The Florida State Seminoles had tight ends coach Chris Thomsen, redshirt senior tight end Kyle Morlock, redshirt senior wide receiver Jaqui Douglas and junior running back Jaylin Lucas meet with the media Thursday night. He completed his seventh practice this spring.
READ MORE: Two more FSU football players to miss remainder of spring practice due to injury
There was a lot to take away from this opportunity, including an optimistic start from the tight end position, leadership styles between two quarterbacks competing for the starting spot, and a family reunion.
Check out NoleGameday's interview summary.
Comparison of leadership styles between DJ Uiagalelei and Brock Glenn
The Seminoles have had a real quarterback competition this offseason, with graduate transfer DJ Uiagalelei and redshirt freshman Brock Glenn vying to replace Jordan Travis. By the midway point of the spring, both players had impressive moments and showed areas where they need to continue to improve.
Tight end Kyle Morlock has watched Glenn grow as a leader as he prepares for his second year with the program. This young quarterback is mature beyond his years, and he should be, as he's already the longest-tenured signal caller on the roster.
“Brock, definitely leadership,” Morlock said. “He's really stepped into a leadership role in the quarterback room and really embraced that role, being the guy that brings us together on the field.”
Conversely, Morlock believes Uiagalelei leads with his play on the field. He's been impressed with the former Oregon State and Clemson quarterback's performance between the lines. Apparently that caught the attention of the Morlocks.
“He's definitely a leader by example,” Morlock said. “He certainly talks a lot and he gets the players going, but when he gets on the field, he goes out there and executes. When you watch guys act, you're like, 'Okay, I want to be with you.' That person said, “That's why I'll definitely say that.''
Wide receiver Jaqui Douglas caught multiple quarterback passes during his time at Florida State University. He believes Uiagalelei throws a “beautiful ball,” which can be readily seen in some of the passes that flew out of his hands during spring training.
“He's also an experienced quarterback and knows what he needs to do,” Douglas said. “He throws a beautiful ball. You have to get used to seeing that ball in the air and attacking it.”
Morlock is stepping into a leadership role himself after losing some of the tight end room's faces in Jaheim Bell, Markston Douglas and Preston Daniel. He is the only member of the unit to record more than two catches at the collegiate level.
“Especially in the tight end room with Jaheim leaving, I had to step up into a little bit of a leadership role,” Morlock said. “Like I said, helping young guys learn the playbook and get used to the offense, that's what I've been trying to do.”
The goal this offseason is for Morlock to become more physical and hone his route running. He praised tight ends coach Chris Thomsen's leadership and the way he guides the team.
“I just keep improving my blocking game,” Morlock said. “That’s one of my main focuses this year because that’s how I can really help the offense and really contribute.”
The tight end unit is a thin unit with only five scholarship students this spring. That means the entire group, from top to bottom, needs to be ready to contribute at any point in the season. Morlock went out of his way to praise true freshman Landen Thomas for his work ethic and the way he views the offense.
Click to read Morlock's full interview here.
Jaylin Lucas and Jaqui Douglas reunite in Garnet and Gold
A family reunion is being held in Tallahassee after Indiana transfer Jaylin Lucas headed to Florida State this offseason. Lucas is the younger brother of Ja'Qui Douglas, and both players are expected to play big roles for the Seminoles in 2024, presenting a very cool scenario.
Douglas is looking to set an example for his younger brother and other younger players on the team this spring with his approach and consistency. He feels like he's back at Terrebonne High School in Louisiana, where his brothers grew up.
“It was good. I was better than him so it feels like I was back in high school,” Douglas said. “I live with him, and it's all good to see him ball-side here at Florida State.”
This is a dream moment for Lucas as he held an offer from FSU before signing with the Hoosiers in 2022. He's ready to take advantage of his second chance to play with Douglas.
“It's really cool, just getting a chance to play with my brother,” Lucas said. “That's all I dreamed of when I graduated high school. Now that I've been given another chance, I want to take advantage of it.”
Douglas and Lucas will be the first brothers to play at Florida State at the same time since Cam McDonald and Nolan McDonald in 2018-19.
Click here to read the full interview with Douglas here.
more than speed
As for Lucas, if you've been following NoleGameday's coverage up to this point this spring, you'll have a pretty good idea of the speed he brings to the field. Lucas has repeatedly stepped into the open field, turned on his jets and made big plays. In fact, he was probably better than expected as a dynamic weapon.
Safety Shyheim Brown even said he believed Lucas set the GPS record during practice after being clocked at 22.6 or 22.8 mph. Douglas thought it was 22.6 or 22.9 mph. Either way, it's clear that Lucas can operate at an elite level. Even though he staked his position as the team's fastest player earlier this week, he doesn't think much of it.
“I really can't wrap my head around that. That's what I've done and what I've done at Indiana,” Lucas said. “I’m just fast, I’m just fast.”
Lucas clearly knows he can run, but now he wants to show others how complete he is with the rest of his game. He wants to be respected as an offensive threat and not just a kick returner.
“I want to be known for more than that,” Lucas said. “I feel like people only see me as a special teams player, but I'm not just a special teams player, I'm an explosive player. I can just put the ball in my hands and do something.” I’ll go wake you up.”
At 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, Lucas is clearly not the biggest running back. In fact, he is one of the three shortest players on the team, along with his younger brother Ja'Ki Douglas and walk-on linebacker Emile Emme. In any case, Lucas came in with a wound on his shoulder, but is not afraid to throw his face into the fire. That his spirit of his comes from his mother.
“It came from my mom,” Lucas said. “My mom always says, 'Always stay tough.' You know, I'm not one of the big running backs, but you have to use your speed and stay true to the game.”
Lucas' speed didn't come without a lot of effort on and off the field. However, he also credits his natural talent to his mother, who was a former track and field athlete.
“I would say it's something I was born with. I inherited it from my mother,” Lucas said. “She was very fast on the track. It's natural, it's natural.”
Click to read Lucas' full interview here.
Early production by tight end impressing Chris Thomsen
The tight end is a big question mark for Florida State's offense, with no on-field experience back on the roster. The Seminoles will need to replace three of the top four members on the depth chart with Jaheim Bell, Markston Douglas and Preston Daniel out of the program.
That forced Kyle Morlock and redshirt junior Jackson West to step up as leaders in the room. Tight ends coach Chris Thomsen likes what he's seen so far.
“They're older, more experienced players, so they definitely did that, and they've already done that with Jaheim in there,” Thomsen said. “The dynamic is really good. Everyone is pushing and doing their job, but there's an element of leadership in the players who are playing more games and it's showing.”
Thomsen hopes Kyle Morlock becomes a more dominant blocker in his second season with the Seminoles. He also expects to see the redshirt senior develop into a more complete receiver and playmaker. Thomsen is happy with West's current status as a blocker, but notes the next step is to improve as a pass catcher.
Early signs this spring have been positive for the unit from top to bottom. Thomsen said his group completed 16 passes to five players in the first scrimmage. Multiple tight ends are moving in the right direction.
“What stood out to me was the scrimmage,” Thomsen said. “We caught 16 balls spread out over five guys, so just watching them perform the way they wanted in the first scrimmage and catch the football. The collective work ethic of the group, They’re working hard and getting results.’ They’re getting better, they’re working on everything they need to work on, and they’re seeing a lot of improvement. ”
There are some players like Gerard Powers and West who have fought through injuries. Powers will actually miss the rest of the spring, further limiting a unit that is already short on air. His absence means Florida State will need the players behind him to step up even faster.
The ceiling of the room will change dramatically depending on the progress of true freshman Landen Thomas. An excellent candidate, he was one of the top recruits at the position in the 2024 class. He didn't blink as he headed to Doak Campbell Stadium last weekend for his first competitive action at the collegiate level.
“He did a really good job considering he's still supposed to be in high school,” Thomsen said. “He came in and tried to understand things, not just the assignments, but also the technical aspects of what we wanted from him. In the first scrimmage he caught five balls. I think he did, so we need a young guy to come in.'' Played in his first scrimmage at Doak, came out and performed, did some good things in the run game, he's where we want him to be.'' is. He's just got to keep improving, adding weight to his frame and getting stronger. He's got everything you need in a freshman, but he's done a really good job so far.”
Thomas blocked against high-level players at the prep level and was also coached at Colquitt County High School. There's definitely an adjustment for him to the college level, but he's holding his own. Thomsen attributes some of that to the fact that Thomas actually played tight end during his formative years, rather than converting from another position like many players in the current era of football. thinking.
With Thomas joining as an early enrollee, Thomsen is looking forward to seeing what he can do through the remainder of the spring before getting him back in the weight room this summer. Thomsen believes the Seminoles could be looking at a much different player by the time preseason camp begins in July.
Click to read Thomsen's full interview here.
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