Florida State vs. Duke: Tuesday Practice Observations For The Seminoles

Here's Johnny, Renardo Island, and Jaylen Early's development coming together right on time.

Florida State returned to the practice fields on Tuesday morning to continue preparations for a top-25 matchup against the Duke Blue Devils. It was a chilly day in Tallahassee but that didn't hinder the energy and competitiveness that the Seminoles exuberated throughout the session.

READ MORE: Mike Norvell Comments On Winston Wright Jr. Departing From Florida State

The defense made its presence felt early on in practice while the offense responded with a couple of big plays as things progressed. Following the session, head coach Mike Norvell seemed mostly pleased with the work that the team put forth.

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

— The Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and New York Jets had personnel viewing the session from the sidelines.

— It was a good kicking day for Ryan Fitzgerald and Tyler Keltner. Fitzgerald connected on all of his live attempts from 34 yards, 41 yards, and 45 yards out while Keltner matched him from 34 yards and 45 yards.

OFFENSE:

— The offense struggled to find a rhythm during tempo drills due to a strong effort from the other side of the ball. Quarterback Jordan Travis didn't look fully comfortable as pressure got into the backfield a couple of times. He was able to find wide receiver Johnny Wilson for a short completion but that was one of the few positive moments during the period.

— Running back Rodney Hill found room on a run to the right side. Offensive lineman Julian Armella was out in front of him and created space with a two-handed shove that ended in a pancake block.

— Travis delivered a pass out of the backfield to running back Trey Benson, who was able to adjust and stay in bounds despite tight coverage from linebacker Tatum Bethune. Multiple offensive coaches ran over to celebrate after the play, seemingly encouraging Benson after a few passes slipped through his hands on Saturday.

— Quarterback Tate Rodemaker found a wide-open Lawrance Toafili on a route of the backfield that went for a massive gain. Toafili continues to build on big performances over the last two weeks.

— Running back Caziah Holmes exploded to the right side on a run that might've gone for a touchdown during an actual game. Offensive tackle Jaylen Early paved some room for Holmes with a block on a defensive back.

— Speaking of Early, it appears that he's found something over the last couple of weeks as the young offensive lineman has been turning in some consistent performances. He was impressive during 3-on-2's and 1-on-1's, earning praise from Jeremiah Byers after winning a rep. It hasn't always been easy for Early but he's trending in the right direction.

— Johnny Wilson had a nice grab against Azareye'h Thomas while working back to the football. An encouraging sign after Norvell noted on Monday that the Seminoles are hoping to get him back on Saturday.

— Joshua Burrell came away with two catches in 1-on-1's, including a deep ball near the sideline where he was able to track the pass and make the play.

— Kentron Poitier had the catch of the day on a one-hander that he reeled in on the sideline. The play drew plenty of oohs and aahs from those in attendance.

— Preston Daniel made a tough grab on a pass that was initially deflected. He stuck with it and pulled it in.

— Bless Harris and Jared Verse battled during 1-on-1's. Harris ended up staying in front of Verse and pushing him to the turf.

— Jaheim Bell proved to be tough to cover during the practice. He got free from Akeem Dent and hauled in a deep ball during 1-on-1's.

DEFENSE:

— It felt like cornerback Renardo Green didn't give up a catch during the practice. He was constantly in the right position and that led to an interception on an underthrown pass to Johnny Wilson.

— I liked the way the defense was flying around and creating pressure early in practice. Linebacker Kalen DeLoach and cornerback Fentrell Cypress both made stops in the running game to shut down a pair of plays.

— Kevin Knowles picked off a pass during 1-on-1's. 

— Darrell Jackson had some noticeably dominant moments on the day. He recorded a sack during team drills and fought his way past Casey Roddick during 1-on-1's.

— Patrick Payton bullied his way through Jeremiah Byers for a strong rep during 1-on-1's.

— Cornerback Quindarrius Jones had multiple pass deflections.

— Fabien Lovett deflected a pass at the line of scrimmage.

— Braden Fiske earned some hustle points after chasing down Caziah Holmes for a stop on the sideline with multiple other defenders.

— Ashlynd Barker picked up praise from Adam Fuller after getting in position for an instant stop on a short pass to Hykeem Williams.

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READ MORE: Kickoff Time, TV Channel Finalized For FSU's Top-25 Matchup Against The Duke Blue Devils

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