Which Florida State defender had the best practice of their career this week?

Florida State's linebacker room will have a new look come August 30 when the Seminoles take the field against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Noles have moved on from their previous linebackers coach and placed special teams coordinator John Papuchis alongside new defensive coordinator Tony White.

There are also new additions to the roster from the NCAA Transfer Portal, but one veteran linebacker has made major strides in head coach Mike Norvell's eyes and is coming off of one of the best weeks of practice. Omar Graham, Jr. is entering his fourth year with the program, and although he was one of the best linebackers in the room last season, there is only more to come as he continues to develop.

"Omar Graham's a guy that I thought probably had his best practice, you know, maybe since been here," Norvell said to the media after practice on Thursday. "And we're really proud of some of the progression that we're seeing from him. Just cutting it loose, playing fast, and I think that within this defense, just watching the linebackers grow in their confidence, understanding—I mean, we're going to be aggressive against the run, aggressive against the pass. You know, coverage—I mean, all things that we're asking them to do. So utilizing their versatility. But I thought that he's really had a couple of nice days."

Graham, Jr. had 37 tackles in the 10 games that he played in 2024, including 3.5 for a loss and a sack. While it has been somewhat of a rocky road for the 6'1'', 235-pound, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida native, his confidence continues to soar, and not having nagging injuries has enabled him to add seven pounds of muscle in the offseason.

"I think when you look at Omar, you know, he's dealt with some injuries his first couple years, and it was something that was challenging for him, and he tried to push through a lot," Norvell continued. "But as you saw him get healthy, as you saw the confidence continue to grow."

There was a time when Graham, Jr. flirted with the transfer portal himself and set up visits to Nebraska and Kansas in December after Florida State's coaching overhaul. He decided to stick with FSU, Norvell says, after seeing what the new Seminole defense would look like under White.

"I'm excited about what it can be. Obviously, anytime you have change within coaches, sometimes guys evaluate different things," Norvell said. "And I think it was an opportunity for him to see what it was going to look like. And I think that definitely got him excited, and he's showing up."

With a clean bill of health, added muscle, and a belief in Florida State’s new defense, Graham, Jr. could be poising himself to become a centerpiece in the Seminoles’ linebacker corps.

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