It's not the most streamlined start to a spring practice. And many Florida State fans have wondered why the football team started spring drills in early March, practiced for four days only to then take a nine-day break before Practice No. 5.
Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell said it mostly had to do with making sure the players got a full two-month offseason conditioning program in before spring practice started.
"We didn't want to have the spring game on Easter weekend," Norvell said. "So, it really forced us to push everything up. But I still wanted to make sure we got the eight weeks in the winter program.
"So, as we looked at all that, this provided an opportunity to kind of force-feed the beginning. Then it will kind of get into a more consistent approach all the way up to the spring game."
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The Seminoles practiced four days last week and will return to practice on Tuesday, March 22. They will then practice or scrimmage three times a week until the Garnet & Gold game on April 9.
Then they will have one more practice on April 12 before heading into the offseason.
Backup QBs continue to impress
Norvell has made it pretty clear he thinks A.J. Duffy has a chance to be a very good college quarterback. And though he's an early enrollee who should still be in high school, the head coach said he and the offensive staff have not eased Duffy into the college game at all.
They threw him in feet-first during the first week of practice. And will continue to do so when the team gets back after spring break.
"We have not watered it down for him," Norvell said. "In a four-day period of time, his retention and understanding of some of the finer details, it is exciting to where he can go."
Duffy is not the only backup quarterback who has impressed though.
While Jordan Travis is the Seminoles' clear-cut starter, and not surprisingly has been the most consistent of the three quarterbacks this spring, both Duffy and redshirt sophomore Tate Rodemaker have impressed the head coach.
"Wednesday's practice was probably the best practice since he's been here," Norvell said of Rodemaker on Friday. "I mean, you saw rhythm, you saw timing, you saw the accuracy of the ball, making quick decisions. Even today, some of those things showed up. I just think he's starting to emerge with that confidence. And it's what we thought when we brought him here.
"You're seeing him take great strides."
Can Corey Wren make an impact at RB?
Everyone knows about Corey Wren's speed. The third-year FSU player was one of the fastest sprinters in the country when he signed with the Seminoles out of Louisiana.
But so far, through two seasons, most people have only heard or read about that elite speed. Because hardly anyone has gotten a chance to see it.
Maybe that's about to change?
After splitting time between running back and wide receiver, Wren is now focusing full-time on running back. And on Friday, he had two terrific runs in 11-on-11 drills.
One came when he sped around right end and turned the corner for a long gain down the sideline. And another came in red-zone drills where he took a handoff and raced outside, looking like he was about to try to get to the corner again. Then he cut back inside on a dime, ran through a hole and into the end zone for a score.
It was just one play. And he's got some seriously skilled guys in front of him. But Wren proved he has some vision to go along with that speed.
"Corey had a couple of great plays," Norvell said. "Everybody knows that he's got great speed. But seeing him trust his tracks, in the hole, a lot of people around him, being able to have to suddenness of movements and change of direction, I see some great strides that he's making.
"I like that running back room."
Cooper continues to shine in secondary
By the time last season ended, freshman Omarion Cooper had worked himself into a starting role at cornerback. He had four pass breakups and an interception against Miami and also had a pick against Clemson.
He not only proved he was a capable starter, but he showed flashes of being a potential star. That hasn't changed so far this spring.
Cooper has not only looked like the best cornerback for the Seminoles through the first week of practice, but he's been one of the best players on the defense overall.
Considering he didn't enroll until the summer of 2021 and then missed almost three weeks of preseason camp with an ailment, Cooper is learning and growing at an accelerated rate.
"(The time off) really delayed the progress just for him understanding what to do," Norvell said. "Then you saw that grow and emerge through the back part of the season. He's playing very confident here toward the start of spring. Just still continuing to focus on the consistency of those fundamentals, and trusting the things that he sees, building that football knowledge - I think the sky is the limit for him.
"I'm really pleased with his development."
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