The Florida State Seminoles have just completed their seventh practice session as they prepare for the 2024 season. With a strong performance last year, finishing 13-1 and winning the ACC Championship, the team is under pressure to meet high expectations again while wearing their garnet and gold.
The offense faces the challenge of replacing key players from last season, including quarterback Jordan Travis, running back Trey Benson, and wide receivers Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman. Head coach Mike Norvell spoke to the media following Thursday’s practice and expressed dissatisfaction with the offensive performance.
“Today was a mix of good and bad,” Norvell remarked. “Offensively, we were sloppy at times and missed some opportunities.”
Throughout practice, the defense consistently created turnovers and loss of yardage. This raises the question of whether the offense was underperforming or if the defense is simply ahead at this stage of training.
“There are different reasons why things happen. If you make a mistake, like leaving someone unblocked or dropping a ball, it prevents you from capitalizing on opportunities, which makes things difficult,” Norvell explained. “The defense did a lot of good things today, but we’ve seen good balance during fall camp, and the offense just needs to improve.”
One standout player on defense during Thursday’s practice was Ricky Knight III, a former 4-star defensive back. He intercepted quarterback Brock Glenn’s pass by jumping a route, demonstrating high-level play.
“I like what I’m seeing from him. He made a couple of really good plays today,” Norvell said about Knight. “The young defensive back group is gaining confidence. Ricky joined us in the summer, and I’ve seen great flashes from him. There are still areas for him to grow, but he’s definitely on the right path.”
On the offensive side, former 4-star wide receiver Lawayne McCoy was a highlight, showing up consistently throughout practice. Norvell mentioned that McCoy might have an early impact on the team and that his impressive performance on Thursday was a positive step forward.
“I think Lawayne has a real chance to make an impact for us. He’s taking advantage of his opportunities, and I love his game. He showed promise in the spring, despite a small injury that kept him out for a while, but he’s had a strong summer. Today was a great step for him.”
The Seminoles are preparing for their first scrimmage of fall camp this Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium. This will allow the coaching staff to observe how the team performs and reacts without on-field guidance from the coaches.
“We’re going to conduct the scrimmage as we’ve done before, putting our players in various situations to see how they handle them,” Norvell stated. “It’ll be a productive day, with the scrimmage taking place at night in the stadium. I’m excited to see the players work and execute.”
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