The pads won't come on until later today. And until then, there are only so many judgments that be can made about the Florida State's football team.

Yes, the quarterbacks and receivers have impressed head coach Mike Norvell with their chemistry -- but that was without a real pass rush and the threat of big hits.

Indeed, some of the offensive linemen have caught the attention of OL coach Alex Atkins with their intelligence and/or athleticism, but that was without Marvin Wilson, Robert Cooper and Cory Durden trying to drive them into the dirt.

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But what about Florida State's running backs?

While the ability to run through contact and withstand physical punishment is a requirement of the position, several other qualities can certainly be evaluated without the need for full-contact practices.

Speed. Quickness. Balance. Vision. Change of direction.

And after the first two days of preseason camp, the early returns seem to be unanimous: These guys can play.

"You can see it 100 percent," sophomore quarterback Jordan Travis said Saturday, when asked about the running backs' potential. "They're fast. I mean, they're really fast. And really talented. You can just see the way they make cuts and the way they're picking up the offense that they're really talented."

There will be a great deal of focus on the Seminoles' running backs this preseason because there are so many new faces in the group.

Cam Akers, who has been the Seminoles' featured back for most of the past three years, has moved on to the NFL, and top backup Khalan Laborn was dismissed from the program earlier this summer. Another talented backup, Anthony Grant, left the program in June.

That leaves Deonte Sheffield, a junior walk-on who delivered a nice performance in the Sun Bowl (87 yards on 18 carries), as the only running back on the roster with real experience in a Florida State uniform. Fellow walk-on Treshaun Ward has appeared in two games.