FSU Football gearing up for first spring scrimmage

The Florida State football team conducted its fifth practice of the spring on Thursday. The Seminoles are officially one-third of the way through spring practice, and now it's time for a scrimmage.

Head coach Mike Norvell confirmed after practice Thursday that his team will hold a situational scrimmage this Saturday morning.

"We're going to get special-teams competitions throughout it," Norvell said. "Also, our main focus is going to be to try to put them in a variety of different looks. We want to make sure their awareness is where it needs to be. I want to put them in some challenging situations.

"There will be a series that starts on the minus-1 yard line coming out. And there will be times when we have sudden change potentially inside the 10."

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*ALSO SEE: Complete breakdown of Thursday interviews with Norvell, DEs coach John Papuchis, players

There likely will be some traditional scrimmage aspects as well, where the offense gets the ball at its own 30 and tries to march down the field.

But Saturday will be about more than just standard execution. Norvell wants to put his team in difficult circumstances. He wants to see how it handles things not going well.

"An opportunity to show their response to challenging situations," Norvell said. "We're going to get a good amount of work. I want to see a variety of guys get opportunities with the 1s and the 2s, to go out there and establish the role that they want.

"That's the thing I've told these guys since the beginning of spring ball is: You're going to define the role that you have on this team. ... The role that you want, you've got to go work for it."

Two players who likely won't get a chance to work for a role in Saturday's scrimmage are freshman quarterback Chubba Purdy and freshman offensive lineman Thomas Shrader.

Shrader went down with a leg injury in the middle or practice on Thursday and did not return. Norvell said he would be evaluated in the coming days.

*ALSO SEE: Live practice notes, observations

And Purdy, who struggled with a collarbone injury in the fall, won't be practicing again this spring.

"He's had a really good first four practices," Norvell said. "We're going to focus the rest of the spring with him on his rehabilitation process and getting back to 100 percent as we get going into the summer program.

"The growth and development he's had mentally ... he's done some good things. We just want to make sure in all aspects he's going to be 100 percent once we get going for our summer program."

The longest recruiting "dead period" in the history of college football might be coming to an end soon, which would be wonderful news for Norvell and his staff

The Seminoles haven't been able to host a visitor on campus in over a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. It's been a challenge for every staff in the country, of course, but even more so when you're a new coach trying to build relationships in the state.

It also has been difficult for high school players trying to get noticed, because college coaches haven't been able to go on the road to watch them in-person either..

"We need to help provide opportunities for these young men to get out and see these campuses," Norvell said. "When you look at the high school players in the state of Florida, it's challenging when they don't get the opportunity to get out and work out in camps and be able to learn and grow and be evaluated. ...

"It's limiting their opportunities to play at the next level. It's just been such a challenging year in that regard. So, I'm hopeful we're going to get back to our new normal, whatever that might be, and allow kids to come and showcase who they are, grow and build those relationships here in person while also maintaining all the safety precautions we need to have."

The NCAA is considering loosening up those recruiting restrictions this summer.

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