FSU Football Roundtable: Discussing Seminoles' offense at midway point

Q: Jordan Travis appears to be the QB for the rest of this season if healthy. What do you need to see from him to believe he could be the guy in 2022 as well?

COREY: For me, it's all about that first sentence: "If healthy." Because I don't see how anyone can watch what Travis has done with this offense -- specifically the last two weeks -- and think there will be a better option in 2022. As long as he's able to play, of course.

Travis looked all-around better in Chapel Hill than he has at any point in his career. He was poised. Calm. Tough. Smart. And made all the plays, and all the reads, you want your quarterback to make. So, I guess, if we continue to see that kind of play, that kind of improvement with the zone-read and with the passing game, I can't envision a scenario where you have a better option next year.

But even before Travis played the Tar Heels last weekend, he was easily the best option at quarterback. And the numbers, specifically points per game, completely backed that up. So, if we don't see a regression -- and keep in mind, they will be playing better defenses the second half of the season, so he's not going to average 35 points per game the rest of the way -- then I foresee him cementing himself as the starter heading into 2022.

GENE: As Corey said, the first part is to stay healthy. We have enough of a sample size to know that the offense is significantly better with Travis behind center. When on the field, his athleticism creates greater opportunities for both the running and passing games. And the coaching staff seems to have finally figured out how best to use him, and that’s by focusing on the running game. If the staff can continue to put him in the right situations, and he can stay healthy, there’s every reason to expect Travis to continue to progress.

ASLAN: If Jordan Travis can physically hold up over a five-week stretch of Clemson, N.C. State, Miami, Boston College and Florida and be available to start and finish, he’s undoubtedly your clear-cut answer at QB for 2022. I know the staff here -- and more importantly the one in the FSU locker room -- think his ceiling is sky high. But I personally think his performance vs. UNC is about the best you can hope for. And that's certainly good enough for a marked W-L turnaround in 2022.

AUSTIN: I think he has nearly shown enough already to be the guy in 2022. Let's look at the competition he'll likely face in 2022. If Travis starts the rest of this season, he’ll have a significant advantage experience-wise over Chubba Purdy, Tate Rodemaker and 2022 signee A.J. Duffy. FSU's coaches could explore options in the transfer portal, but it’s doubtful they could find an option better than Travis unless something perfect happened to line up.

Don’t forget, a vast majority of the offensive personnel should return in 2022, including the entire running back group. Barring a total collapse for Travis in the final six games, I think the offense will be productive enough to build around going into next season with him under center. I think Travis is talented enough to be a successful college quarterback, especially as the team and roster improves around him.