Five Things to Watch For FSU Football Next Season
1. Media Hype
The Labor Day Weekend media hype for a rematch with a top 5 LSU squad will be chaotic, to say the least. If the game was officially in Tallahassee, the atmosphere would rival 2011 Oklahoma. Since the inaugural 2014 college football playoff, no team has lost more than one game in a season and still earned a playoff bid. With road trips at Clemson, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, and Florida ahead, the Seminoles likely cannot afford to lose the opener. If Head Coach Mike Norvell can once again outfox Brian Kelly, expect the FSU spotlight to shine brighter than it has in a decade. In 2022, Florida State was the hunter. In 2023? The hunted.
FSU QB Jordan Travis (13) – David Rosenblum/ Getty Images
2. Jordan Travis and the Offense
The no. 1 reason for the revitalization in Tallahassee, outside of culture, is Mike Norvell’s offense. Norvell and offensive coordinator Alex Atkins orchestrated an attack that finish 10th in the nation in 2022, averaging an eye-popping 7 yards per play. After dropping three straight matchups to start October, the Jordan Travis-led Seminoles finished the year 6-0, averaging 42 ppg.
The beauty of the FSU system is the balance between run and pass, providing the offense the luxury of taking what the defense gives them. In 2023, nearly every starter on the offense returns. Add in impactful transfers such as WR Keon Coleman, TE Jaheim Bell, and OT Jeremiah Byers and the Heisman candidate Travis might lead the Seminoles’ best offense since Jamies Winston’s 2013 campaign. Norvell has the personnel to line up in multiple formations vs. most every team in the country.
FSU DE Jared Verse (5) – Florida State Athletics
3. Jared Verse and the Defense
As recent as October 2022, some Seminoles fans were calling for the removal of defensive coordinator Adam Fuller. The six-game win streak to end the season certainly quelled some of the voices, but allowing 70 points over the last two contests didn’t do Fuller any favors. The reality with the Florida State defense is that Fuller’s bend but don’t break defense has been successful, despite some inconsistency.
In his three seasons at the helm, FSU had dropped its scoring defense average from 36 ppg to 20.6. That is a remarkable number to hang one’s hat on and given a different scenario, one would think Fuller should be in line for a raise or promotion; the reason the jury might still be out on Fuller for some fans is that the Seminoles defense has struggled to maintain a high level of play without the starters on the field. While this seems like common sense for most teams, the dominant programs in college football seem to accommodate line changes much better than Fuller’s units.
Similarly to the offense, however, the 2023 squad returns the majority of the defensive starters. In addition to returning experience, Norvell and company added four transfers that started elsewhere and two community college players to this side of the ball. If Fuller can keep teams out of the end zone when the second or third team players enter the game, Florida State will be a legit college football playoff contender.
Former MSU WR Keon Coleman (0) – Aaron Thorton/Getty Images
4. Key Newcomers
Despite returning 80-85% of its starters, Florida State plans to introduce the Doak Campbell crowd to a few new faces this upcoming season. The most impactful of the newcomers is arguably 6-foot-4, 215-pound wide receiver Keon Coleman. Coleman, a transfer from Michigan State, might very well be the best wide receiver on the team this fall, even with the return of second-team All-ACC performer Johnny Wilson.
Wilson, whose 6-foot-7 frame allows him to threaten the defense downfield and in the red zone, will certainly welcome the pressure Coleman puts on the defense after the former Spartan accounted for 28% of Michigan State’s receiving yards in 2022.
Jeremiah Byers transfers in after making 30 starts at Right Tackle for conference USA’s Texas El-Paso. The junior, who earned first-team all-conference honors, had multiple suitors as he possesses rare athleticism for a man his size. It is unclear whether he will play guard or tackle for the Seminoles, but (1) he can play either and (2) he will play.
Tight End/H-back Jaheim Bell, a transfer from South Carolina, returns to the Sunshine State to finish his athletic career. Over the past three seasons in Columbia, Bell has racked up over 130 touches, over 1,000 total yards, and 10 touchdowns. Bell gives Norvell and Atkins a Swiss army knife as he has the athleticism to play in the slot, but the size/strength to play attached to the box. Make no mistake – he is the best tight-end Seminoles fans will see donning the garnet and gold since Nick O’Leary.
5. Recruiting
Despite recent doom and gloom over the past two weeks, Mike Norvell and his staff currently sit at 18th in the country with 11 current commitments from the class of 2024. The Seminoles, in congruence with the rise of recent SEC powers, have averaged a finish of 21st in the nation over the past five seasons.
There is new optimism in Tallahassee though and rightfully so. Firstly, while FSU is currently 18th in the country, that number is sure to rise as the Seminoles are likely to add 8-10 more recruits from the high school ranks. Most of the schools currently ranked higher than FSU are close to filling out their classes.
In addition to the sheer numbers affecting the rankings formula, most college football experts, including the ones in Las Vegas, are predicting at least 9-10 regular season wins from the Seminoles. If that holds up, Norvell and company will have the opportunity to flip a few blue-chip recruits.
