuesday pointed to that, but loyalty, on both sides, is not even worth the paper the word gets printed on anymore.

The transfer portal is a double-edged sword as Norvell learned the hard way over the last two seasons.