FSU holds first full-squad practice before heading to Jacksonville

For the first time since opening preseason camp on Saturday, the Florida State football team will practice as one complete unit this morning.

The Seminoles' first three days of practice have featured split squads, with the veterans working out in the mornings and the newcomers and some backups practicing in the early afternoons.

But that will change today after the players took a day off from field work on Tuesday.

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"It's going to be good," FSU coach Mike Norvell said. "This has really allowed us an opportunity, after three days, to see where guys are at. No doubt, some newcomers are going to help this football team this year. Now it's time to be able to get a little bit better sense of maybe some more competitive matchups with some cases.

"But all in all, it was good for us to be able to slow down the individual teaching, for [younger] guys to fully understand the expectations of what we're asking them to do fundamentally and to really slow down that teaching process. Now it's an opportunity to compete."

*LIVE UPDATES from Wednesday's practice

As Norvell suggested, one of the highlights of bringing the entire team together will be seeing how some of the younger players perform when they're matched up with older teammates.

Based on the preliminary practices, there are especially high expectations for freshman cornerback Kevin Knowles, freshman defensive end Patrick Payton and redshirt freshman receiver Darion Williamson, among others.

Payton, an athletic pass-rusher from Miami, has appeared very difficult to block when the Seminoles go through 11-on-11 drills. And Knowles has dominated just about every matchup he has had with the young wide receivers.

"I was really excited when we signed Kevin, and I'm really excited right now," Norvell said after Monday's practice. "He's doing a great job. Very versatile -- playing corner, playing nickel."

Knowles, a Hollywood, Fla., product, actually enrolled in January and shined during spring practice. But the Seminoles were giving him a lighter load during that first semester, only working him at nickelback.

Since he has started playing cornerback as well this preseason, Norvell said the coaches are seeing his full potential.

"Now we're getting to see the versatility," the second-year head coach said. "We only played him at nickel in the spring. Now for him to jump out at corner, his competitive nature -- run game, passing game -- all of it shows up. As long as he continues to work and pushes himself fundamentally and just that consistency, there's no doubt in my mind he's going to help us this year. But I'm excited about what his future can be."

On the other side of the ball, Williamson also has been outstanding in the early practices. Although he played in three games this past fall as a true freshman, the Tennessee native was just coming back from a serious injury sustained in high school.

Now that he is completely healthy, Norvell said, Williamson has taken his game to another level. He also praised the 6-foot-3, 200-pound receiver for being one of the team's hardest workers, even when he is on his own.

"He wants to be a great player," Norvell said. "He's probably one of my stars in the first three days. He's just really emerged in what he's done."

While today will mark FSU's first full team practice, the Seminoles won't exactly be able to settle into a comfort zone just yet. Norvell and his staff are taking the team to Jacksonville later today for a pair of practices to be held at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

The trip wasn't officially announced until Tuesday evening, but it had been in the works for weeks. When Norvell was asked about it this past Friday, he said getting away for a few days provides several benefits for a team.

"It's something I've done throughout my coaching career," Norvell said. "When you can change the location, change the scenery, we have an opportunity to truly come together. Fall camp is a great time. All the focus is on football, the team-building opportunities that we have. But getting to know each other -- you look from last year to this year, some of the new faces.

"It's going to be great for our coaching staff, for our players, for those guys just to be able to kind of eliminate all distractions ... to be able to shake it up a little bit."

A side benefit, Norvell said, is it will give some of the younger players their first taste of a college road trip, which could help when they travel to Wake Forest in mid-September.

"At the end of the day," he said, "as many of those experiences that we can have throughout fall camp, that's going to help build that confidence."

*LIVE UPDATES from Wednesday's practice

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