FSU Quarterback Brock Glenn Reacts To Tate Rodemaker's Decision, Taking Over As Starter

Glenn has been tossed right into the frying pan during some of Florida State's most important games of the season.

The last couple of weeks have been anything but what true freshman quarterback Brock Glenn expected during his first year in Tallahassee. Originally anticipated to sit and learn behind star signal-caller Jordan Travis in 2023, Glenn has instead been tossed right into the frying pan during some of Florida State's most important games of the season.

After stepping in for his first career start in the ACC Championship victory, Glenn will also lead the Seminoles against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Orange Bowl. That decision comes on the heels of redshirt junior quarterback Tate Rodemaker choosing to opt out of the game and enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.

"We talked a little bit. I didn't know much but he's a great guy and I'm happy for him wherever," Glenn said on Wednesday morning while previewing the Orange Bowl. "I wish him the best. He's been a great teammate, helped me learn a bunch, and I wish him the best."

While the public learned of Rodemaker's transfer on Christmas Day, Glenn was actually informed as he was in the middle of traveling back to Tallahassee from Tennessee for the holiday break. A phone call from head coach Mike Norvell ended up making his flight "a little more intense" as the news set in.

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"It's awesome, it's an awesome opportunity. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Glenn said. "When I first started, if you would've told me this would happen, this story, I wouldn't believe you but it's God's plan and I trust it. I trust the process and I'm excited for the opportunity."

Rodemaker isn't the only player to depart from the Seminoles prior to the conclusion of the season. A plethora of starters and contributors on both sides of the ball have either declared for the NFL Draft or entered the portal. While some may think that means this game is meaningless now, Glenn is looking at the opportunity from a different perspective.

"I think every game we just try and go have fun," Glenn said. "At the end of the day, this is what we love to do and we say it all the time, all we got's all we need. That's never been more real than now - all we got's all we need."

The offense will look a lot different without the services of Trey Benson, Lawrance Toafili, Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson, Jaheim Bell, and Markeston Douglas. With that being said, Glenn remains confident in the players that are still around him.

"We've got a great group of guys. I truly trust all of them and we're just focused on the guys that we've got here right now," Glenn said. "We believe that we can go out here and win this game. I've spent a lot of time with the guys I'm playing with, practiced with them as well, so we're fully confident."

"The Orange Bowl is an awesome bowl, it's one of the best in the country. We've got a great opportunity in front of us, playing Georgia, great team, we're also a great team so it's going to be a great game," Glenn added. "We're truly excited and thankful for the opportunity. It's still a big game for us. We're taking it serious and like I said, we're just focused on the guys here to help us win this game. All we got's, all we need."

Since first arriving on campus, Glenn found himself under Jordan Travis's wing as the two spent plenty of time together on and off the field. Travis's continued support despite a season-ending injury has inspired his teammates and he even traveled to South Florida with the Seminoles.

"Jordan has helped me a tremendous amount. When I came in, he literally took me under his wing with football and outside of football in life," Glenn said. "I would always hang out with him outside of football as well. Him being here is special to me because just his support and he's helping me with the offense as well. He texted me after practice talking about a play and how I can do this and that so he's still out here helping all the guys and I just think it's awesome to see him out here supporting us."

Glenn completed 8/21 passes for 55 yards while rushing nine times for -6 yards during Florida State's win over Louisville in the ACC Championship. The offense sputtered as the Seminoles ended up punting nine total times but Glenn believes he's progressed from his first to second start.

"There's a lot to learn from and I think that's what football is all about. You'll never be perfect in football," Glenn said. "There's always a way to get better and there's always stuff you can do to improve so just going back and watching the game film, seeing what I could've done differently, how I read this and that, that's helped tremendously."

Early in the season, Glenn was forced to miss a significant stretch of time while dealing with an injury to his non-throwing hand that required surgery. The time away from the field allowed him to lock in mentally.

"There's definitely an effect to some point, just not getting the physical reps for about six weeks or so," Glenn said. "During that whole time I was staying locked in mentally so I was able to take my mental game to the next level when that happened. Although I didn't get the physical reps, it helped me mentally for sure."

It's been a tough period in Tallahassee as Florida State tries to move on from a historic playoff snub that swiftly took the wind out of the sails of the program's first undefeated season in a decade. Glenn and the rest of the Seminoles have turned the painful decision into a life lesson.

"I think me, especially, and the whole team just look at it as controlling what we can control. Coach Norvell's big on that and when you face adversity just keep climbing," Glenn said. "That's kind of been his message. Life's full of adversity and this is teaching us all about life. You can only control what you can control and you can't control everything so we've just got to worry about that and do what we can with the opportunity."

Florida State and Georgia will face off in the Orange Bowl on Saturday, December 30. The contest will kick off at 4:00 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

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