10 things we learned from Florida State's first preseason scrimmage

No. 1 -- Freshman QBs are subject to live contact

When you saw the photo that accompanies this article, the color of freshman quarterback Chubba Purdy's jersey might have caught your attention. Purdy and fellow freshman Tate Rodemaker are not wearing the green non-contact jerseys typically worn by signal-callers at Florida State.

Norvell explained that he typically takes this approach with his young quarterbacks, going back to his years at Memphis. He said he already knows that veterans James Blackman and Jordan Travis can handle the physicality of the college game, based on what they've done in the past, but he wanted to get a look at how the freshman fared.

Based on what they did in high school and their physical stature, it seems likely that approach would be a positive for Purdy. The Arizona product was the nation's No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2020, and he has a much sturdier frame at 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds than the 6-4, 197-pound Rodemaker.

No. 2 -- Expect OL tinkering for a couple more weeks

No matter how much improvement Florida State's offensive line makes in its first season under Norvell and OL coach Alex Atkins, these intrasquad scrimmages will provide a tall task. The Seminoles' front line has been abysmal in recent years, and they're going up against a defensive line that is universally considered one of the best in the country.

FSU's coaches didn't want to offer many specifics about how the O-Line performed on Saturday, but they did make it clear that they're nowhere near ready to settle on a starting five. Norvell and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham both said they'll be evaluating different line combinations for the next two weeks before tabbing a starting unit for the Sept. 12 season opener against Georgia Tech. Ultimately, they said, they'd like to settle on a group of eight linemen that will be ready to play on game day.

With redshirt freshman Darius Washington and grad transfer Devontay Love-Taylor believed to be the favorites to claim the starting tackle positions and sophomore Dontae Lucas likely locked in at guard, that leaves center and the other guard position as the biggest question marks. The frontrunners at center are seniors Baveon Johnson and Andrew Boselli, although either one could also potentially play guard if needed. Redshirt junior Brady Scott is the likely other starter at guard, but he is being challenged by redshirt freshman Maurice Smith and others.