The theme for Florida State football this season is “newness.”
A new look for Doak Campbell Stadium, new faces on the roster, and a new starting quarterback.
But one thing that hasn't changed is Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell and his coaching staff.
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Retaining the coaching staff that led the Seminoles to an undefeated regular season and the program's first ACC Championship since 2014 in 2023 has great continuity implications.
Norvell, who addressed the media at Florida State University's annual coaches luncheon, spoke to his staff as the Seminoles prepare for the first of 15 spring practices from Tuesday until the spring showcase on Saturday, April 20. expressed excitement about the retention and new season.
“We have great, great coaches and great leaders,” Norvell said. “That's exciting to me because people believe in what we're doing. They see the growth, they see the personal growth, they see the personal growth, and they see us… We are all moving together in the same direction.”
Introducing takeout from the lunch party.
New recruits are also settled and ready to make an impact on FSU football.
Led by the addition of former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, the Seminoles' roster has been revamped, adding a number of fresh faces to the program.
Norvell said he has been working hard since portal additions such as Uiagalelei, defensive back Earl Little Jr., edge Marvin Jones Jr. and wide receivers Malik Benson and Jaylen Brown arrived in Tallahassee in the winter. , said they are embracing their respective roles.
Despite being with the team for a short period of time due to the high turnover in the team, Norvell feels the group is already very cohesive and ready to compete. Finding the best fit for your program is key to gaining quick buy-in.
“They're great young guys. We always talk about finding the right fit for Florida State, and we want to get players with talent, playmaking ability, skill sets. Obviously we want that.” “It should be,” Nobel said. . “But we have players who care about others and want to be a part of this program for more than just putting on the jersey and building relationships and being able to have a positive impact on those around them. Please confirm that.”
“I think that's big.”
In addition to Portal, the Seminoles bring in a top-10 player in the overall recruiting class, according to 247Sports, and Norvell said 13 early-enrolling freshmen are making an early impact.
Citing players like defensive backs Charles Lester III and Jamari Howard, Norvell feels the development and impact of high school recruits should receive the same attention as the Seminoles portal additions.
“I think there's been a spotlight on what transfer is, and the same goes for high school players who transfer,” Norvell said. “All the new guys who came in and graduated early are now leaving their mark on this program. I'm so excited to see the heart they bring and the relationships they're starting to build.”
Florida State's offense will look a little different this season.
Jordan Travis, Trey Benson, Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman are gone. They are the mainstays of the Seminoles' offense, which averaged over 34 points per game last season.
They all moved on to the NFL and new faces joined the program.
The addition of Uiagalelei introduces a different offensive system than the one built for Travis, but Norvell said the team is accustomed to evolving offensive schemes and can improve on the changing game plan in spring practice. He said he was deaf.
“We were a little different last year than we were two years ago, just combining players with different skill sets that we have, even with the same quarterback,” Norvell said. “That means we're always looking to grow and implement different elements for the game. We're going into the spring and there are some things we know we want to continue to improve on. ”
Bringing speed to the receivers with Benson and Brown and talented freshmen like Camdon Fryer, B.J. Gibson and LaWayne McCoy was a top priority.
Norvell believes this group will help open up the scheme and allow players like Uiagalelei to excel as quarterbacks.
“We definitely want to take advantage of stretching the field vertically. We feel like what we're doing horizontally is pretty good, but we definitely want that element to grow in our offense. I want to see that,” Nobel said. “The players we brought in, just watching the players move and run, we weren't disappointed for eight weeks. Now we're going out there and seeing how we can continue to build on that through practice. It’s time to check.”
Norvell is excited about the return of players like Destin Hill and Jakai Douglas, as well as the additions from the transfer portal and recruiting class.
“I think it's a talented room and there's going to be some stiff competition,” Norvell said. “We look forward to seeing Cream rise to the top.”
Patrick Payton, Darrell Jackson grow as leaders
Heading into spring practice, Coach Norvell said he wants to see the returning defensive players grow in leadership positions.
Naming returning players like Shyheim Brown, Patrick Payton, DJ Lundy, Azalea Thomas, Fentrell Cypress II, Joshua Farmer and Darrell Jackson, Norvell sees that group taking on new roles. I am prepared.
“This group has played a lot of football, but now they're in a slightly different role. They're pushing forward,” Norvell said. “They're trying to take the next step in terms of leadership and competency in their roles and we're seeing them improve and that's what I'm happy about.”
Payton and Jackson earned praise from Norvell for putting on weight in the offseason, and Norvell said Payton gained nearly 15 pounds.
With Jared Verse and Braden Fisk preparing for the draft, Norvell said he's looking forward to seeing the defensive line group continue to evolve in the spring and how they compete.
“I'm looking forward to seeing some of these young defensive linemen and how they stand up and our players who might take the next step with a little more experience on the field. I'm looking forward to seeing how we'll compete against them,'' Nobel said.
florida state football spring practice schedule
Liam Rooney covers prep sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Reach me by email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamroone.y
This article originally appeared in Tallahassee Democrat: What we learned from FSU football coach Mike Norvell's press conference.
