From Braden Fiske’s 40 time to Johnny Wilson’s vertical to Keon Coleman’s gauntlet drill, the performances of Seminoles at the NFL Combine was also a celebration for FSU coaches, strength and conditioning staff and teammates.
“To send 12 guys to the combine in the first place is a big accomplishment,” FSU strength and conditioning coach Josh Storms said. “To see 11 of those guys be able to go there and perform at a high level, some of those at the highest level, that’s awesome for those guys. You see them put the work in here. You might be Keon where you’re here for less than a year, some of those guys have been here since day 1 with DeLo (Kalen DeLoach) and guys like that. I’ve seen the work. I’ve seen all of the stuff that’s happened in the dark behind the scenes. To be able to see them go out there on that stage and perform to the level I know they’re capable of, that’s huge.
“Every year you have guys who go to the combine who have done great things and because of the situation, because of the moment or whatever, they don’t perform to the level that what you maybe expected them to. To see those guys go out and do exactly what we knew they could do and excel like that, that’s huge.”
Three Seminoles are viewed as top 50 picks by the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, who spent time in the front offices of the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens. In his post-NFL combine breakdown, Jared Verse came in at No. 14, while Fiske is 37 and Coleman at 45. Jeremiah even commented on the broadcast that Fiske could be pushing to be a first-round pick.
How many more Seminoles could be drafted? Just the mere fact that Johnny Wilson, Trey Benson, Jaheim Bell, Tatum Bethune, Jarrian Jones, Renardo Green, Jordan Travis and DeLoach were invited to the NFL Combine translates into interest among teams who want to interview prospects face to face and see them work out. FSU could see its most draft selections since 11 were taken in 2015.
And their workouts were exceptional. FSU's six players with a top-5 40 time at their respective position were the most of any college program, according to research by the school's sports information department.
FSU's success in landing and developing high-end transfers has certainly been reflected. The majority of prospects at the combine arrived via the transfer portal and were developed for a year or two.
But in some cases, like Jones and Fabien Lovett, they spent the majority of their careers in Tallahassee after leaving Mississippi State. While technically a transfer from Louisville, Jordan Travis was developed by FSU coach Mike Norvell and FSU's assistant coaches. And DeLoach and Green are "homegrown" products who were at FSU when Norvell, Storms and the staff arrived.
"They performed like I expected them to perform," Norvell said. "Some of the best overall performances at their position in combine history. There’s some remarkable, remarkable displays of athleticism. All of the training, all of the work, we push them extremely hard to develop guys mentally and what they do. But you see that physical development, you see the explosiveness, the power, the speed, change of direction. It puts them in the best position for the opportunity at the next level."
The performances of Seminoles at the 2024 combine is a source of pride for their teammates, too. Storms said the strength and conditioning staff turned the TVs on when the 40s were being run.
"Those guys are glued to that TV," Storms said. "And that place goes nuts when those guys put those numbers up. All that does for those guys is, one, it’s modeling what they want to be. It’s building belief that you’re building the foundation that can take you to there and perform in those moments.
"The biggest thing, you watch the field work at the combine, not just how well those guys move. Watch the way they finish drills. Where do you think that came from? That’s the foundation of what we do. And that carries over to that level. That’s huge for those guys."
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