Florida State University held its annual Garnet & Gold Spring Showcase on Saturday, giving the 18,061 fans in attendance a glimpse of Tribe 24 and the upcoming season. Four guest coaches from the 1999 National Championship team were in attendance to participate in the grand finale. The event also unveiled Seminole Heritage's new turquoise jersey, marking the first time the team has unveiled the jersey on the field inside Doak Campbell Stadium.
READ MORE: FSU football quarterback set to debut turquoise heritage jersey at spring showcase
While the showcase didn't follow a traditional spring game format, it was an opportunity to see how Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei has developed chemistry with wide receivers old and new. The defense got off to a strong start, with a tackle for loss by Marvin Jones Jr., followed by a half-sack by Jones and defensive lineman Byron Turner Jr.
The running game also underwent a bit of an overhaul in the offseason, with running back Trey Benson headed to the NFL. Veteran running backs Lawrence Toafili, Roydell Williams and Kazaiah Holmes were able to find the end zone on big plays. At the same time, Indiana transfer Jaylin Lucas showed off his speed and slipperiness between the tackles. Sam Singleton, who gained weight in the offseason, also showed physical strength with some big runs.
With redshirt freshman Brock Glenn and freshman Luke Kromenhoek out with minor injuries, freshman Trevor Jackson took snaps behind Uiagalelei. He showed poise with some nice passes, including a 10-yard dart to freshman tight end Landen Thomas.
Perhaps one of Uiagalelei's biggest moments was a bomb on Alabama transfer wide receiver Malik Benson. The pass was followed by a 35-yard rushing score from Alabama transfer Roydell Williams. Benson then withdrew from the contest while still riding in his cart with what appeared to be a lower leg injury.
Tight end Jackson West, who saw more playing time at the end of last season, helped move the chains on several occasions with connections from Uiagalelei. The transferred quarterback also found veteran wide receiver Kentron Poitier taking a big gain from the sideline midway through the scrimmage.
Former FSU stars Travis Miner, Tommy Pauley, Corey Simon and Peter Warrick donned headsets for the grand finale. LSU transfer wide receiver Jaylen Brown showed speed out of the backfield and really started to develop throughout the spring. Freshman defensive back Kai Bates was also active throughout the showcase, with defensive lineman Aaron Hester sacking quarterback Dylan McNamara.
KJ Sampson, the 2023 Scout Team Player of the Year, showed off his physicality by sacking Michael Grant, and the biggest play of the game came on his final pitch of the day. It was a 50-yard touchdown from walk-on QB Michael Grant to a wide-open VanRevious Jacobs.
The Seminoles will take a break for summer training and conditioning before resuming practice in July.
Read more: Expected attendance list for FSU Football's Garnet & Gold Spring Showcase
continue nord game day For more Florida State football coverage throughout the spring
Follow NoleGameday twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and tick tock
