With runaway speed, Micahi Danzy making a charge at reps in FSU RB room
Micahi Danzy says his first week of practice as a member of the Florida State football team was "rough."
You sure wouldn't know it from how the true freshman running back has hit the ground running.
The Tallahassee native admitted it has taken a bit to get used to the pass-blocking expectations and physicality that comes at this level of college football.
That will come with time, as it does with all high-school running backs who have to acclimate to a much more involved role as a pass-blocker.
But in the meantime, Danzy has made an immediate impact on FSU's offense through the first week and a half of preseason camp with his breakaway speed, breaking off big play after big play.
"It's definitely a faster pace. The pace is much faster..." Danzy said of the difference between practices at FSU compared to Florida High. "I've been feeling better and better every day."
Throughout FSU's first eight practices, Danzy has been one of the offense's most explosive playmakers. His top-level speed as a high school sprinter, who will also be a member of the FSU track team, has been evident on plays where he's blown by defenders, turning quite a few passes out of the backfield into huge gains.
"Definitely a weapon," senior running back Lawrance Toafili said of Danzy. "He's a young guy coming along very well, learning and soaking everything up. He's one of those take-the-top off guys, a home-run threat."
Pretty much immediately upon his arrival, Danzy started drawing comparisons to Toafili. He's listed at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds going into his first season with the program while Toafili was 6-foot, 180 pounds as a true freshman in 2020.
Both are wiry, speedy running backs who are versatile weapons that can do damage as traditional running backs, as a pass-catcher out of the backfield or moved all over the field to create mismatches.
However, FSU running backs coach David Johnson and Toafili himself had some high praise for Danzy when comparing the two.
"The first thing I told LT, 'I'm going to get someone better than him.' LT says 'Yeah, coach, as a freshman he's definitely stronger, faster and better than me,' " Johnson recalled. "I think he's a better version of LT at this point of his career."
Considering Toafili had 356 rushing yards, two touchdown runs and 120 receiving yards as a true freshman in 2020, that speaks highly of the kind of role Danzy could have right away.
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Given, FSU's running back room is in a much better place than it was when Toafili arrived on campus. Between Toafili, Alabama transfer Roydell Williams, Caziah Holmes, Indiana transfer Jaylin Lucas and fellow freshmen Kam Davis and Sam Singleton, the path to immediate playing time will be a good bit harder for Danzy than it was four years ago for Toafili.
But Danzy has shown enough through the start of camp entering the first preseason scrimmage Saturday night that he may be forcing his way into the conversation.
"I can only thank coach YAC (Johnson), (FSU offensive coordinator Alex) Atkins and my teammates," Danzy said. "They put me in position, they tell me what to do. I'm thankful for what they do to put me in that position...
"Roy helps me with the pass protection. He helps me with pre-snap reads. LT tells me routes, what should I do, J-Luc does the same thing. They help me and feed me a lot of information that I need."
On a team that is built around some serious speed at the skill positions, Danzy is very much in the thick of that conversation. He was clocked at over 21 miles per hour early this preseason.
But unlike some guys who may not have the proof to back that up, Danzy very much does. Look no further than his career-best 10.57 time in the 100 meters and a 20.88 in the 200 meters (good for best in the 2A FHSAA Championships) this spring at Florida High.
After wideout Malik Benson claimed earlier this preseason in an interview that he's the fastest player on this year's team, Danzy is waiting for Benson to prove it.
"I want to race him. We said we're going to race. I'm waiting for that day," Danzy said.
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