Spring practice in Tallahassee continued Tuesday afternoon with plenty of activity off the football field. Florida State continued to prepare diligently as the team completed his second scrimmage with just over 10 days remaining before the Garnet and Gold Spring Showcase.
The unit was able to make big plays on the ground and in the air, and the offense outplayed the defense throughout the day. The defense showed some interesting developments, especially in the second half of practice, with splash plays and turnovers.
Read more: Who forced the most turnovers on FSU football in the two spring scrimmages?
NoleGameday attended the entire practice and below are some of his observations from Day 9 of Spring.
— Michael Alford, Braden Fisk and Dmitri Emanuel were all loitering on the sideline.
— This wasn't Ryan Fitzgerald's sharpest practice. He took kicks from 23, 25, 39 and 47 yards. But he also missed from 25, 39 and 47 yards.
attack:
— Mike Norvell thought DJ Uiagalelei had a great day in FSU's second scrimmage over the weekend. His upward trajectory continued Tuesday, as he made several high-level throws that really showcased the arm talent that the graduate transfer brings. Uiagalelei sent a perfect pass to Landen Thomas, leading the target to the sideline where only the receiver could receive the pass. After the play, Norvell came over to body Uiagalelei. He made another big play against Jaqui Douglas in second-half practice, but overall he seemed comfortable making the right decisions.
— Brock Glenn had a pretty good practice, too. He found a wide-open Hykeem Williams on the sideline of a team practice preparing for a big play. Glenn made a big play on his own in the second half of practice. On a short play on a mock No. 4, Glenn reportedly pulled the ball to deceive the defense and let Norvell go slack on the sideline on a run that exceeded the 20 mph mark. This is proof that his athletic ability is improving.
— There were a few plays in each practice where Luke Kromenhoek zipped the ball, plays that made you think this kid was going to be a problem down the road. Kromenhook completed a pass to Jaylin Lucas on the sideline, giving the offense the win.
— After some spurts during spring practice, true freshman LaWayne McCoy showed up consistently on Tuesday. He caught a pass and took a shot from Azareye Thomas while holding the ball in a team practice. On the next play, McCoy threw a block downfield to Laurence Toafili and Norvell sprinted in, yelling, “Great job,” and made a big play. McCoy continued his production into one-on-ones as he played in tight coverage from defensive backs while passing the ball. McCoy finished the run with an athletic extension in the end zone to end the rep. Positive and visible signs of growth for young recipients.
— Roydell Williams was the most productive of the running backs. He showed great movement in the hole during team practice to set up an explosive run, then relied on patience and vision to create another run a few plays later. Norvell was pleased with Williams' run.
— Laurence Toafili, Samuel Singleton and Cam Davis also played well. Singleton made an awkward move to get free after linebacker Sean Murphy was in good position initially. Davis found space on the sideline later in the day and pushed the offense into scoring position.
— Ja’Ki Douglas was all over the place, making play after play. We mentioned his big catch in team practice where he hooked the ball over a defender in the area and then ran it across the field for a touchdown. Douglas also made a catch while racing down the sideline in a one-on-one situation, getting over a defender. At 5 feet 9 inches tall, it wasn't easy for him.
— Deuce Span emerged and used his speed and quickness to create space on several routes. Spann still has room for improvement as he dropped a few passes as the day progressed.
— Landen Thomas continues to throw faces as a blocker and continues to make strides in that department. He competed with the defender and made a tough catch in one-on-one, then adjusted his body and got involved in one-on-one.
defense:
— Conrad Hussey and Greedy Vance vie for the top spot on the sales leaderboard. Both players have forced four turnovers this spring, and each had an interception on Tuesday to move into a tie for first. Vance picked up a deep ball on a one-on-one and Hussey made another big play in the end zone.
— Blake Nichelson created a turnover of his own after punching the ball out after Kentron Poitier caught it over the middle. Azaleh Thomas took the lead, quickly picked it up and started running in the opposite direction.
— Quindarius Jones nearly picked off a pass, but settled for a pass deflection in a one-on-one. He stuck to Camdon Fryer's sideline and took position in front of the wide receiver.
— Shyheim Brown had trouble sticking to Jaylin Lucas in one-on-one reps. He responded to the net chance by staying close to the sluggish running back and stumbling dangerously into an interception.
— Juice Cryer did a good job of keeping Laurence Toafili out of the backfield and preventing completed passes from going anywhere. I noticed that Jeremiah Byers did a great job of picking off unique blitzes from the defense and giving the quarterback time to throw.
— Solid practice from Patrick Payton, who was always around the quarterback. He had to make at least one sack and miss two passes to DJ Uiagalelei or risk being stopped for a loss.
— Earl Little Jr. deflected a pass at the line of scrimmage to stop the drive.
— Tomiwa Durojaiye continues to have promising moments while bouncing between the outside and inside of the defensive line. He made a tackle for a loss and exploded for a run with KJ Sampson a few plays later.
— Sione Lolohea was impressed with his power in practice against the offensive line.
— I like what KJ Sampson is doing. He scrambled to chase Brock Glenn downfield, earning a nod from Mike Norvell. Sampson recorded a safety late in practice.
Read more: FSU football brings back 1999 national champions as guest coaches for spring showcase
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