FSU Head Coach Mike Norvell Pleased With Progression Of Young Defensive Backs

The newcomers have continued to shine throughout fall camp.

The Florida State Seminoles have wrapped up their two-day away trip to UNF in Jacksonville. FSU endured the sweltering heat of the east coast, coming away healthy as they made their trip back to Tallahassee for a day off. 

READ MORE: Seminoles Conclude Two Days At UNF With Intense Practice On Friday

FSU head coach Mike Norvell met with the media after Friday's practice to discuss their trip and talk about some of the freshmen newcomers who have stood out thus far.

"Today was another good day; really the last two days. I'm proud of the work that we've been able to get, you know, a lot of situations. I think I mentioned this earlier this week; we've accelerated the situational work," Norvell said. "I mean, today we got some goal line, short yardage. I mean back-to-back days in full pads, five straight days of going after it, and I'm really pleased with what is showing up."

Norvell gave praise for his recent haul of talented players in the defensive backfield. Players like freshman Ashlynd Barker, who has been standing out this fall.

"We felt really confident in who was coming in. You know Ashlynd (Barker) was somebody who was late in the process, you know, looking at seeing him in the spring. I really like what I think he's gonna be. He's an impressive player," Norvell said of the young defensive back.

Another freshman who had an outstanding practice on Friday and has really shined throughout camp was defensive back Conrad Hussey. Hussey came away with two interceptions on the day and has been a ball hawk overall.

"You know Conrad (Hussy) is such a, got a great instinct for the ball. He's still learning a lot of the communication, but he's working away at it. Edwin (Joseph), Ja'Bril (Rawls), that young group has done a really nice job. Q (Quindarrius Jones), you kind of lose sight of because he was there this spring, but that young group is really battling."

It goes to show that evaluation plays a major role in success at the college level and that recruiting rankings don't always shed light on the best players. All of the players mentioned were 3-star recruits out of high school, and to see them shine in a veteran backfield early on is promising. 

"We felt confident in it, and it really kind of dictated on whether we would explore other people that were out there, but I think we got really good players, but they're gonna have to go through them, and they're on the fast track so they gotta learn with an accelerated process, but I like the work that they're putting in and the plays they're making when they get their opportunities."

Norvell would go on to further discuss the importance of the Jacksonville trip, the importance of evaluating at the high school level overall, and more in his full interview below. 

The players return to practice on Sunday evening for their first scrimmage of fall camp.

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