The Florida State Seminoles lost their longtime starting quarterback Jordan Travis, due to his eligibility being up, and it’s time for a new face to take snaps for Florida State. The Seminoles were able to bring in fifth-year senior DJ Uiagalelei from the transfer portal after he decided to leave Oregon State. A great option as the team’s starter, with plenty of college football experience. Just last season Uiagalelei threw for 2,638 yards last season, with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. DJ Uiagalelei also has the ability to get out of the pocket and use his legs, as he posted 219 yards on the ground last season as well.
Florida State Seminoles Fans Get A Sneak Peak At The Team At The 2024 Spring Game
The 2024 spring practice time comes to a close, and fans got to see a preview of what may be in store for the Seminoles this fall. While the stadium is still undergoing renovations Florida State was basically playing in a construction zone, with the home sideline bleachers currently rendered to a pile of dirt. It was a more of a “showcase” or light practice if you will with a DJ playing the Cha-Cha slide while the offense snapped the ball in the red zone, and a laser show put on during the showcase.
Even with all of that going on FSU still played an incredibly physical and competitive style of “practice” that looked more like a game than people expected. The whole point of not playing an aggressive hard-nose style football game was to keep players fresh and not give opponents extra scouting opportunities. Sadly neither was accomplished as the intensity grew and at least three Seminoles players were seen needing help back to the locker room. Including Malik Benson who was carted off halfway through, and adding to that Mike Norvell was calling play action and some of their intricate concepts, completely defeating the purpose of fooling scouts.
Even will all the distractions and moments of concern in the Florida state spring game, Norvell still found the day to be a success do to the fact that it was a singular practice during a long spring. One that aims to raise the floor of the team as the countdown to fall kickoff is in full effect.
Who Returns For The Noles And Who Will Emerge As The Top Wideout
Even with their quarterback and top two wideouts leaving, the Seminoles roster will feature 82 returning players from their 2023 roster. Their defense was among the best in the country last season, and they will see many key players returning on that side of the ball. Patrick Payton will return for his Junior season after recording seven sacks last season. Along with Payton, comes defensive tackle Joshua Farmer who is set for a huge senior season coming off of a season where he recorded 32 tackles and five sacks.
The Seminoles lost their top two wide receivers from last season, Johnny Wilson, and Keon Coleman. Both of which finished last season with over 600 yards receiving, and Coleman added 11 receiving touchdowns. Tight end Jaheim Bell was the third leading receiver on the team but is also on the way out. The Noles will still have tight end Kyle Morlock, who is set to be another top pass catcher, but which wideout will fill the void left by the departure of Wilson and Coleman?
Malik Benson is a talented pass catcher that FSU brought in from Alabama via the transfer portal. Even with Malik Benson leaving the showcase after going down, Benson will still likely emerge as the top target this season, but Ja’Khi Douglas and Kentron Poitier will need to be ready to expand their roles as well.
What’s Next For The Future Of This Florida State Football Program
After two practices a week for the last month or so, Florida State football will now go on a hiatus after the final spring game/practice. In the immediate future, Florida State needs to check the state of its roster. The portal is still open until the end of April, and Mike Norvell fields a roster that is over the scholarship limit, so players will leave. Some players must go if a couple of additions are to be made, so we’ll wait to see if anything else happens before the fall.
Speaking of the fall, what in the world will Doak Campbell Stadium look like during Labor Day weekend? Most of the bleachers are blocked off, the stadium surface was shocking to see during the spring game, so I’m not sure how this will be ready to play on in just four months. The Seminoles worked around it well enough this spring as it was their third time playing in Doak, along with scrimmages, but there is still a long way to go before the start of the 2024 College Football season, so we’ll see come Labor Day weekend.