FSU Football Fall Camp Preview: Tight Ends

Led by new transfers, Florida State will be able to incorporate their tight ends into their dynamic offensive scheme.

In a couple of weeks, the Florida State Seminoles will take officially take the field for the first time as they seek out a conference championship and potentially a College Football Playoffs appearance. 

This time around, the Seminoles are coming into the season after a momentum-building in the Mike Norvell era, which has seemingly flipped the program back around. 

The tight ends position group still includes Brian Courtney but he'll be splitting time at linebacker and might eventually move full-time over to the defensive side of the ball.

READ MORE: Which True Freshman Will Make the Biggest Impact for FSU in 2023?

Other fall camp previews:

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Defensive Ends

Safeties

At the Surface

— Jaheim Bell, Redshirt Junior

Florida State has a good track record of finding success in the transfer portal, and Bell seems to be the next portal success story. Being the best transfer at his position, Bell will have high expectations heading into training camp. He's racked up 1,058 scrimmage yards in his three-year career, coming from South Carolina.

The tight end has seen success in both the passing and rushing game, and will add a unique wrinkle to Norvell's rush-heavy offense, while adding another pass threat for Jordan Travis. As a projected top-five tight end for the 2024 NFL Draft Class, the expectations loom large for Bell.

— Kyle Morlock, Redshirt Junior

Morlock is another transfer tight end for the Seminoles. However, he's not coming from a Power Five program, instead coming from the D2 ranks. With two seasons of eligibility remaining, Morlock will provide depth immediately for the Seminoles. He committed early after transferring from Shorter College and provides a different impact than Bell as a larger target. He totaled 890 yards and 11 touchdowns in 24 games in his collegiate career.

— Markeston Douglas, Redshirt Junior

Douglas racked up 14 receptions in his 13 games played last season, picking up 190 yards and two touchdowns. The additions of Bell and Morlock will allow Douglas to thrive in his role as a blocking tight end who can get involved in the passing game. If he continues to trend in the right direction, he'll be of use in the rotation this season.

— Preston Daniel, Redshirt Junior

As another redshirt junior, Preston Daniel will be an active part of the tight end rotation. He finished last season with 15 yards on three receptions while catching his first career touchdown. He's been used minimally in his three seasons at Florida State, but appeared in all 13 games last season. 

— Jackson West, Redshirt Sophomore 

West missed the entirety of the 2022 season with injury, and this hinders development, but he still has solid potential that's yet to be reached as a prospect. He had a chance to get into the rotation last season if healthy. This shows how far the room has come with West unlikely to play a large role this upcoming year.

— Jerrale Powers, Redshirt Freshman

The former three-star recruit redshirted last season. He's a developmental prospect and is still raw, and will benefit from being in a more experienced tight end room this season. That'll be the name of the game for Powers as there will be plenty to learn while an improved tight end room pushes the Seminoles to compete at a high level this season.

Projected Depth Chart

Tight End: 

1. Jaheim Bell, RS Jr.

2. Kyle Morlock, RS Jr.

Tight End:

1. Markeston Douglas, RS Jr.

2. Preston Daniel, RS Jr.

Biggest Question Marks

How will Norvell use tight ends?

The tight end group brings a diverse skill set of talent. They all provide different aspects of the game. Norvell runs a rush-heavy offensive style, so being able to be productive in the blocking game is essential for any tight end in the rotation. 

For the potentially dynamic offense that the Seminoles will have, the tight ends will be blowing plays wide-open off the ball. Whether adding additional pass threats or laying down impactful blocks, the position group won't always see their impact in their box score.

Bell also adds an interesting wrinkle in the rush game as he had to fill in at the position with South Carolina last season. He's a threat in almost every aspect of the offense, too.

Follow The Leader

The top half of the tight-end rotation looks different. Newcomers Bell and Morlock will be the respective TE1 and TE2, likely sharing the field a good portion of the time in a two-tight-end look. So, those will be the two tight ends to keep an eye on when it comes to leading the position room alongside veteran Markeston Douglas

Bell is the most versatile. He's going to do a little bit of everything at the position and will be the head of an incredibly fun group of players. With the Seminoles' tight ends holding plenty of potential for the season, Bell's leadership could play a huge part in them becoming one of the nation's best tight end groups.

Fall Camp Outlook

Ahead of fall camp, it appears as if there is plenty of depth for tight ends. There's plenty of talent to analyze and the group is young. The top of the rotation seems set in stone but there are still some players that have a lot of potential to realize. 

The next few weeks will be important for the Seminoles to establish a pecking order between Bell, Morlock, Douglas, and Daniel.

---

READ MORE: Which True Freshman Will Make the Biggest Impact for FSU in 2023?

Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the offseason.

Follow NoleGameday on Twitter and Facebook