Florida State was snubbed from the postseason this past season. After knocking off Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, Alabama took the fourth and final spot in the College Football Playoff, breaking Florida State hearts in the process. The Seminoles were relegated to mere spectators after an unbeaten season.

Rather than rest on its laurels, FSU has attacked the offseason aggressively. The transfer class coach Mike Norvell has put together ranks among the five best in the country, according to 247Sports. And it is bolstered by five former Alabama players — defensive back Early Little II, wide receiver Malik Benson, offensive lineman TJ Ferguson, running back Roydell Williams, and linebacker Shawn Murphy.

Little and Ferguson got the ball rolling, and teammates followed. Both Ferguson and Benson, despite prior relationships with Norvell from their first recruitments, credited Little with helping to pave the way. But more than anything, the Alabama contingent sees Florida State as a place that is ready to win.

“I want to get to the Playoffs. I want to win a National Championship, and I believe this is a place that I can do it,” Ferguson said on Tuesday when he met with reporters. “We can do it, just knowing the guys in the locker room.”

Benson called his fellow Alabama teammates energy guys.

“Guys like that, it’s good that we have them here to build on this culture and really take this thing to where it needs to go,” he said.

Benson said his new teammates welcomed him with open arms. But, as they make the transition from Tuscaloosa to Tallahassee, having guys they can lean on right from the jump has proven beneficial.

“All of us being here is just like a little brotherhood that was already formed,” Benson said. “We bring it here, and we can bring what we know to this team, and it’s going to just make the team stronger.”

Florida State went 13-1 last year. The lone loss came in the Orange Bowl with a two-deep that looked drastically different from the one FSU deployed during the regular season. The Noles survived a late-season injury to their starting quarterback, went on the road to win a rivalry game against Florida, and then won the ACC Championship game with a third-string passer.

The only thing that remains is a Playoff for Norvell’s bunch. That’s the goal in 2024.