Tuesday Practice Observations For Florida State Prior To Memphis

Tight end room shows up, Hykeem Williams is finding his stride, and young running backs make plays.

Dillon Riera/NoleGameday

The first of three BYE weeks is over and Florida State is fully focused on an upcoming matchup with Memphis on Saturday. The team returned to practice on Tuesday morning with plenty of energy which was certainly a good sign to see after a couple of up-and-down days in recent media viewings.

Overall, it felt like a good practice, probably one of the better sessions that we've seen since the end of the preseason. DJ Uiagalelei made some sharp throws, Kyle Morlock had a few nice catches, and the defense came up with some plays as well. At the same time, it's hard to get caught up too much in practice when all of that work hasn't transitioned to success on game days just yet.

READ MORE: Florida State Running Back To Miss Remainder Of 2024 Season

Head coach Mike Norvell called it a competitive practice after things wrapped up. He seems confident this could be the starting point of Florida State's turnaround.

NoleGameday was in attendance for the entire session and we jotted down some observations from multiple position groups. The Seminoles return to practice on Wednesday morning.

— The Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and Denver Broncos had representatives viewing the practice.

— I can't remember the last time Ryan Fitzgerald missed a field goal in practice and I'm furiously knocking on wood right now so he doesn't break his streak tomorrow. Fitzgerald was good from 32, 35, and 47 (x2) yards. Jake Weinberg connected from 32 yards but was wide left from 35 yards out.

OFFENSE:

— All three quarterbacks had their moments on Tuesday but I thought DJ Uiagalelei was the best out of the bunch. Consistency improved as the practice progressed but Uiagalelei had the throw of the day with a deep shot to tight end Kyle Morlock, who reeled in the pass in stride and got away from the safety for a touchdown. The play led the entire offense to run nearly 50 yards to celebrate with Morlock in the end zone. Uiagalelei completed three straight passes late in the day, including a dart to Ja'Khi Douglas that hit the wide receiver in a pocket of defenders.

— Brock Glenn had an eye-catching throw of his own with a lofting pass to Ja'Khi Douglas on the sideline that found the wide receiver in a perfect spot where the defender couldn't make a play on it. He earned a high-five from Tony Tokatz after the play. Glenn followed that up with a scramble in team drills, taking advantage of the defensive line getting too far upfield and working his way into the secondary. He showed off nice recognition in the middle portion of practice, feeling a blitz and quickly getting a pass out to Landen Thomas.

— Luke Kromenhoek was letting it loose on Tuesday with some long throws in 1-on-1's and 7-on-7. He connected with Elijah Moore on the sideline for a big gain on a play where the true freshman wide receiver made a terrific catch. Kromenhoek followed that up with a bullet that hit Lawayne McCoy in stride for a potential touchdown. He's fun to watch when he gets going.

— It was the type of practice you wanted to see from Kyle Morlock after multiple drops against Boston College. He consistently made plays and didn't let the ball hit the ground. Outside of his big effort in team drills, Morlock created another scoring opportunity after getting a step on a linebacker off the line of scrimmage and catching deep ball in stride from Uiagalelei.

— The tight end room as a whole stepped up with one of their better days in recent memory. Brian Courtney ran a nice route in 1-on-1's to open up space for a catch. Jackson West had a long grab from Uiagalelei. Landen Thomas hauled in a contested catch with Omarion Cooper all over him. It needs to translate to Saturday.

— Hykeem Williams is finding his stride as he works his way back from an injury that cost him the early portion of the season. He caught a pass over the middle in 1-on-1's with Azareye'h Thomas in coverage and held on to a ball late in the day despite taking a hit from walk-on linebacker AJ Cottrill as it arrived. What stood out the most was his effort as a blocker, something Norvell noted in his press conference on Monday. Williams was working through the whistle and drove a veteran defensive back into the sideline at one point. Things you really like to see.

— The young running backs stood out the most on Tuesday from my point of view. Samuel Singleton showed up in a big way with a couple of nice runs. His vision was on display on a run to the right where he recognized the alignment of the defense and cut inside a blocker. Good effort from Kentron Poitier on the play with a physical block. Singleton came back with a nasty spin move late in practice where he froze a veteran defensive back for a solid gain up the middle.

— Micahi Danzy has been elevated off scout team after Jaylin Lucas's season-ending injury and he made the most of his opportunties today. Danzy made an outstanding adjustment on a throw from Glenn to the sideline, turning back and snagging it. He showed off his speed late in practice with a run to the left.

— Shortly after Danzy's catch, Kam Davis matched him with a grab on the sideline off a pass from Uiagalelei. Davis found some running run in team drills with Robert Scott opening a hole.

— Noted a nice route from Jalen Brown in 1-on-1's that created plenty of space against a defender.

— Active day for Malik Benson with plenty of catches in the short to intermediate range. Kentron Poitier and Darion Williamson showed up as well.

DEFENSE:

— Shyheim Brown was really good in pass coverage. He dislodged multiple wide receivers off their routes, including a play where he jammed up a veteran and positioned himself inside of the player for an interception.

— Multiple sacks and pressures from Patrick Payton on Tuesday. He made the offensive line work extremely hard. Payton quickly got to the quarterback for a sack in goal-line work and followed that up with a strip sack later in practice. Marvin Jones Jr. also had a sack.

— Grady Kelly came through unblocked for a stick on a running back. One of the bigger hits of the day.

— Azareye'h Thomas looked the part in coverage with some physical efforts in 1-on-1's and 7-on-7. Fentrell Cypress II came away with a tackle for loss early in practice.

— Conrad Hussey essentially turned into a wide receiver at one point, tracking a ball and trying to make a play vertically. He couldn't quite come down with the pass.

— Blake Nichelson's athleticism popped up with a strong effort in pass coverage, deflecting a throw intended for a tight end. He had a good run fit later in practice, quickly stuffing a running back for no gain or a loss.

— DeMarco Ward put a stick on Kam Davis on a run. Strong hit from the young linebacker.

— KJ Sampson wasn't fooled by play-action and quickly made his way to Luke Kromenhoek for a sack or tackle for loss.

— Omarion Cooper nearly picked off a pass in team drills.

— Byron Turner Jr. and Jamorie Flagg both had good efforts in 3-on-2 drills against the offensive line. Flagg earned praise from Mike Norvell and Odell Haggins.

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READ MORE: Florida State Running Back To Miss Remainder Of 2024 Season

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