Florida State began the third week of spring training Tuesday night with physical and competitive sessions. It wasn't necessarily the sharpest practice we've seen in a while, focusing on placement on both sides of the ball, but there were still plenty of exciting moments.
That being said, the high level of fight and energy that the Seminoles bring to the field every day will only make this team even better when it's all said and done. The players, from the top of the roster to the bottom, are doing everything they can to give it their all. Now that we're almost halfway through spring, that's great.
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NoleGameday attended the entire practice and provided his observations from the 6th session of the spring below.
— A large group of high school prospects and coaches were in attendance to watch practice. Most were a mix of local products and talent that Florida is actively hiring.
— Ryan Fitzgerald continues to have a great spring. He connected on two of his three attempts from 50 yards or more, including a 53-yarder up the middle with plenty of legs. Fitzgerald completed a scoring drive in a tempo drill with a 39-yard kick.
attack:
— When Mike Norvell reviewed the tape, it looked better and the entire QB group had their moments after the scrimmage. DJ Uiagalelei throws some impressive balls, including one from the sideline in a tempo drill to Hykeem Williams, where the receiver makes a great play past the defensive back. It was in a good location. At a time when he was getting props from his head coach, he was throwing deep balls effortlessly, throwing to receivers in the air. Overall, it feels like Uiagalelei is accelerating his offense at a solid pace.
— Brock Glenn was out of line early in practice, but raised his level of play as the day progressed. He performed at his best in team practice, showing off his improved awareness in the pocket. On a play where the defense applied pressure from the edge, Glenn climbed into the pocket and moved laterally to his left, hitting Jaylin Lucas on the sideline. He went 7-on-7 with a bullet to Kyle Morlock, and the tight end secured it before Conrad Hussey went into the deflection. Glenn also had two scrambles when entering the open field, reminding everyone of his athletic ability.
— Luke Kromenhook I feel like it's becoming more and more established. He could definitely throw, sending an accurate ball into a tight window for a catch to Bandrevious Jacobs on the sideline. I like how he takes one step in the right direction every practice.
— This was arguably running back Lawrence Toafili's best practice this spring. Obviously, he's recovering from an injury that required surgery during the offseason, is a big name in the backfield, and is still exploring some of the vast options at his disposal. Toafili was hitting holes with a decisiveness that inspired Mike Norvell on Tuesday. It was a play in which Lucas Simmons and Bryson Estes dominated the left side, forcing Marvin Jones Jr. with a spin move to get away from defenders. Toafili's foresight and elusiveness led to many big plays.
–I also thought this was the most veteran wide receiver Kentron Poitier had ever shown in a single practice. He is also a skilled player who is coming back from injury troubles on a talented team. Poitier made an outrageous one-handed grab in the end zone, covering Azaleye Thomas with his entire body. Thomas was in a good position, but Poitier played even better. The Seminoles need the former “Spring King” to establish himself consistently every day.
— Jaylin Lucas continues to show off her wheels. I feel like he's good at getting into the open field and doing a burst or two each of his practices. At one point, he found a bit of space on the left side and before anyone could blink, he was on the sideline. Lucas was also a threat out of the backfield, showing off some nifty routes in 1-on-1 and 7-on-7, and some difficult catches in team practice.
— Samuel Singleton is also a speedy running back. He still has work to do on his vision, but he's fun to watch when he's relaxed. Singleton had a carry early in practice, cutting up his left side and getting into space.
— Landen Thomas dropped a pass in the end zone during a one-on-one, and Norvell was in earshot, pleading for the play to end. In subsequent practice, he responded by making a pass over the middle. Thomas also received praise for his blocking efforts in drills against the defensive line and linebackers.
— True freshman quarterback Trevor Jackson passed out to Jaylen Brown near the sideline. Brown provoked defenders and exploded into big plays. Brown had another glove back in the football among a group of defensive backs.
— Jeremiah Byers looks pretty confident and I think he's becoming the anchor at right tackle. He has been one of the most consistent members of the offensive line this spring. Byers had one-on-one wins over Justin Cryer and Patrick Payton, including one in which he slammed the bulky defensive end to the ground.
—I like what I see from young offensive linemen like Andre Otto, Lucas Simmons, and Jaden Todd. Otto and Lucas are taking a much-needed step in the right direction. On Tuesday, Julian Almera also threw himself into the fire. Bryson Estes pancaked the linebacker in the middle of the field to help lead off Cam Davis' big scoring run.
— Brian Courtney is showing signs of growth in the blocking department. He forced Lamont Green Jr. off the ball and got props from Norvell and Chris Thomsen.
— Kyle Morlock got off a defender and grabbed the end zone on a one-on-one. He also caught a powerful pass from Kromenhook. BJ Gibson continued to play inside the matchup and looked to score points in this period.
defense:
—The hot streak continues for junior cornerback Azaleye Thomas. He blanketed Kentron Poitier in a one-on-one and was in interception position, but was unable to reel in the pass. Thomas gave up the tough catch I mentioned earlier and wasn't happy with himself after the play. He picked up his game from there and maintained his solid form for the rest of practice. That included Cam Davis getting hit with a stick near the sideline.
— Conrad Hussey, Kai Bates and walk-on Christian White picked off passes in one-on-ones. Hussey showed great instincts and ball skills, scoring one point in the corner of the end zone. Bates was in the right position on the pass that bounced into the wide receiver's hands. White took advantage of an overthrow in the back of the end zone.
— Shyheim Brown had several stops in run coverage. He's always the first to run up and give high-fives or congratulate defenders as they leave the field after a possession. Leadership is about the little things.
— A young linebacker that some may overlook is redshirt freshman DeMarco Ward. He was hard to miss on Tuesday as he played in a lot of games. Ward made a nice shot on tight end Brian Courtney early in practice and was tackled for a loss while clinging to Jaylen Brown from the side in team practice. He was in perfect position to sack Brock Glenn on a play where the defense was pressuring him, covering Jaylin Lucas out of the backfield before taking a hit the second the ball arrived. Ta. Ward was active and I liked his instincts and physicality.
— Mike Norvell liked the way DJ Lundy showed up during FSU's first spring scrimmage. He is very consistent and is a key leader on defense. Lundy filled the void of stopping Lawrence Toafili in one of his few minutes of practice late Tuesday.
— It was another day for Darrell Jackson, who wreaked havoc on the offensive line at certain points in practice. Defensive coordinator Adam Fuller said Jackson's next step is to be that version of himself more consistently. That being said, when he's on, he's on. Jackson completely obliterated the veteran offensive lineman in one-on-one pass rush situations. He teamed up with Byron Turner Jr. and put throws into the dirt with quick pressure.
— Tomiwa Durojaie continues to show his versatility by repeating at defensive end and defensive tackle, and coach Fuller praised him after practice. He made a tackle for a loss and recorded a sack in team practice, one of the better games for the Seminoles to this point this spring.
— Jabrill Rawls is on the right track heading into his second year at Florida State. He hung on with Jaylen Brown on a deep one-on-one ball, then jumped up at the last moment to deflect the pass. Norvell spoke to him after practice.
— I noticed that Byron Turner Jr. has had some strong 3-on-2 reps. That includes some great leverage to play inside the offensive line. He has definitely raised his level of play and is competing at a high level. This is a good sign that a talented player has been added.
— Jaden Jones is one of the most improved defenders on the roster, according to Norvell and Fuller. He has worked to overcome a knee injury he suffered before arriving at Florida State and is starting to come back. Jones is a long defensive end and is fighting for a spot in an experienced defensive end room.
— Blake Nichelson was the first defensive stop at No. 4 and shortstop, helping center focus. He also used his athleticism and speed in one-on-one pass rushes, showing Lucas Simmons on the outside and cutting inside.
— Ashlind Barker sent Hykeem Williams flying to the sideline, forcing an incomplete burn.
— Aaron Hester's positioning led to him making stops late in practice. Pressure down the left side forced Samuel Singleton to look for a cutback lane, and Hester trapped him to prevent it.
— Walk-on linebacker AJ Cottrill and defensive tackle KJ Sampson combined to tackle Jaylin Lucas for a loss.
— Walk-on defensive end Xavier Perkins made some plays early. He put pressure on Luke Kromenhoek to force a bad throw and returned what in a real game scenario would be considered a tackle for a loss on Lucas. He tagged only the running backs because defenders often don't have offensive players on the field in practice to limit the risk of injury. Either way, this shows that the entire roster has the skills to deliver on any given day.
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