FSU Football Has One Position Group Turning Heads This Spring

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida State Seminoles have just one practice remaining this spring. There appears to be a mixed bag of results as FSU works its way into summer workouts.

Much of the attention has been focused on who will be taking snaps under center this fall, but the Seminoles’ secondary has quietly emerged as one of the more compelling position groups on the roster.

Through three scrimmages, Florida State defensive coordinator Tony White has seen multiple position groups take a step forward, but with a mix of returning contributors and new additions, the secondary is beginning to show signs of growth that could translate into production this fall.

Takeaways Shine As Spring Camp Winds Down

Turnovers have been one of the clearest indicators of progress for Florida State’s defense this spring. As players become more comfortable with the scheme, the secondary is playing faster and with greater confidence under White's second season as defensive coordinator.

FSU forced multiple turnovers during last Saturday's scrimmage, with the defensive backfield playing a critical role.

“Definitely way more takeaways so far this spring than there were last spring, just period overall,” White said to the media on Monday. "A lot of that is those secondary guys, the guys who were here last year maturing and putting themselves in a better position to make plays, and then the new guys coming over with the attitude like, ‘hey, we’re coming to play.’"

White emphasized that when the group executes at a high level, the results are evident. Players like Charles Lester III and Jordan Crutchfield shone during the scrimmage, and overall, veterans are starting to take on larger leadership roles, while younger players and newcomers continue to push for snaps.

"This is the second scrimmage where we had four interceptions or whatever. We had a couple called back because of a substitution error. Charles had an interception return for a touchdown, but I sent a guy in when they didn’t sub, so that was on me. And then he had an interception in the goal-line period.

"All the New Safeties Can Play Ball"

Florida State brought in multiple defensive backs through the prep and NCAA Transfer Portal ranks last cycle. With steep competition across the board, White is asking his secondary as a whole to take another step forward. Although not technically "new", Antonio Cromartie, Jr., Max Redmon, and Jarvis Boatwright, Jr., "competed well" this spring.

Ja'Bril Rawls has been one of the more vocal presences as his opportunities continue to rise, and this spring represents yet another for him to step into a leadership role and build on what he’s already shown on tape. At the same time, players like Quindarrius Jones are beginning to put together more consistent performances. White went on to say that this was the best he’s seen Jones both on and off the field.

“Jabril… he’s preparing to have a really good season. And his deal, he’s one of those leader guys that I need to make sure he understands that it’s his time," White continued. " He’s got to do it consistently and bring people with him... "So far this spring is the best that I have seen him [Jones] on and off the grass, and it’s translating to that around him. And so it would be great if Q comes out and he has a season where he’s an all-conference performer and he proves that to be true.”

Spring offered a glimpse into what the Seminole secondary could be in 2026. What this group becomes will be decided on them and the months ahead.

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