FSU Football Fall Camp Observations: Seminoles Stay Intense Despite Shorter Practice

Mike Norvell challenged his players early on Wednesday and the team quickly responded.

The Seminoles are getting ready to head over to UNF for two practices to conclude the week. That meant Wednesday morning's session was a little shorter but not lacking in intensity and physicality. Head coach Mike Norvell came out encouraged by the practice while noting the importance of the trip the team has ahead of them.

It was the defense that came out ahead during Wednesday's session. Multiple stops in two-minute drills were the highlight of the day as the defensive backfield benefited from a variety of pressures from the pass rush.

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

— The New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, and Los Angeles Chargers had personnel at Florida State's practice.

— There weren't many live kicking reps today but the Seminoles did put a major focus on special teams. The team spent a lot of time working through all four of the core special teams' units. One thing that stood out to me was defensive tackle Braden Fiske working on the kick return team as a blocker. If that doesn't tell you about his athleticism, I'm not sure what will.

— There was a lack of energy at the beginning of the practice but Norvell quickly stamped it out. He was running around during special teams drills challenging players to go quicker with each rep. The focus seemed to pay off as the majority of the periods were much cleaner.

— Some confidence from Jordan Travis in a different way today. He went through a non-contact tackling drill during practice. After a rep, he walked off to the side with an extra pep in his step while exclaiming, "I could play DB."

OFFENSE:

— There were some real struggles for the offense during two-minute/tempo drills at the beginning of practice. Jordan Travis and AJ Duffy were unable to lead their respective drives to first downs as the defense sunk its teeth in with a variety of pass deflections and pressures. That forced multiple throws that were off the mark from the pair of quarterbacks.

— The Seminoles began to respond as practice continued. Travis got in a little bit of rhythm during regular team work where he connected with Johnny Wilson before hitting Keon Coleman in tight coverage on the next play. His best two throws came on back-to-back plays during the offense's only successful drive in two-minute work.

— With pressure coming right up the middle of the pocket, Travis delivered a strike to Coleman downfield, who was tightly covered by Azareye'h Thomas. On the next play, he lofted a pass to the opposite sideline that went perfectly into an outstretched Wilson's hands as he took it the distance for a score.

— Rodney Hill had a nice run where he broke out to the left side for a good gain. Bless Harris created a gap to spring him loose and coach Atkins came out of the play visibly happy with the effort from both players.

— Markeston Douglas had one of the catches of the day where he ran a route down the seam and had to turn his body back inside while keeping his balance to make a grab. Put some gravy on that Biscuit!

— Samuel Singleton caught a pass downfield from Tate Rodemaker. His ability as a receiver has been impressive during camp coupled with some long runs on the outside.

— AJ Duffy's best throw of the day came on a dart to the sideline where he hung in the pocket despite pressure from Darrell Jackson. The pass was right on the money to Jaheim Bell. Duffy had a nice connection to a receiver while he was rolling out too.

— Caziah Holmes pulled off at least one long run but also dropped a pass while working out of the backfield.

DEFENSE:

— What an effort by Florida State's defense to lock up the offense during three of the four drives in two-minute/tempo work. After missing on his first two throws, Travis had a pass to Wilson that was deflected by Fentrell Cypress II prior to being sacked by Gilber Edmond/Braden Fiske on fourth down thanks to good coverage downfield. It didn't get any better for AJ Duffy, who missed on three passes and had one that was batted down on the sideline by Edwin Joseph.

— There wasn't much of a drop-off for the unit throughout the day with some really good moments up-front and in coverage. This was probably their most consistent practice of fall camp to this point.

— True freshman linebacker Justin Cryer is still getting the scheme down after joining the program in July. His mix of energy and physicality are a couple of promising traits for his future. Cryer made a nice read and stick on Destyn Hill to shut down an end-around during team drills. He blitzed off the edge later in the period and forced Travis to throw a pass into the dirt. Cryer broke up a throw to Caziah Holmes before nearly intercepting a pass on the final play of two-minute drills, stalling Brock Glenn's drive.

— Darrell Jackson was going through drills and getting work in during Florida State's practice. It's encouraging that there doesn't appear to be a lapse in his mindset despite dealing with eligibility concerns for the 2023 season.

— A young defensive lineman with a lot of potential is KJ Sampson. He's already got the size of someone who looks like they've been in college for a couple of years. Sampson had a tackle for loss and continued to work for what looked like a sack late in practice.

— Malcolm Ray keeps showing up early in camp. The amount of energy and hustle he expends is notable. Ray fought right through Jaylen Early's face to record a tackle for loss on Wednesday.

— Pressure up the middle of the pocket allowed Dennis Briggs to sack Glenn. A few good moments for him on the day.

— Byron Turner Jr. exploded off the edge and forced a quarterback to get rid of a pass before a play could get going.

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