It's not as if Florida State didn't play nickel defense during the 2020 season. And it's not like the Seminoles won't play other defensive schemes this fall.

But judging by the way FSU's coaches have managed their roster this offseason, and how they've approached the early part of spring drills, it's certainly apparent that FSU will have five defensive backs on the field more often than not in 2021.

"We needed to get faster," FSU coach Mike Norvell said after Thursday's practice, the second of spring. "We needed to be able to create more plays on the defensive side of the ball."

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Indeed, the Seminoles ranked 98th nationally in pass defense last season. They allowed 257.1 yards per game through the air, and they gave up 16 touchdown passes with eight interceptions.

Since the end of that season, FSU has brought in three Division-I transfers at defensive back -- safety Jammie Robinson (South Carolina) and cornerbacks Brandon Moore (UCF) and Jarques McClellion (Arkansas) -- and the Seminoles have signed four high school DBs. They signed just one high school recruit who is expected to be a linebacker in college and no transfer linebackers.

Part of that is because the Seminoles didn't lose much from that position, but part also seems to be an intent to reduce the number of linebackers on the field.

That transition actually might have started last season. The Seminoles started five defensive backs and only two linebackers in three of the final five games of 2020. They did that only once in the first four games.

Second-year defensive coordinator Adam Fuller suggested the Seminoles would have played even more nickel in the second half of the season had they not suffered a rash of injuries at defensive back.

"Any time you get that fifth DB on the field," Fuller said, "it allows you to be a little bit more multiple coverage-wise."