Florida State football coach Mike Norvell talked publicly Monday for the first time since Thursday's mass shooting on campus.

In an interview on ACC Network, Norvell reflected on the shooting that occurred just before noon in the FSU student union Thursday, resulting in two deaths and six injuries.

"That was one of the hardest days I've ever experienced," Norvell said. "To all the victims and their families, obviously the impact of that event, it covers not only the campus, but it spread throughout the country. To see the community come together, this university pull together, it was definitely heartwarming in the response.

"Just so many emotions that you try to work through. There are no words for it. It was a senseless act, lives were lost, lives impacted forever. Just grateful for all the support of our first responders, everybody that was there to take care of those in need."

The shooting occurred just over four hours before the FSU football team was set to take the field for its penultimate spring practice. With athletic events on campus shut down in the aftermath, FSU's remaining two practices on Thursday and Saturday — a final scrimmage — were canceled.

Instead, the FSU players, coaches and staff members met on Thursday night to talk and to grieve.

"Just grateful for our players, our staff. We met there Thursday night, and just to be able to see their faces and to be able to have that moment was important," Norvell said. "We're continuing to pray for all those affected, but it was devastating to have to have to go through."

While FSU only got in 13 of its 15 allotted spring practices, Norvell still sounds optimistic about his team coming out of spring ball. After there was a leadership gap on the 2024 team, it sounds like the 2025 team proved to the FSU head coach that won't once again be a problem this fall.

"As a coach, you want to inspire them. You want to make sure that everybody is upholding the standard of what you need to do and what you need to accomplish. But what I liked is I felt the players' presence and ownership in that," Norvell said. "Every day wasn't a great day, and I got to see the response in those situations where it was needed. Where it wasn't just a coach leading it, you felt the players trying to make that positive impact on each other and hold themselves to that standard that's necessary for us to continue to grow for what we all desire here this fall."

With spring football now wrapped up, the attention of the FSU staff turns to making any potential final roster changes in the 10-day post-spring transfer portal window, which opened on April 16 and closes on Friday, April 25.

Of the seven players who have entered the portal as of Monday afternoon, six of them are on offense and three of them (Hykeem Williams, Jordan Scott and Jalen Brown) are wide receivers.

Considering the questions about the depth of that room in spring, receiver may have shot to the top of FSU's priority board in the final portal window. While FSU added Duce Robinson from USC and Squirrel White from Tennessee, there's not another especially proven wideout at the FBS level on the FSU roster coming out of spring.

"I thought we had some guys that really emerged throughout spring ball. We've got a couple newcomers that I think are going to be great players for us," Norvell said of the wide receiver room when asked about the portal and that position group. "We're going to evaluate all options as we move forward. And if there is the right fit, somebody that can come in and be able to make a positive impact, whether it's receiver, whether it's at another position, we're going to evaluate that and be very selective in trying to improve this football team.

"It's got to be guys that have the same mindset, the same desire. I've really liked the work that I've seen these guys pour in, and the relationships that have been built throughout this spring. It's going to be competitive. We've definitely got a lot of work to do, but pleased with what it looks like right now."

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