FSU Football: Four Big Things I Learned From Scrimmage #1 | Confidence | Hear From The Coaches
Florida State Football and Mike Norvell have closed availability to the media outside of a short 10-15 minute period at the beginning. I rely on sources and analyzing / reading between the lines.
Mike Norvell and Florida State Football 2023 In One Word: Confident
Twitter | @RenegadeReport1
Quarterback Room Is Evolving
It all started with Jordan Travis announcing he would indeed return for his sixth season of CFB to lead his team to new heights. His progress over the past three years is nothing short of remarkable and shows no signs of stopping now. We are allowed very little in the way of film on the senior signal collar performing this spring but Norvell describes his play succinctly with only one word: Elite.
That brings us to the battle for QB2. A Renegade Report poll shows pretty clearly that most believe Tate Rodemaker to be that guy and I was in that caml myself to begin with. That said Duffy and Glenn have thoroughly outshined him thus far, and I’ve spoken to a few sources close to the program that believe that Duffy has already closed that gap, beginning to overtake Tate for that spot. We will closely moniter this moving forwards as we quickly approach April 15th’s exhibition.
Defensive Back Room Is Greatly Improved
Coach Norvell and Florida State’s highest rated transfer thus far in the 2023 class is 2022 First Team All-ACC cornerback Fentrell Cypress II. It has become as clear as anything can be without being eye witness that he is a perfect fit within the secondary.
His ability to lock down one side of the field 100%, no questions asked, completely changes everything in that room. Not only that but from what I hear he can move all over the field having taken reps on either side as well as inside. He will be capable of following a number one receiver anywhere on the field no matter how the opposing team attempts to seperate them.
Renardo Green was our best corner by a good margin last year and continued to progress, getting comfortable at the position as the year continued. All reports indicate he has continued his CLIMB and is improving his skills daily throughout the winter workouts and now spring camp. Behind Cypress II and Green is my favorite defensive back on the team, sophomore Azaryeh Thomas.
Apparantly he too has been crosstraining along with the rest of the DBs and has really shined this spring, especially helping fill the gap left by Kevin Knowles injury. Jarrian Jones is also a man on a mission and ready to make a splash in his final season as a Nole.
Duke Cooper was the best corner on the roster by the end of 2021, his freshman year, but he battled tough injuries and a brutal schedule in 2022 just to be ridiculed and blamed for poor pass defenses in some critical spots last year. I am a believer in Omarrion and his move to safety is his best chance to work himself back into a starting role at any point in 2023. Not only has he moved to safety but similar to the others has spent time inside at the nickel as well. Shyheim Brown and Akeem Dent provide stability at safety but we need others to step up.
Defensive Line Best In The ACC, Maybe The Nation!
Make no mistake about it folks this is an ELITE unit; no ifs, ands, or butts about it. When healthy in 2022 the Noles had an above average group led by Fabien Lovett & Jared Verse; two players assumed to be headed off to the NFL following the season. That didn’t happen and they both decided to return for one final run.
So far the MVP of spring camp thus far has got to be Patrick Payton. Norvell and the rest of the staff have been effusive in their praise of the third year player out of Miami. He reminds me a lot of Brian Burns and I truly believe we will see a breakout performance from him like we saw in Burns’ third year at FSU.
I must also mention Joshua Farmer who has been equally impressive in the interior of the defense. He along with Payton were forced into the fire last year and made to play extensive snaps against great OLs and no one on the bench capable to spell them. At around 25-30 snaps a game we should see a totally different and much more exolosive force in 2023.
I’ve also been very vocal about my belief in incoming transfers Darell Jackson and Gilber Edmund. They are both physical freaks at their respctive positions. Jackson has all the potential in the world to be an NFL tackle but just needs to work on his technique and abiity to keep his motor running all out on every single play. Everyone I’ve spoken to insists he is taking right to Odell’s coaching and a new player is emerging that ACC offenses should be very afraid to see. Him or Braden Fiske flanking Fabien Lovett is a scary proposition. Edmund’s story is similar except his technique against the run and motor are extraordinary; he was just used for way too many snaps and not put in the best situations at USCe. He is the perfect fit behind Payton and Verse.
Derrick McClendon is still in that room; a good player and was expecting to be a starter leading the DE’s as a fifth year senior. Things just aren’t the same as when he arrived way back in 2018 and rumors are swirling about his status with the team moving forward; a story we are monitering and will release any information as it comes available, or the school / Derrick comments on it.
Freshman WR & RS Freshman RB Earn Praise
Vandrevious Jacobs got dinged by all the talking points as a recruit despite an amazing high school career at Vero Beach High School. Let’s first qualify this by saying he is in fact an early enrollee only having been on campus a few months and not some insane physical specimen like Hykeem Williams. I mean that yes every single person I’ve spoken to close to the program has high priase for “Baby Ochocinco” but the Noles WR core is elite and he is still just a true freshman. These compliments aren’t relative to the rest of the room but to the rest of the true freshman on the field in my opinion so don’t expect him to lock down a starting spot come fall.
The next guy that I just don’t stop hearing about is the explosive Rodney Hill at the running back position. We all know Caziah Holmes has been on campus since before last year honing his skill and playing scout team RB all last year. I expect him to be RB2 to start the year and by the end of the year it will be him and Benson sharing the load and maybe even Holmes with the advantage.
That said mum is the word when it comes to Holmes thus far into the camp but not Hill. No Hill has had praise heaped on him by the bushel. From the first snaps I saw of him last year I saw something special. He reminds me a bit of the UF running back Ettienne and likely would be looking to start at many schools around the country. The Seminoles are simply stacked to the brim at the running back position even with the transfer of Trashaun Ward to KSU. Toafili and Campbell are still in front of him but for how much longer?
Media Availabilities Following Scrimmage #1
Mike Norvell
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Adam Fuller
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Alex Atkins
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John Papuchis