FSU Quarterback Jordan Travis Highlights Offseason, Team Progression

"I feel like it's always the same mindset. It's about the work."

Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis has had a busy offseason. With all the hype surrounding the Seminoles and their upcoming schedule, his potential to win the Heisman, and the expectations during his final year at FSU, the top signal-caller sat down with the media on Wednesday to discuss the team and its progression throughout the summer.

READ MORE: FSU Football Quarterback Jordan Travis Did Not Throw At Manning Passing Academy

Travis' mindset and approach are critical if the Seminoles want to have a chance at an ACC Championship and a College Football Playoff Berth. He said that it hasn't changed and that it is all about the work.

"I feel like it's always the same mindset. It's all about the work, especially in the off-season. That's all we do is just work. We build confidence from work, so we've been working hard. Our summers are no joke; coach Storms pushes us hard," Travis said. "Trying to keep weight on, put weight on, get bigger, stronger, faster. All of those new guys are coming in and are buying into the program. You can just feel them gelling day by day. They're all great kids and great players."

Until a recent rule change, coaches and staff were not allowed to attend player-run practices, and being a redshirt senior, Travis has experienced both sides. Regardless, he said it's an opportunity and echoed the mantra that head coach Mike Norvell has preached since he took over in 2020.

"We're able to throw now. Before we weren't able to have balls and stuff in front of the coaches, so we're able to throw, we're able to go through plays. Obviously, just an opportunity to go out in front of them and then showcase our abilities, and obviously, they can coach us up on little things like fundamentals and throwing the ball and just little things like that."

The 'Noles open the 2023 season against LSU, which is expected to be a top-10 showdown on September 3rd. Blocking out the noise surrounding that matchup and focusing on putting in the day-to-day work seemed to be his and the team's focus. 

"We just gotta focus on the day in front of us. We can't get too far ahead and think about championships. We gotta start with, well, we got today's workout. We have a workout tomorrow (and) Friday, and then we get a week off, and when we come back, it's time," Travis said about their preparation. "There's no more breaks. We're working and then straight into camp and straight into the season. So when it comes to the season, we gotta focus on the game in front of us and the practice in front of us. That's the mindset that we have to have."

Staying at a healthy playing weight is crucial for a player's success, and Travis said that he's practicing around 212 lbs. When asked how he approaches the offseason and conditioning with the team, he said he is focused on being their leader.

"I feel like I haven't done much different. I'm still trying to put weight on. I'm up to 212 now, so I'm still putting weight on. That's always been my goal, is to put weight on and keep it, so I've had this weight for about a month and a half now, which is good. It's always the same mindset: just focus on my leadership and be myself. I try not to be a leader that I'm not. I'm not a guy that speaks a lot or yells in front of the team, but I work my butt off every single day. Just show up early and do the little things right."

Florida State has landed some of the top prospects out of the NCAA Transfer portal over the past few years and has some of the top returning players at their positions heading into this upcoming season. One of those players was Michigan State wide receiver Keon Coleman who ranked No. 4 overall as a transfer. According to Travis, he's already living up to that billing.

"Keon is a special player. He comes in and works really hard. You can see he studies the playbook really hard because for a guy to come in and know the plays like how he does, it's pretty special. This playbook is not easy at all. But yeah, he knows multiple positions—multiple wide receiver positions. I mean, he's a really special player, and we're grateful to have him on this football team."

The 'Noles also return one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country, who Travis said have been putting in the work. Travis understands how crucial both offensive and defensive lines were to success and emphasized the amount of work they were putting into the offseason. 

"The offensive line and defensive line, that's what wins games and championships. Those guys have been getting stronger every single day. You see them in the weight room, pushing hard. Out on the field, we're conditioning—that's tough for those big 300-pound guys—but they're out there grinding. But yeah, the offensive line, those are my boys. At the end of the day, they protect me and keep Trey upright. Those guys have been working hard, and we're grateful to have them."

Recently, Travis was invited to participate in the Manning Passing Academy, a camp dedicated to youth development,  featuring some of the best college quarterbacks from around the country. He said it was an honor and that he was able to learn something while being around former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning as well as other fellow Heisman contenders. 

"That was an honor, obviously. Being invited there, just being invited there, is a special thing—a special thing. Being around all those quarterbacks—Drake Maye, Joe Milton, Riley Leonard—just talking with the guys and hearing their perspectives on certain things was really cool. I mean, it's like you're getting around all the top quarterbacks, and that's all you can ask for. But yeah, getting around the Manning family was a blessing. Hearing their perspective on everything and how they go up to the line and their pre-snap checks," Travis said about attending the camp. "But yeah, bringing it back here, I mean, I feel like I'm... We had a meeting on Saturday afternoon that helped me a lot, just hearing from both Peyton and Eli, and it was two GMs in the NFL. Just hearing like the little things and how obviously how they pre-snap check and how they lead their teammates and how you earn respect and just things like that."

Chemistry has been apparent for the Seminoles, and watching Travis joke with his teammate running back Trey Benson during the interview, you could tell. Benson caught 13 passes for 144 yards last season, and Travis has had faith in getting him the ball through the air.

"Yeah, I mean Trey can catch the ball, I mean, I thought he's worked really hard this offseason. Even last year, I mean, you know, I feel like he would make plays. He would always ask for the ball. He said, 'I can catch, bro. I can catch.' If he drops it in practice, he'd let me know it was a mistake. He's an athlete, and he can catch the ball."

Wide receiver Destyn Hill's journey to becoming a Seminole was unconventional. He originally signed on to the 2021 class but hadn't made it to campus until recently. Still, building chemistry with the former 4-star recruit has been a priority, and Travis said that the chemistry between the two is steadily growing. 

"Destyn is a special player. He's a great kid. He always has a smile on his face. I mean, he just comes to work. That's always what I talk about. Coach Norvell recruits guys that are just ready to work. You can't come here and not be ready to grind every single day. But yeah, Destyn is a really, really, really special player. I mean, yeah, building chemistry, it all comes from on the practice field over there. I mean, it starts there. Actually, I would say it starts off if you have to build relationships off the field first, and then you go out on the field, and you just gotta work repetition over and over. You want to see those guys be consistent every time they run a route, you want to see full speed every single time. Between guys start jogging and stuff, I mean, that's when the chemistry and timing is knocked off. So, just try to push those guys to go 100% in every rep."

The media is fortunate enough to be able to attend official practices during the season. The player-run practices differ from what is normally done in camp and during game week. Travis said that they aren't as intense (usually around two hours) as the team's but that they are around 20-25 minutes after workouts and that the team's health is the main reason for the length. 

"I mean, it's not like that; it's a shortened, probably 20-minute period, 25 minutes. We do it after a workout, so we obviously want to save those guys' legs and stuff. But we wanna see guys work when they're tired, yeah, it's nothing like that. It's just we run seven-on-seven, one-on-ones, just trying to make it simple, and the offensive line goes over there, and the defensive line does their thing. But yeah, at the end of the day, our health is the most important thing. I mean, you've gotta be available. I think we've learned that, especially throughout my career. So, I'm just trying to take care of those guys, get the reps that we need."

A balanced offense is what has given the 'Noles their recent success, and even though the player-run practices are shortened, it is still a championship moment for the team, he said. 

"I spread the ball a little bit more, but in reality, I try to treat those seven-on-seven periods as if I'm in a game. I try to treat everything like a game rep, personally. Coach Norvell talks about the game, championship rep. I focus on that a lot, so I mean, I make my reads, and I try to distribute the ball to who's open. I try to give a guy a chance to see what they can do, obviously. They have a one-on-one chance. I'm just trying to take everything like a championship rep and focus on that."

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READ MORE: Florida State Falls Short Of PFF Preseason Top-10

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