Florida State is home for Brock Glenn. Through the growing pains, delivered from an ACC championship victory in 2023 to agonizing losses in 2024, Glenn feels comfortable as he learns and matures in Tallahassee.
“I love Florida State,” Glenn said Saturday. “I love coach (Mike) Norvell. Coach Norvell has developed a tradition here that I want to be a part of and I think we're still working on building that. And we're trying to get better each and every day. But I like being around guys who push me to my best and coach Norvell does that. Coach (Tony) Tokarz does that as well. And Florida State's awesome. You got everything you want. I love being here.”
Glenn arrived at FSU two springs ago, and at 18 he showed a drive to compete daily in practices. He soaked up knowledge from Jordan Travis and the coaching staff. His competitive instincts were evident, even as he was lower on the depth chart behind Travis, Tate Rodemaker and perhaps even AJ Duffy.
But the quarterback room at FSU, like many schools, has shifted personnel dramatically. Travis moved on to the NFL. Rodemaker and Duffy transferred. Luke Kromenhoek arrived and left.
Glenn struggled in 2024. There was optimism in how he built a few scoring drives against No. 15 Clemson, completing 23 of 41 passes for 228 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. But in four subsequent games against Power 4 teams, he had a combined two touchdown passes. That included struggles at Duke with three turnovers on consecutive first-half drives in an seven-point loss.
Even after losing the starting job to Kromenhoek in November, Glenn has stayed at FSU. Even with the knowledge that Norvell and new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn were pursuing BC transfer Tommy Castellanos.
While the competition prompts quarterbacks to question what a team’s depth chart looks like, Glenn accepts that it’s the nature of the job. And it fuels him.
“We're just trying to make each other better,” Glenn said. “At the end of the day, we're all one team. I'm a competitor. Tommy is a competitor. Everybody on the team is a competitor. And we want that. I think competition is one of the best things in the world for anybody. It makes everybody around you better, and I think that Tommy and I have done a good job of pushing each other, making each other better, and trying to bring each other along.”
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Castellanos is the presumed starter for FSU this fall, given that he’s a good fit for Malzahn’s offensive system. There’s an emphasis on playing fast, running with physicality and stretching the field. We haven’t seen Glenn do that with any consistency, but he is in year 3 of an FSU offense that wants to play fast. Glenn is also a capable runner, both to buy time to throw and to pick up a few yards on the ground.
“Brock had a big run that showed up today,” Norvell said on Saturday.
The Norvell-Malzahn offense is a fit for Castellanos. But history has shown us the FSU coaches have needed to turn to backup quarterbacks the last two seasons. Even if Glenn locks up the No. 2 job, it’s a role where he could see playing time if Castellanos is injured.
While the transfer portal often robs a team of a veteran backup with practice experience, Glenn has played in 12 games and thrown 165 passes. And Malzahn’s scheme is one that he feels fits what he can do on the field, too.
“Coach Malzahn’s offense is great,” Glenn said. “I love it so far. I think I fit in it really well. I can find something in every offense to fit me really well. And now I just believe in myself and what I can do and what I can bring to the table in any offense. But Coach Malzahn’s offense has been awesome so far. I think I'm operating it pretty well.”
Glenn says he’s focusing on his balance, stance, staying centered and wants to improve as a passer on the run. He’s also looking to be a consistent leader. But he’s also made an early impression on Malzahn.
“Brock is a winner,” Malzahn said before spring practice started. “You can tell that whether it’s Tour of Duty, mat drills or his attention to detail, walkthroughs, meetings. He’s a veteran-type guy. I’m excited to work with him.”
Glenn’s competitiveness has been a constant throughout his two years on campus. And the losses of 2024 taught him valuable lessons.
“It shows you how much you really hate losing and how much a win really matters,” Glenn said. “It teaches you a lot. And I think that's why football is so great. There's a lot of adversity that comes with it. You're able to go through those things and then learn from them and overcome them. I think I learned so much throughout last season that I'm able to translate to this year.”
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