Seminoles taking longer look at QBs Purdy, Rodemaker; pleased with results

After letting top quarterbacks Jordan Travis and McKenzie Milton split about 85 percent of the snaps in Saturday's scrimmage, Florida State football coach Mike Norvell said he wanted to see more of young signal-callers Chubba Purdy and Tate Rodemaker this week.

That was the case for much of Tuesday's and Wednesday's practices, and Norvell said he has been pleased with the growth he has seen from both.

He and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham criticized the young QBs for forcing too many things in the scrimmage -- trying to make something out of nothing -- but he was much happier with their decision-making Wednesday.

"I’ve really been trying to get a good look at the two young quarterbacks," Norvell said. "I’ve been really pleased with Chubba and Tate these last few days. ... I think both those guys have really taken advantage of those opportunities here getting reps with the first group."

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That was evident from the very first 11-on-11 series inside the Indoor Practice Facility at the start of practice.

On more than one occasion, Purdy either threw the ball away or scrambled for yardage if nothing was open downfield. Purdy and Rodemaker also showed off their athleticism, scrambling for touchdowns on goal-line plays from the 3-yard line.

“That was one of the things in the scrimmage where something bad happened or something flashed, they were almost trying to do too much," Norvell said. "Not every play is going to be perfect. Sometimes an incomplete pass is the best thing that we can have. If you give yourself the next snap, you have a chance to be successful.”

*ALSO SEE: More updates from Wednesday's practice

Milton, the highly decorated transfer from UCF, is going through his first preseason camp since 2018 after sustaining a horrific leg injury during that season. He was held out of Friday's practice to limit his workload, Norvell said at the time.

Travis, who started several games last season, is the other frontrunner for the starting job. And he also missed time in 2020 due to various ailments.

"We’ve had a big workload," Norvell said. "I’d say if you look at the scrimmage, Jordan and McKenzie took overall about 85 percent of the snaps. So, we wanted to get a few days here this week to let those young guys show their growth from the scrimmage."

While it's unlikely that Purdy or Rodemaker can push for the starting job this season, Norvell has pointed out several times the unpredictability of college football. Both players actually started a game last fall as true freshmen when older players were not available.

So every snap is valuable, which means this week has been even more valuable.

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