Mike Norvell Reveals 3 Young FSU Players Who Stood Out in Spring Scrimmage

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State concluded its initial two weeks of spring camp on Saturday with a scrimmage as the Seminoles continue to build and reshape their roster ahead of the 2026 season.

With 50+ newcomers integrating into the program, Saturday gave the staff a chance to evaluate their top-20 recruiting class and give the incoming freshmen a chance as they continue to carve out their roles on the depth chart.

Among the younger players who caught head coach Mike Norvell’s attention during the event were wide receivers Devin Carter and Jasen Lopez, along with running back Amari Thomas, three skill players who each showed up at different moments.

While veterans continued to lead the way, Norvell pointed to all three as examples of underclassmen making early impressions as the 'Noles work through spring camp and transition into the fall.

Newcomers Flash in Florida State's First Scrimmage

“I was really pleased to see guys go out there and make plays. I know Devin Carter had a play, Jasen Lopez — Amari Thomas had a big run,” Norvell said to the media on Saturday.

Norvell and the coaching staff have mentioned Carter multiple times throughout the offseason as showing promise. Carter, a former three-star prospect out of Douglasville, Georgia, is a legacy player whose father played for the Seminoles from 2007 to 2010.

“Devin has come in and his maturity ... the ability — he can run. I mean, I’ve seen him for the last four years really growing up, and so there was nothing that he’s doing that’s really shocking me," Norvell continued. "He’s continuing to grow and get stronger with each day, but the mental part of the game, he embraces that understanding.”

Lopez has also been turning heads. A dual-sport athlete who also plays basketball, the former blue-chip prospect has been limited in what he has been able to do with the team this spring. Norvell was impressed by how quickly he jumped into action during the scrimmage, but recognized that time away from practice left him with things to clean up moving forward.

“Jasen Lopez, I think, has a great, great opportunity to compete for that here this year,” Norvell said. “Today was Jasen’s first day of being able to go out and have live practice... He had the acclimation coming off of basketball. So he’s really just in helmets here the first two days, but to jump right in and scrimmage, he had a couple of big catches. Obviously some things that he’s got to get more reps at, but I thought he showed some good things today."

Norvell Building Depth in the Return Game

Thomas didn’t receive the same breakdown as Carter and Lopez, but Norvell still made sure to mention the young back after he broke off a notable run during the scrimmage. Norvell mentioned both Carter and Lopez, and their ability to come down with the ball, as potential candidates for a return game that lacked spark last season.

"Devin Carter and Jason Lopez, I think, have a great, great opportunity to compete for that here this year. And, I mean, (they're) very natural and fluid in how he’s doing that."

With so many new faces, those early flashes could transition into meaningful reps as FSU works to define its identity in 2026. Florida State is set to resume practice on Monday, March 30, with its next scrimmage taking place on April 4.

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