After Saturday's spring game, Florida State head football coach Mike Norvell was effusive in his praise of sophomore quarterback Jordan Travis.

He said the returning starter had made a huge leap as a passer and had a "phenomenal" spring overall.

On Tuesday, offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham gave similarly glowing praise to the dual-threat QB: "The growth in him, you can't put into words. ... I can't describe how proud I am of that kid."

Dillingham also said Travis has shown the ability to be great.

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Hearing descriptions like "phenomenal" and "great," coupled with how well Travis played when healthy last year, you might get the idea there is a clear leader in the race for the starting quarterback position between him and high-profile transfer McKenzie Milton.

Dillingham was asked exactly that question on Tuesday during his Zoom meeting with the media. With the way he and Norvell have raved about Travis, did the South Florida native take a firm hold of the No. 1 spot this spring?

"It is exactly, honestly, what we wanted," Dillingham said after smiling while the question was being asked. "We brought in a guy with a ton of experience, a guy who understands what it takes to be successful in McKenzie Milton, and we paired him with a young room. And McKenzie has raised the bar of our quarterback room."

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The offensive coordinator said Milton's work ethic, and the standard he holds himself to, have been an invaluable tool for Travis and fellow quarterbacks Chubba Purdy, Tate Rodemaker and walk-on Gino English.

"Just by how he attacks every day, his competitive nature," Dillingham said. "That was a big reason to bring him here. We knew the person that he was. And combine that with the fact that he's healthy, you can never have too many good quarterbacks. And I am blessed to be in the situation we're in."

He then followed up with this: "How was that for a political answer? Was that pretty good?"

So, no, Dillingham was not about to declare Travis the starting quarterback for Florida State. Or even the leader heading into the offseason.

This QB battle figures to be one that comes down to late August. But, still, Dillingham admitted he was quite impressed with how Travis played all spring, culminating in his spring game performance, where he went 8-of-14 for 115 yards and a touchdown.

"Everything about him, there's not a word that would do it justice (describing) the growth he's made," Dillingham said. "He's raised his standard of just living, in every aspect of his life. And he's raised his standard of what a work ethic is on the field. And there were days where you would see his work ethic, and then he would give just a little bit more.

"That was the challenge with him. OK, you've raised the baseline, you've practiced well every single day. Some days you practiced better and you gave a little bit more. Now, that's the next step. We've created the baseline of good. You've shown you can be great. Now let's be consistent with that next step."

Milton, meanwhile, was not only playing competitive football for the first time in over two years, but he was also learning a new system. That made for some serious growing pains this spring.

Dillingham said the former UCF All-American has played so much football that even though he might not be completely comfortable yet in the offense, he understands the "why" of each play call and the philosophy behind it. He's definitely ahead of the other FSU quarterbacks in that department.

And with that experience and football knowledge, Milton continually got better throughout the spring. He finished the spring game 6-of-11 for 96 yards and a touchdown.

"Every single day, he got a little bit more comfortable," Dillingham said. "He has his good days and his bad days, but he got a little more comfortable."

So much so that it will likely be a good, old-fashioned, down-to-the-final-week-of-preseason quarterback battle between the two to see who will get the first snap for the 2021 Seminoles.

Said Dillingham: "Now it's on them to see who prepares the next three months."

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