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What We Saw During FSU Football's Fall Camp Practice

With a short viewing period for the media, here's what stood out during Florida State's third practice of fall camp.
Dustin Lewis|
Florida State head coach Mike Norvell leads practice Thursday, April 9, 2026.
Florida State head coach Mike Norvell leads practice Thursday, April 9, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Florida State Seminoles

The Florida State Seminoles returned to the practice field on Friday morning, marking the third day of fall camp and the first practice in full pads.

With plenty of physicality and an abundant amount of energy, the session also provided roughly a half-hour viewing session for local media, the first of two opportunities this fall.

READ MORE: FSU Football's Micahi Danzy Working To Become Complete Offensive Weapon

NoleGameday had two reporters in attendance, and I got a solid look at multiple position groups on both sides of the ball.

Defensive Line Steals The Show

A question mark coming into fall camp, the defensive line was the highlight of the viewing session on Friday. A handful of players across the unit put together impressive sequences.

I thought Mandrell Desir was awesome. He won the majority of the reps I watched, using strong hands and leverage to put offensive linemen on the ground. Somehow, he's even bigger than last year, and Desir makes you feel him with every rep. Coming off an All-American season, there's a chance he takes another leap.

Another member of the interior, Daniel Lyons, also had a good couple of periods. Lyons is in by-far the best shape of his five years at Florida State. Though leaner, he was able to retain muscle mass and strength. That was evident in practice as it was tough for anyone to move him off his spot.

A perfect example is Lyons ripping through Nate Pabst, one of FSU's best offensive linemen, putting him on the ground in the process, then letting out a fiery yell.

During the last media viewing period in the spring, Rylan Kennedy was getting pushed around at times by offensive tackles and tight ends, struggling to hold up against the physicality. That was a complete 180 on Friday, as Kennedy's added bulk and summer work are paying off. He's packed on nearly ten pounds since arriving at Florida State.

That may not sound like much, but it's clearly good weight. Kennedy remains extremely twitchy, and his athleticism off the edge is a mismatch for slower offensive linemen.

Darryll Desir, Jalen Anderson, and Demontae Diggs also stood out.

Despite dropping some pounds going into camp, Desir's size still pops off the page. He was a force to handle at the defensive end spot. Both twins look like they are in midseason form.

Anderson brings a fiery personality to the table. He's not afraid to get physical, and broke through the line a few times. It got to the point where Nick Williams had to calm him down a few times. Anderson will need to control his emotions during the season, but he's got that junkyard dog mentality you want out of a defensive lineman.

Consistency is the main thing to watch, as Anderson did get stopped on a couple of rushes.

Diggs absolutely obliterated Landen Thomas on one rep. He put on weight this offseason, which was interesting with FSU's plans to use him off the edge. It remains to be seen how much he will truly be a factor after a neck injury last season, but the Seminoles need him in the lineup without a ton of depth at the position.

Williams brought plenty of passion and energy to the unit. He got fired up whenever the offensive line and defensive lines faced off. Williams coached up Anderson and true freshman Jaemin Pinckney after every rep, win or lose.

Following a few wins by the defense, Williams stepped next to the offensive line and gestured to the backfield while screaming.

"This is where we play! On this side of the line of scrimmage!"

Williams' intense personality is part of the reason FSU's defensive front has had a solid start to camp.

Kam Martin Sets Standard For Running Back Room

We didn't get to start watching until period 4. By that time, the team had warmed up and run through a couple of things. As I got over to where the offense was, the running backs were jogging down the field to run through routes with the quarterbacks.

Kam Martin already noticed something was amiss.

"We're dead right now, man. We have got to pick it up."

The unit looked fine early in the period, with everyone catching a pass out of the backfield. Then it got a little sloppy. A pass bounced off Ousmane Kromah's hands that was probably a little too high. On the next rep, Samuel Singleton Jr. dropped a catchable ball.

That was too much for Martin, who sent Kromah and Singleton Jr. back for another rep. This time, both players were able to come down with receptions, much to Martin's liking.

"That's what a catch looks like."

The three trophy horses in the stable - Quintrevion Wisner, Ousmane Kromah, and Samuel Singleton Jr. - stood out.

Kromah's refined frame is noticeable, along with his strength. At one point, he bench-pressed a sled completely over, and Martin couldn't do much but shrug. On one hand, it was a great rep, on the other hand, the sled now needed to be readjusted. He did struggle at portions of the pass-blocking drill against the linebackers, something that will need to be cleaned up.

At this stage, Kromah is pushing Wisner for the starting role.

Wisner and Singleton Jr. were just smooth. Wisner seems like he's settled in and comfortable. Singleton Jr. has improved his body and looks as good as ever going into year four.

Quarterbacks Put In Work

The quarterbacks were fine. It was tough to evaluate much since they only threw against air when the media was watching.

Ashton Daniels was the sharpest. The velocity on his throws was there, along with accuracy, for the most part. He looks more confident running the offense than back in the spring, which is a good thing. He had a few crisp passes to Duce Robinson, Desirrio Riles, and Landen Thomas. It was a surprise whenever the ball hit the ground.

Kevin Sperry struggled some with ball placement, as there were a handful of throws that ended up being too high or low, leading to drops or straight-up misses. Mike Norvell has said that Sperry has shown good and bad. That continued in the third practice.

Malachi Marshall has a lively arm, probably the strongest in the room. He obviously needs to add weight to his slender frame, that's the primary goal. His good moments are really fun to watch, but he did have some off-target passes. The potential is there, and Norvell is already happy with the way he's operating the offense.

Offensive Line Coming Into Focus

Florida State tinkered with the offensive line throughout spring practice, trying different pieces across the board to see what fit best. Late in the period, it was evident the Seminoles had confidence in shifting Nate Pabst to right guard and placing Chimdia Nwaiwu at right tackle.

That has continued into fall camp, with the likely starting five being Xavier Chaplin (LT), Andre' Otto (LG), Bradyn Welch-Joiner (C), Pabst (RG), and Nwaiwu (RT). In that scenario, center Sandman Thompson, guard Paul Bowling, and offensive tackle Jonathan Daniels would be the first three off the bench.

The question is, can Nwaiwu consistently be serviceable? He's making a big jump from the FCS to the P4 level. I'd describe Friday's practice as up-and-down for Nwaiwu. He lost a few reps to the defensive line, but also had some competitive battles.

Nwaiwu moved well in individual drills. His size is a big draw, as Nwaiwu stands at 6-foot-5, 307 pounds with an 88-inch wingspan.

Miscellaneous Notes

— The tight end room was the disappointment of Friday's practice, in my opinion. I can't really complain about the effort when running routes on air with the quarterbacks. That part was clean, as I don't recall any egregious drops.

That's fine and dandy, but blocking is still part of the game. Basically every player across the unit got manhandled by the defensive line in the latter portions of the media availability. Landen Thomas, Desirrio Riles, Corbyn Fordham, and Drew Hardwick all ended up on the ground.

It's one practice, but it's something very important to watch over the next few weeks. Florida State's strength on offense is the running game, and if the Seminoles can't rely on their tight ends to provide any impact as blockers, it's not an ideal outcome.

— The true freshman duo of Jasen Lopez and Devin Carter continues to stand out. Lopez had a highlight-reel sideline catch and caught two touchdowns late in practice. Carter only had one dropped while I was watching, adjusting his body for a handful of receptions that were either too high or too low.

Every rep that Lopez and Carter take is a rep that Jayvan Boggs, who is limited to begin camp, misses. It wouldn't be a major shock if either freshman earns a starting role. Either way, they are going to play a lot.

— True freshman defensive end Jaemin Pinckney has added weight. He looks more sturdy compared to the spring. Pinckney needs to keep packing on the pounds, but Williams clearly likes his potential.

— True freshman running back Amari Thomas is still making a push for the fourth spot in the rotation behind Kromah, Wisner, and Singleton Jr. He acclimated quickly during spring practice and is still holding his own with Gemari Sands and Zay Parks rounding out the room.

— True freshman defensive lineman Franklin Whitley flashed a few times. He's a player that the defensive staff is cautiously optimistic about. Whitley got the best of Chimdia Nwaiwu late in the day.

— At linebacker, Chris Jones and Izayia Williams stood out. Jones is built like one of the Florida State linebackers from the past; large, chiseled-out, and powerful. His physicality and energy are something the Seminoles have been missing in the middle of the defense.

Jones had Williams join him for some of his summer workouts, and that seems to have paid off for the true freshman. Williams is fully cleared from an ACL injury, with the goal of regaining all of his elite athleticism. He moved great on Friday, and has traits that Florida State can take advantage of on defense.

— True freshman tight end Xavier Tiller might be the most natural pass-catcher in the room. Despite just enrolling this summer, his athleticism and play-making ability give him a chance to get on the field early.

— Star cornerback Ja'Bril Rawls looks as advertised. I'd imagine the battles with Duce Robinson are extremely fun to witness. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Jamari Howard has battled through multiple injuries since arriving at FSU as a top-100 recruit. He's healthy this fall and was moving well. There's an opportunity for him to earn snaps in the rotation if he keeps progressing.

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Dustin Lewis
DUSTIN LEWIS

Lewis joined NoleGameday in 2016 and is currently in the role of Editor-In-Chief. A graduate of Florida State, Lewis contributes to football, recruiting, and basketball coverage. Connect with Dustin on Twitter at @DustinLewisNG.

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