FSU Football Spring Tight End Preview: Who Emerges Alongside Kyle Morlock?

The Seminoles have plenty of questions to answer at tight end as the spring begins.

Florida State fielded a versatile group of tight ends in 2023 who were useful in a variety of situations. It was the most productive season for the room since head coach Mike Norvell arrived in Tallahassee nearly half a decade ago as Jaheim Bell, Kyle Morlock, and Markeston Douglas were utilized across the offense. There are a lot of changes as the spring approaches with Bell, Douglas, and Preston Daniel no longer on the roster.

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Morlock is the only tight end returning to the team who recorded a catch last season. That means the Seminoles have plenty of questions to answer over the next couple of weeks and it all starts with who is going to emerge amongst the position group? Redshirt junior Jackson West, junior Brian Courtney, and redshirt freshman Jerrale Powers are back alongside Morlock and the single newcomer to the room, four-star prospect Landen Thomas.

Departures:

Jaheim Bell (NFL), Markeston Douglas (transfer), and Preston Daniel (transfer)

The trio of departures creates a massive hole in the tight end room that Florida State will have to solve. Bell led the room in catches (39), yards (503), and total touchdowns (3). Despite injuries that limited him in the second half of the season, Bell's versatility was remarkable. Douglas also played a key role but transferred after playing about half the snaps compared to the 2022 season. Daniel brought a reliable, veteran presence throughout his four years with the Seminoles. 

Returners:

Redshirt senior Kyle Morlock, redshirt junior Jackson West, junior Brian Courtney, and redshirt sophomore Jerrale Powers

Florida State only returns 19 catches (27.1%) for 255 yards (28.4%) and 0 touchdowns from its tight end room. Morlock is the lone member of the group to have recorded more than two catches at the college level.

New Additions:

Four-star Landen Thomas

The Seminoles only have one new face entering the room during the spring; highly-touted recruit, Landen Thomas. Florida State flipped Thomas from his commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs last spring and never looked back. The athletic tight end projects as an instant contributor due to his ability as a receiver. Thomas caught 35 passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns while coming up just short of 2,000 receiving yards (1,917) in his prep career. 

Thomas measures in at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, meaning he already weighs more than Morlock, West, Courtney, and Powers. Steadily improving his prowess as a blocker will be paramount if the former blue-chip recruit is going to play an early role in Tallahassee. He was ranked as the No. 101 overall prospect, the No. 8 tight end, and the No. 14 recruit in the state of Georgia in the 2024 class.

Projected Depth Chart:

1. Kyle Morlock

2. Jackson West/Landen Thomas

3. Brian Courtney/Jerrale Powers

Spring Outlook:

Morlock is expected to be the leader of the pack due to his experience at the college level which ranges from being an All-American at the D2 level to a starter for the Seminoles in 2023. With that being said, Florida State needs the redshirt senior to raise his performance this upcoming season. Morlock played the seventh-most snaps (551) on offense last year but was also the lowest-graded run-blocker and overall player on the unit. He only crossed the 50+ yards mark in one game and didn't record any statistics in his final three appearances of the season despite playing 40+ snaps in each contest.

Hopefully another year in the strength and conditioning program as well as the system helps Morlock take another step. He seemed to be in fantastic shape during Florida State's lone open Tour of Duty workout last week. We'll see if that can carry over into a big slate of spring practices. Morlock is the guy in the room and it would be massive if he takes on that role and acts like it.

Depending on how the remainder of the room performs in the spring, the Seminoles may have to explore the NCAA Transfer Portal when the 15-day window opens in April. As it stands, the tight ends behind Morlock are essentially an unknown. 

West was named Florida State's most improved player on offense after last season but much of that was due to his prowess as a blocker. He hasn't recorded a catch since signing with the program in 2021 and missed much of the last two years while recovering from a leg injury. West began to earn more playing time late last year and stood out with his physicality. He looked as filled out as ever during the open Tour of Duty workout while arguably outperforming Morlock and Courtney. It'll certainly be intriguing to watch him progress if he stays healthy.

Courtney converted from quarterback to tight end upon arriving in Tallahassee. He's been working on transitioning to the new role ever since, along with a brief stint at linebacker. Courtney does present an interesting blend of athleticism and ball skills which have led to some impressive plays in practice. That hasn't converted over to production in limited game reps to this point of his tenure with the Seminoles. If there's a time when the light needs to come on, it's right now with plenty of playing time up for grabs.

Powers was a member of the same recruiting class as Courtney and he converted positions as well, moving from wide receiver to tight end. Injuries have set him back at times along with a deep room since he got to Tallahassee. Powers has mainly worked with the scout team but he's got a background in track. A healthy spring would do him well to see what he can bring to the table.

Thomas is the highest-rated tight end that the Seminoles have signed out of high school since Nick O'Leary in 2011. That's an interesting coincidence as he'll now have a chance to be coached by the former star along with tight ends coach Chris Thomsen. It would be ideal if he's one of the true freshmen who come out of the gate and assert themselves. He's extremely skilled and fits into how Florida State wants to utilize the position. Thomas could be the present and future of the room depending on how these next couple of weeks go.

Previous Spring Position Previews:

— Quarterbacks

— Running Backs

— Offensive Line

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