While the access we get to Florida State football practice is the envy of many in our profession, this week was even a tad better than usual in the Mike Norvell era.

The reason? Weather concerns forced the vast majority of reps to be taken inside the Seminoles' indoor practice facility on Wednesday and Friday.

This means instead of watching drills from our perch along the left-field line at Dick Howser Stadium, we media types were welcomed down to field level for observation. For at least two days, we were literally a few feet away to hear -- and somewhat feel -- the instruction and execution of drills.

Wednesday and Friday also happened to be the first two days of work in full pads. Translation: Taking in the work in the trenches was very much worth our time.

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Before we get going, a caveat or two: I am not a former line coach. Nowhere close. If you asked me to teach footwork and technique to a young player, I wouldn’t be all that much help. But because of a deep passion for the game, I certainly know what a successful rep looks like — especially when position coaches are well within earshot to confirm or rebuff my observation.

So let’s get to it.

One of the few drills outside the IPF on Friday afternoon was reserved for the offensive line and position coach Alex Atkins. They have a workspace at the top of the walkway into the practice fields and along the concourse of Howser Stadium.

Simply put, watching Atkins instruct is a blast. He has a blend of Rick Trickett’s blunt feedback and the modern approach of patience and praise. He is meticulous about *everything* in a drill, teaching leverage like a top-flight judo instructor while mimicking footwork or hand technique clearly for each player. He gives consistent feedback on alignment, hand placement, eye level and more.

On this day, the drills got a tad uncomfortable at times. If a player or group does not execute the technique or assignment correctly, Atkins will make that player or group execute it again until they get it right. This took several minutes a couple of times (which feels longer and more awkward than It sounds). But as long as he feels that a player is not being lazy, Atkins is patient enough to instruct the right way. Over and over, until it is done right.

To get a message to sink in, a coach needs to have the trust of his players and the sixth sense to know when to put an arm around someone or kick them in the butt. Watching Atkins go to work is a master class in navigation through that minefield.

I’m not going to rank players as “most impressive” or anything like that. Instead, this is a layout of my mental and written notes over two days of practice.

Both sides of the ball have had their moments, and I’d ultimately give the nod to the defensive line as a “winner” this week. But it’s not a laughable contest anymore in Tallahassee. And generally speaking, the defense should be ahead at this point in camp.

*** We’ll see how things go as he gets more important reps, but I like what I’m seeing from transfer tackle Bless Harris. In Friday’s drills, Harris came off as someone who could take Atkins’ instruction in a single lesson and repeat it the next time a drill was run. Harris got to his spots in run-blocking or passing off in pass protection smoothly, being bested only a few times. He looks efficient and steady through one week of camp.

*** I mentioned this name in the mini-observations from Wednesday, but defensive tackle Daniel Lyons is worth bringing up again. Lyons won’t be taking snaps from starters Fabien Lovett or Robert Cooper, but he has something noticeable to his game already. Lyons is very quick to shoot gaps and get into the backfield, and he drew praise from defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins several times across Wednesday's and Friday’s practices. Count me as excited to see what Lyons looks like after significant time in the Seminoles’ strength and conditioning program.

*** Edge rusher Derrick McLendon II continues to look twitchy coming off the edge. In both individual (meaning one-on-one against the offensive line) and 11-on-11 team drills, he’s flashed throughout the week. His speed rush has been tough for the tackles to handle as he goes against different players who are lined up on the right side. In one particular rep Friday, McLendon shed his blocker, crashed on the running back in a zone-read look, and when the ball was kept by the quarterback, he hurried the QB and affected the throw. All in about a second of time. Impressive stuff.

What stops me from being completely sold on McLendon as a starter is a curiosity about how good FSU is at right tackle this early in camp. But whatever the level of competition he is facing, McLendon is showing out so far.

*** DE transfer Jared Verse is fun to watch. I know Corey mentioned Verse in his observations piece from Friday (which if you haven’t checked out, read it here), but what I like about the former Albany star is he clearly understands leverage and assignment. His hips are square to whatever he should be looking for, and if he makes a play on the quarterback or the ball, it’s after he ensures his primary responsibility is fulfilled. He looks like a player that John Papuchis loves to coach.

*Center transfer Kayden Lyles has received more important reps as practice has gone on. It looks like Lyles is getting up to speed quickly in Tallahassee, and the former Wisconsin lineman more than holds his own with FSU’s big-time interior players. The coaches are mixing a matching a lot on both lines of scrimmage, but to watch Lyles and Dillan Gibbons work against a Fabien Lovett or Robert Cooper is a treat.

*** Guard Zane Herring has been up and down, but more “up” than I expected. He’s done some good things in 11-on-11 drills and slipped up in individual drills at times.

*** Freshman defensive tackle Bishop Thomas has had more than a few standout reps (specifically Friday more than Wednesday), with a big run stuff in 11-on-11 drills to cap it off. I had scribbled “90” in my notebook a few times earlier in practice, but once he trucked RB Lawrance Toafili in team work, Thomas earned his own note. Between Thomas, Lyons and Malcom Ray, who has been really, really sharp to this point in practice, the depth for FSU’s defensive interior looks to be in a very good place in the short and long term.

*** Not a huge note to share here yet, but freshman offensive linemen Daughtry Richardson and Kanaya Charlton are learning how fast the college game is (sometimes the hard way), but it’s easy to see why they’re here in Tallahassee. Each have had their moments where they process coaching and win a rep. While light for a tackle right now at 285 pounds, Richardson looks like he has a frame that will be perfect for big-time college football as he develops in the weight room.

*** Tackle Lloyd Willis has the strength to play at this level; there is no doubt about that after watching him in one-on-ones against the defensive line. But they will be working hard on the quicks (feet) and technique to consistently handle power-five edge rushers. This is the name I’ll be watching closely through spring and fall camps for development. If Willis -- or Bless Harris — can win the starting job at right tackle, a lot of possibilities open up.

*** Don’t take my last note with any less weight. Defensive tackle Joshua Farmer was a standout more than a few times in week one of practice. The redshirt freshman is quick and sneaky strong. His 6-foot-3 frame hides 299 pounds well, but “44” is a number that appears early in often in my notebook of reps. Add his name to the list of defensive interior players above.

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