Florida State at Florida: Tuesday Practice Observations For The Seminoles

Tate Rodemaker shines, Keon Coleman dazzles, Azareye'h Thomas opens eyes, and Jared Verse puts you in the feels.

Florida State hit the practice fields to begin preparations for the Florida Gators on an overcast Tuesday morning in Tallahassee. The crowd noise was cranked up louder than normal with the Seminoles gearing up for a hostile environment in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Following the practice, head coach Mike Norvell expressed his excitement with the session. The Seminoles display a noticeable level of focus as new starting quarterback Tate Rodemaker shined at times with his precision.

Mike Norvell Discusses Tate Rodemaker Practicing as a Starter

NoleGameday was in attendance for the entire session and jotted down some observations from the day.

— No NFL scouts were seen at the session. This is similar to how Florida State operated during Miami Week, limiting the number of eyes around the program.

— Ryan Fitzgerald was wide left from 42 yards out to conclude a drive early in practice. He did end up making kicks from 35 yards and 43 yards later on.

OFFENSE:

— The offense had some trouble getting going early in practice, particularly through the air as Tate Rodemaker was forced to throw away a pass before getting picked off on a tremendous play on the sideline by cornerback Azareye'h Thomas. The sophomore defensive back went vertical to make the play while matched up 1-on-1 with Jaheim Bell, displaying good ball skills and instincts to stay inbounds. 

— Rodemaker responded by going through his progressions and finding Lawrance Toafili out of the backfield for a touchdown on a fourth-down play. The moment seemed to loosen him up as the redshirt junior quarterback started getting into a rhythm that carried him through the rest of practice. Rodemaker hit Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman on consecutive reps in team drills before connecting on four straight passes in 7-on-7.

He worked the entire field as Rodemaker delivered a beautiful deep ball to Ja'Khi Douglas that hit the wide receiver in the end zone. He came back with a throw to Darion Williamson on the sideline before sending another care package to the end zone, this time to Coleman. He finished the drill with a short connection to Toafili.

All in all, some promising moments and displays of precision in the first open practice of the week. His arm strength and ball placement are evident when he gets rolling.

— True freshman Brock Glenn was pretty good as well, earning increased reps since he's now Rodemaker's primary backup. Glenn found Kentron Poitier on one sideline before throwing a dart to the opposite side to Williamson on his next rep. He also hit Toafili out of the backfield for a massive gain down the sideline.

— Have a day Keon Coleman. With the Seminoles needing their stars to step up in the aftermath of Travis going down, Coleman did just that on Tuesday. He had a wild one-handed grab that Mike Norvell called a "stupid catch" while matched up against Greedy Vance in 1-on-1's. Fellow Louisiana native and close friend of Vance, Destyn Hill, came sprinting down the sideline while cackling with an obnoxious laugh as the team moved into the IPF. Stupid plays can be pretty fun too.

— Trey Benson had an explosive run during team drills. It looked like Darius Washington was among the offensive linemen to help spring him loose.

— Kentron Poitier reeled in a tough catch on the sideline during team drills. He continues to show encouraging signs in practice after being banged up earlier in the year.

— Rodney Hill and Caziah Holmes both caught my eye at different times. Hill had a lightning-quick run up the middle where he bounced out to the sideline and beat every defender except for Nick O'Leary. The tight end turned assistant coach swiped at the ball but couldn't get it out as a rare smile crossed his face. Holmes had a powerful effort where he fought through multiple defenders for some tough yards.

— Jackson West hauled in a contested catch on the sideline with Kalen DeLoach all over him. Ja'Khi Douglas had a similar play in 1-on-1's while working back to the ball against Greedy Vance.

DEFENSE:

— Jared Verse put every Seminole fan in their feels early on Tuesday morning. Prior to the beginning of practice, Verse and Jordan Travis had a ritual where they would perform a wrestling move on one another. After the conclusion of team stretches, Verse walked over to the spot where he and Travis performed their act. He tossed himself to the ground before getting up and dapping up the air prior to pointing in the direction his quarterback would normally be. A heartbreaking moment.

Right in the feels…. 😢

Jared Verse pays respect to Jordan Travis by continuing their pre-practice wrestling tradition. #Noles pic.twitter.com/MEp71JBCZB

— Dustin Lewis (@DustinLewisNG) November 21, 2023

— It felt like DJ Lundy was pretty impactful throughout the practice. Lundy stopped Benson in his tracks on a short run before coming with Shyheim Brown for a tackle for loss later in the day. He nearly intercepted a pass during 7-on-7 after baiting the quarterback into the throw with his positioning before getting back in the right spot to almost make the play.

— Brown deflected a pass that was thrown to Jaheim Bell while playing extremely physical coverage.

— Quindarrius Jones had a really nice recovery in 1-on-1's on a deep ball. After initially getting beat, he flew down the field to catch Ja'Khi Douglas and break up the pass.

— Akeem Dent nearly picked off a pass during team drills.

— Blake Nichelson showed off nice instincts in practice to get in the correct spot to fill a gap and take down a running back.

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READ MORE: Rodemaker's Road: Getting To Know FSU's New Starting QB For The Remainder Of 2023 Season

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