FSU QB Jordan Travis thriving this preseason in role as established starter
Jordan Travis can’t help but smile when he hears the question.
“Everyone likes to talk about your athletic ability, but how much have you grown as a passer in the pocket?”
It’s a smile that tells the story of how many countless times the Florida State quarterback may have seen someone on social media say he can’t throw. Or of all he’s been through to get where he is now.
The answer he’s able to give now simultaneously speaks to how far he’s come and how much more he believes he can continue to grow.
“I’ve grown a lot. I’m making throws that I’ve never made before, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement,” Travis said after Tuesday’s practice. “I’m going to keep getting better every single day, pushing, watching film. I’m going to keep growing. My teammates have been helping me a lot with that, giving me the confidence that I need, the coaches have been giving me the confidence that I need. I’m just going to keep pushing.”
The West Palm Beach native is entering his fifth season of college football. He’s appeared in 25 games and started 14. But this preseason marks the first time he’s not having to compete to win his job.
All offseason, it’s been clear the job is his. And he’s taken his game to the next level in response to that confidence shown in him.
“He’s a kid that has been athletic, he’s always been explosive. He has those God-given things,” FSU quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz said earlier this preseason. “But as he’s put in the work, he’s built the confidence, that’s given him the confidence to go out and lead others, and that’s where I think he’s really grown.”
Travis took a notable step forward in his passing last season. He completed nearly 63% of his passes, almost 8% more than in 2020. He threw 194 passes (64 more than he had in 2020) and had nine more touchdowns (15) and the same number of interceptions (6) as he had in the year before.
In particular, Travis’ pocket presence seems to have improved this preseason. Whereas previous iterations of the FSU quarterback would have bolted at the first sign of pressure and relied on his speed and athleticism, Travis now has shown himself to be far more willing to stay in the pocket to make the tough throws under a bit of pressure.
Travis’ progress has been promising enough that FSU’s coaches feel comfortable knowing what he brings. He played just three series in the team’s second scrimmage this past Saturday before giving way to reserve quarterbacks Tate Rodemaker and AJ Duffy.
It bears mentioning, however, that FSU coach Mike Norvell said Travis completed about 70% of his passes during his brief time in the most recent scrimmage.
“I thought Jordan had a great scrimmage,” Norvell said. “Really made some good choices. moved the ball.”
It definitely hasn’t hurt Travis this offseason that FSU has built the offensive talent on the roster up around him with replenished wide receiver and offensive line units and a running back unit that may not miss Jashaun Corbin too badly after his NFL departure.
All he’s seen from the FSU offense leads Travis to believe this can be the most balanced offense of his time with the Seminoles.
“I think we can do everything well. We can block well, we can throw the ball very well, we can run the ball. A bunch of tough guys that come to work every single day,” Travis said. “Camp has been very tough. Guys come here every single day and work their tails off. I’m proud of them. I’d say it’s a hard-nosed football team that can run the ball down your throat and also throw the ball deep.”
Norvell’s complex and constantly evolving playbook has taken some time for Travis to get totally comfortable. But entering his third season in the offense, he now considers himself perhaps the most knowledgeable player when it comes to all the intricacies Norvell throws into his complicated scheme.
“This playbook is tough, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it at all. I’ve worked very hard to understand everything about it,” Travis said. “We’re still adding stuff, we’re still changing things week by week. Just trying to adjust and help everyone else. That’s the main thing for me is helping everyone else understand it. Whatever I learn, I want to give the information to them and keep growing.”
As the experienced quarterback now, Travis said Norvell does come to him from time to time asking him for input on the type of plays he wants to run or what he wants to do offensively. As his confidence has grown, his answer to that question has changed.
“I tell him I like everything. I’m comfortable with almost every single play that we have. Whenever he calls a play, I’m confident in it…” Travis said. “It’s 100% different. I’m more confident in everything that I do. I can go out there and feel like I have everything. I can put the ball up, I have great running backs, I have a great line so I feel great.”
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