FSU Football Fall Camp Observations: Seminoles Go Through Lighter Practice With Impressive Focus
Florida State's practice on Thursday morning was truncated by about 45 minutes as the team put a deep focus on special teams and fundamentals. The shorter session offered an opportunity for the Seminoles to somewhat catch their breath after 12 practices in roughly two weeks.
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Instead, the team dug its heels into the ground and continued to grind during preseason camp. Head coach Mike Norvell seemed encouraged by the session during a quick media availability after practice.
NoleGameday was in attendance for the entire practice and jotted down some observations from the session.
— The Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons had personnel viewing practice.
— There was a big emphasis on special teams, specifically onside kicks and recoveries for a fair amount of practice. Mike Norvell was constantly harping on tracking the ball and when to call for a fair catch versus diving on the football. Quarterback Tate Rodemaker got some work with this unit and had an impressive recovery.
— Norvell was extremely happy with Shyheim Brown's effort on a particular rep and came running after him to celebrate. Brown noticed his head coach on his tail and continued sprinting down the sideline before trying to hide from Norvell behind another position group. A funny sequence from practice.
OFFENSE:
— Overall, it was a pretty sharp day for Jordan Travis. I don't think he was up to the level we saw in Jacksonville or yesterday but he took care of the ball and kept the offense moving for the most part. Travis had a nice toss early in practice where he threw a laser over the middle to Kyle Morlock with Azareye'h Thomas draped all over him.
— Outside of Travis, it was a pretty up-and-down day for the quarterback room. Too many turnovers, missed throws, and hesitations.
— The good moments are alluring but it will be all about consistency as former five-star wide receiver Hykeem Williams continues to acclimate to the college level. Brock Glenn and Williams failed to connect on a play where Mike Norvell was upset with the latter about his route. Two plays later, Williams snagged a difficult ball that was fired by Glenn with a defensive back on his shoulder. He had to reach out and haul it in with his hands.
— The offense set up a screen to CJ Campbell down the sideline for a solid play. The most impressive part of the sequence was Hykeem Williams pancaking Dylan Brown-Turner in the middle of the field.
— Markeston Douglas was in position for back-to-back catches from Travis on opposite sides of the field. On one play, Travis rolled out and found Douglas open, who rumbled upfield for some extra yards. Put some gravy on that biscuit!
— Caziah Holmes got a step on Justin Cryer on a catch out of the backfield for a decent gain.
— I spent a lot of time around the tight ends during practice on Thursday. I was impressed with the level of nuance that Chris Thomsen was using to work with his unit on blocking. In particular, Jerrale Powers earned praise in this drill and displayed quick-cutting ability compared to the rest of the tight ends.
— Lawrance Toafili had a nice run to the outside where he was able to stretch the defense some.
DEFENSE:
— The defense started out strong early in practice and carried the effort throughout the session. The unit was able to hold the offense in check during two-minute drills, stopping drives by Travis and Duffy short of points. A lot of that can be credited to the amount of pressure being put on the quarterbacks due to creative blitzes and alignments.
— Blake Nichelson jumped a route that was thrown short in team drills for an interception that he took back the other way. An impressive display of instincts from the true freshman, who had a nice tackle later in practice.
— Shyheim Brown nearly intercepted a pass during two-minute drills, reading and breaking on a ball that was thrown to Jaheim Bell. He went vertical to make the play but couldn't quite come down with it.
— The true freshman defensive backs continue to flash. KJ Kirkland delivered a hit on Markeston Douglas to force an incompletion on a tight throw by AJ Duffy. Quindarrius Jones followed it up with a pass deflection while defending Hykeem Williams, who seemed to get his head around late on the play. Kirkland nearly intercepted a pass later in the same drive.
— Edwin Joseph and Conrad Hussey combined to get in position for a quick stop on Caziah Holmes.
— Walk-on defensive back Christian White is known to pop up with flashes in practice. He intercepted Brock Glenn on a pass to the sideline that sailed on the young quarterback (it might've been a miscommunication with the wide receiver). White got a foot down before going out of bounds to make the play. He also had a pass deflection earlier in practice.
— It was the type of day where some promising walk-ons showed up, including true freshman defensive lineman Grant Fielder. His frame stands out on the field and Fielder had a nice display of athleticism on a play where he chased down Tate Rodemaker on a roll-out. Fielder's father, Cecil, and brother, Prince, both played for over ten years in the MLB.
READ MORE: FSU Star Quarterback Jordan Travis Compares Himself to Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts
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