FSU Football Fall Camp Observations: Offense Punches Back With Strong Showing From Wide Receivers

The passing game looked as good as any practice we've seen this preseason on Tuesday.

Dillon Riera/NoleGameday

Florida State practiced for the second consecutive day on Tuesday morning. It's starting to feel more and more like the season is here as the Seminoles broke out the black scout team jerseys for the first time this fall, putting in about half an hour of scout work at the end of the session. That means ongoing preparation for the season opener against Georgia Tech continues to ramp up.

It felt like a good practice from the offense - maybe the most complete session from beginning to end that we've seen from the unit this preseason. The quarterbacks delivered accurate passes and the wide receivers made the most of their opportunities with some tough catches. Consistency is still in work progress but this was a step in the right direction after some dominant showings by the defense over the last week.

READ MORE: Florida State Lands In Top-10 Of AP Top 25 Poll To Begin 2024 Season

NoleGameday was in attendance for the session and we've listed some observations from different position groups and players below.

— A ton of NFL teams had personnel viewing the practice including the Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals, and New England Patriots. A packed house no doubt.

— Ryan Fitzgerald missed wide right from 44 yards early in practice. He responded in the special teams period, connecting from 32 and 45 yards. Jake Weinberg made a pair of kicks from the same distance.

OFFENSE:

— Solid day for DJ Uiagalelei where he displayed his arm talent while getting involved on the ground too. He had a beautiful throw in team drills, leading and hitting Lawrance Toafili in stride for a long touchdown with Fentrell Cypress II in coverage. Good route from Toafili and better pass from Uiagalelei. He continued the day with a touch throw to Kyle Morlock in the back of the end zone, lobbing the ball over Conrad Hussey's outstretched hands. Uiagalelei came back with a dart to Jalen Brown in the middle of the field with multiple defenders in the area. The pass was strong enough to get to the wide receiver before any of the defensive backs could close on it.

Everyone knows Uiagalelei isn't Jordan Travis when it comes to mobility but he'll still get an opportunity to make some plays with his legs. He had a short touchdown run in team drills after realizing no one was open and following one of his offensive lineman as he climbed the pocket and scampered in.

— Malik Benson has had a couple of his better practices recently and that's a good thing for Florida State. He's steadily honing his consistency with the season less than two weeks out. Benson ran a nice route in 1-on-1's to create a little space on Azareye'h Thomas for a catch in the back of the end zone. He followed that up with a deep shot in team drills after getting open down the sideline. Brock Glenn delivered a pass in stride and Benson did the rest, scoring a long touchdown.

— Back to back good days from Deuce Spann. The veteran wide receiver has been creating a lot of space on his routes while not letting many passes hit the ground. Spann caught a touchdown in 1-on-1's and easily beat Shyheim Brown on a route over the middle with his acceleration in the same period. There's certainly a role for Spann in this offense when he's playing like this.

— Jalen Brown is someone that Mike Norvell and Ron Dugans have spoken highly of over the last week but that doesn't mean he's immune to criticism. Norvell got on the young receiver during 1-on-1's following a route in the end zone. It was tough coaching but Brown took to it and responded, pulling down multiple catches in team drills.

— Samuel Singleton is another young player who is on the right track. His confidence seems to have taken a step forward since the first preseason scrimmage which is allowing him to simply play freely when he's on the field. Singleton put together a nice move on a veteran defender to freeze up the play and create extra yardage on a run.

— Concentration isn't an issue for Jaylin Lucas. Blake Nichelson tipped a pass from Brock Glenn into the air in team drills. Lucas tracked it and came down with the deflection in the middle of the field to prevent a disaster for the offense.

— Don't sleep on Kam Davis's speed and shiftiness. His size has people in awe but the kid can move better than expected. He also made a nice move on a defender in the open field that helped him find more room up the sideline.

— Kentron Poitier came down with a contested catch in the end zone. Darion Williamson matched him with an even tougher grab where he spun back towards the ball and reeled it in near the corner of the end zone.

— Lawayne McCoy, BJ Gibson, and Ja'Khi Douglas all caught touchdowns in 1-on-1's. Douglas made his snag in the back of the end zone with a defender in tight coverage, barely tapping a toe down. Mike Norvell was fired up after the play.

— Redshirt freshman Andre' Otto has put himself in a position to play a role for this team in 2024. He battled with Tomiwa Durojaiye on a pair of physical reps in 3-on-2's against the defensive line. Strong effort from the youngster.

— Amaree Williams keeps showing up and it's clear that it's going to be hard for the Seminoles to keep him off the field this season. Williams earned a ton of praise from Mike Norvell and tight ends assistant coach Preston Brady for his blocking effort against the defensive line and linebackers. He fought through physical coverage from Ashlynd Barker for a touchdown in the corner of the end zone in 1-on-1's later in practice.

— Tough grab for Jerrale Powers on the sideline with Blake Nichelson all over him.

DEFENSE:

— Marvin Jones Jr. popped up with an early sack, exploding off the edge and simply overpowering Jeremiah Byers to get to DJ Uiagalelei before the play could even really get started. He had another physical rep against the veteran offensive tackle in 3-on-2's. Those two have been battling over the last week.

— Fun moment from sophomore linebacker Justin Cryer where his knowledge of the defense was on display. He noticed a defender wasn't in the right spot pre-snap and barked at the player to shift their alignment. The music was playing so loudly in the IPF that Cryer had to step up and physically push the player to where he needed to be. Cryer then read and quickly made a stop on a running play. It's obvious he's operating at a high level right now.

— Shyheim Brown nearly intercepted a pass in 1-on-1's after undercutting a route and getting his hands on the ball. He was frustrated with himself after the play for not finishing.

— Ashlynd Barker had a pass hit him right in the hands in the end zone but it fell to the ground as an incompletion.

— Cam Riley and Patrick Payton combined for a quick tackle for loss in team drills. Riley has swiftly taken to the defensive scheme. He's not out of position often.

— Daniel Lyons has taken a step forward this preseason. He was a force in 1-on-1's and recorded a tackle for loss after quickly getting into the backfield in team drills.

— Cai Bates picked off a pass in the back of the end zone after playing tight coverage on a wide receiver. It was hard to tell if he got a foot down but Patrick Surtain Sr. was quick to give the true freshman the benefit of the doubt, shouting "that counts, Cai."

— Noted Byron Turner Jr. with an instant tackle for loss in team drills. He exploded out of his stance and arrived right as the ball was being handed off.

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READ MORE: FSU Football's Mike Norvell Recaps Second Scrimmage With Two Weeks To Go Until Kickoff

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