While summer workouts have long been a standard in the college football offseason, a recent change has benefitted Florida State and others in a major way.
Thanks to a recent rule change, on-field coaches are now permitted to be in attendance for a portion of the Seminoles' summer conditioning program workouts. Also, there's now allowed to be a ball in use during these workouts where that was not the case until very recently.
"It's good. We're able to throw now. Before, we weren't able to have balls in front of the coaches. We're able to throw, we're able to do plays," FSU quarterback Jordan Travis said Wednesday during an interview about the Seminoles' summer workouts. "Obviously, it's just an opportunity to go out in front of them and showcase our abilities and they can coach us up on little things like fundamentals."
Previous to this rule change, player-run practices were the sole chance for members of a college football team to work with a ball and actually run through plays between the end of spring camp and the start of preseason camp.
Having the coaches around during some of those workouts does provide a chance for more strides to be made in the summer. It's also critical for the Seminoles this offseason as they added a number of players looking to make instant impacts as summer enrollees.
No FSU summer enrollees have been discussed more than Michigan State wide receiver transfer Keon Coleman and incoming freshman wideout Destyn Hill, who was one of the highest-rated members of FSU's 2021 signing class but just made it to campus last month after a two-year delay.
Their two journeys to FSU are very different, but both have turned heads in summer workouts.
Coleman has been candid about the fact that he envisions only spending one season at FSU to boost his draft stock. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound wide receiver led MSU with 798 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches in 2022.
Keon Coleman breaks down why he choose FSU, what he wants to accomplish
In a promising trend for FSU, Coleman's work ethic since enrolling has seemed to reflect what he wants to achieve over the next 12 months.
"Keon is a special player. He comes in and works really hard," Travis said. "You see he studies the playbook really hard because for a guy to come in and know the plays like how he does is pretty special. This playbook is not easy at all. At all. He knows multiple wide receiver positions, he's a really special player. We're grateful to have him on this football team."
Hill hasn't played in a football game since December 2020. He arrived at FSU in May as a true freshman after spending the last two seasons working out on his own and under instruction from his high school coaches at New Orleans Edna Karr High to prepare him for the delayed start to his collegiate career which was due to an undisclosed personal matter.
Destyn Hill ready to contribute after delayed FSU enrollment
While a workout regimen like that outside of the structure of a college football program may have mixed results for some, the early returns on Hill, who could see work at either receiver or as a returner this fall, have been very promising.
"Destyn is a special player. He's a great kid. Always has a smile on his face," Travis said. "He just comes to work. Coach Norvell recruits guys that are just ready to work. You can't come here and not be ready to grind every single day. Destyn is a really, really, really special player."
Running back Trey Benson didn't share any thoughts on Hill. But as he sat next to Travis, the face he made when Hill's name came up -- an emphatic knowing nod that seemed to reflect how impressive the freshman wideout has been this offseason -- said plenty.
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