In anticipation of the Florida State football team starting spring practice this Saturday, first-year quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz joined The Jeff Cameron Show this week for a sit-down interview.
Tokarz discussed the Seminoles’ quarterback room, the expectations that come with playing the position at FSU, and all three passers FSU will feature this spring.
Tokarz also recapped the excitement of his recent promotion in December, saying he was ready to hit the ground running after two seasons on staff as a senior analyst.
“Let’s get to work. I came down here with a very specific plan in mind. Knowing the trust and the relationship I had built with Coach [Mike Norvell] over the last few years,” Tokarz said. “I have said it before, to come to a place like Florida State, it’s a no-brainer. I was excited for the opportunity.”
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FSU returns starter Jordan Travis, who enters his redshirt junior season with 22 passing touchdowns and 17 rushing scores to his name in three seasons.
Tokarz said a key for Travis this spring to is continue to build confidence in the offense’s overall concepts.
“It still goes back to just continuing to grow him fundamentally as a passer. Everybody knows how dynamic he is as an athlete and everything,” Tokarz said. “At the end of the day, he’s going to get to the point in his development where now he is using his legs as a weapon and not a crutch. And I’m not saying that in a negative way.”
The game is slowing down for Travis In Tokarz’s opinion, and now it’s about taking the next step in his development.
“You look at any dual-threat quarterback in the history of football, when things break down, it’s easier and it’s a natural instinct for those guys to get out of the pocket and use their legs," said Tokarz, who was a dual-threat quarterback himself in college.
While Travis has made a lot of strides with his footwork and mechanics, his position coach said he also is focusing a great deal on the mental side of the game.
Tokarz said he also is excited for redshirt sophomore Tate Rodemaker to show what he can do now that the game is slowing down for him.
“Tate has absolutely crushed this offseason. He’s done a great job with his body, with his mind, football-wise. That kid is tough,” Tokarz said, going on to praise Rodemaker’s effort in offseason conditioning drills. “He’s one of those guys that’s finishing, that’s getting up, that’s encouraging. Trying to make people around him better, which is obviously a huge element of playing quarterback. Making your teammates better.”
When it comes to highly touted freshman QB A.J. Duffy, Tokarz said there are huge benefits of enrolling early. And the early returns since Duffy has been on campus have been positive.
“He’s a film room junkie. He loves taking it in,” Tokarz said. “He’s pretty mature in his thought process and his approach. For him, he’s gotta get on the grass, because the speed of the game will be different.”
Tokarz also discussed the need for all three quarterbacks to be ready to take the field if called upon.
“The beauty of the quarterback position is that only one of them plays. But at the end of the day, all those guys have to prepare, and it’s my job to prepare each one as if they’re the starter,” Tokarz said. “At any given moment, if something happens, you’re in. And we’re not stopping. … You’re in it, and we’re rolling.”
You can watch the entire interview below:
The Jeff Cameron Show runs weekdays from 1-3 p.m. on Warchant TV and 93.3-FM in Tallahassee.
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