Florida State Spring Camp Observations: Poitier Makes Plays, All Day Dre, and Chippiness
Whether there's rain or shine, spring camp continues onward. That was the motto on Tuesday afternoon as Florida State's seventh practice of the spring was forced into the Indoor Practice Facility due to inclement weather in the area. The switch didn't appear to have any impact on the Seminoles, who put together another competitive session in full pads that got a little chippy at certain points.
READ MORE: Nuggets from Florida State's First Scrimmage of the Spring
The chippiness is something that head coach Mike Norvell likes to an extent. It's a necessary element between the lines that can challenge players to keep their emotions under control.
NoleGameday was in attendance for the entire practice and jotted down some observations from day five of spring practice.
— Braden Fiske opened up the practice by defeating Mike Norvell in the daily race between the head coach and defensive line. Fiske threw up a peace sign as he ran through the goal line.
— Daily Kicking Update: It was a perfect day for the kickers, the first of camp I believe. Tyler Keltner connected from 35 yards and 44 yards before Ryan Fitzgerald matched him on the attempts. Both kickers also chipped one in during team drills on the goal line later in practice. Positive signs from the unit after only coming up short on one attempt during Saturday's scrimmage that happened to be blocked.
OFFENSE:
— The offense struggled to get into a rhythm throughout the practice and a lot of that credit can go to the defensive line as well as the pressure that was constantly getting into the backfield. The normal two-minute/tempo drills were run with a slight change on Tuesday as the ball was placed inside the five-yard line. That forced the offense to operate in less space than usual in the shadow of their own goalposts.
— Running back CJ Campbell was quickly brought down by linebacker Kalen DeLoach to start the period before Jordan Travis hit Johnny Wilson on the outside for a gain that resulted in a first down. Travis was nearly intercepted while targeting Kyle Morlock over the middle. The defense continued to set the tone as Rodney Hill was stopped for no gain by Daniel Lyons and Joshua Farmer. Jared Verse came off the edge and handled Darius Washington with ease on the next play, tagging Travis for a sack. His next pass was an inaccurate throw down the sideline to Jaheim Bell where Lyons was in a position to lay a kill shot on Travis.
— It didn't get any better for the offense during AJ Duffy's drive. Lawrance Toafili gained a couple of yards on an outside run to start off the possession. The final two plays were both passes as Duffy was forced to tuck and run with no one open before throwing the ball away on the sideline with pressure on his face that ended the drive in a three-and-out.
— Wide receiver Kentron Poitier has had a strong spring camp and he might have had his best practice on Tuesday. Everyone knows that Poitier is a deep threat but his increased consistency has him standing out day by day, along with his raw athleticism. One of the top plays of the day came by Poitier against Azareye'h Thomas on a route on the sideline. Poitier went skying into the air and made an insane grab over Thomas that made a couple of jaws drop on the sideline. The body control and ability to hold onto the ball were impeccable. It was an NFL play, to say the least.
— All Day Dre continues to put together an impressive start to spring practice with the halfway mark of camp quickly approaching. Vandrevius Jacobs went deep against Quindarrius Jones in 1-on-1's and got a step on the fellow true freshman. Sensing the separation, Jones grabbed a hold of Jacobs' jersey but that didn't deter the wide receiver from making a catch while blanketed. Jacobs had another rep during the period where he ran a route back to the ball that was so shifty that the defender slipped. He made a tough grab in the end zone during team drills at the goal line on a throw from Tate Rodemaker.
— Tight end Jaheim Bell was at the forefront of my favorite moment at practice. During run-fit drills against the defensive line, Bell won a rep against true freshman Lamont Green Jr. by driving him back through the whistle. That didn't sit well with star Jared Verse, who bellowed out a couple of nice words before lining up against Bell to try and teach him a lesson. Instead, it was Bell who drove back Verse to the delight of the offense, creating an energy that carried through the rest of the day.
— Quarterback Tate Rodemaker had one of his best practices of the spring according to Mike Norvell. Rodemaker was able to put a couple of passes into tight windows that went for big plays. He hit Poitier for a score during team drills in the red zone and the two connected again for the same result at the end of practice. His best throw of the door came on a route to Rodney Hill out of the backfield where Omar Graham Jr was in good coverage but the ball was in a perfect spot.
— Hykeem Williams got some tough love a couple of times during practice but responded to make a few big catches. He got a step on Fentrell Cypress II for a grab in one on ones before making a similar play later in the drill. Consistency is still the name of the game for Williams but he's coming along day by day.
— There were some snapping issues at times during the practice. That'll be something that players such as Casey Roddick clean up moving forward as he works between center and guard.
— Found it interesting to watch transfer Keiondre Jones demonstrate how to perform a drill during individual work with the offensive line. A younger player within the unit was struggling to do a rep correctly, to the ire of Alex Atkins, which prompted Jones to step up. That says a lot about his character and comfort within the system during his short time at FSU.
— Brock Glenn hit tight end Brian Courtney for a score during team drills in the red zone.
— Jerrale Powers beat Stephen Dix Jr. off the line of scrimmage and went vertical for a catch against Stephen Dix Jr.
— Kyle Morlock had a filthy cut that put a defender on skates before catching a pass over the middle.
DEFENSE:
— Defensive end Jared Verse continues to show out, with Norvell taking the time to praise his improved technique and fundamentals. Outside of the defeat to Bell, he had a pretty dominant day during run-fit drills. He easily handled Darius Washington on a couple of reps. Washington redeemed himself during one on ones and made the matchup competitive. Verse was also bringing a ton of energy to the entire defense.
— Linebacker Brendan Gant was extremely active during Tuesday's practice, constantly getting into position to make plays. His best came while defending a pass to Markeston Douglas in the end zone. Gant worked his way into position for an interception in front of Douglas.
— There is so much depth and talent along Florida State's defensive line but it's clear that defensive tackle Daniel Lyons is going to be a problem. He came unblocked early in practice and could've destroyed Jordan Travis in a live scenario. Lyons continued to put pressure on the quarterback throughout practice and also stuffed a run on the goal line for a loss of a couple of yards.
— We've mentioned Greedy Vance Jr. as a consistent defender throughout spring practice. That was the case today was Vance Jr. broke up multiple passes. With that being said, a couple of them could've been interceptions. He's got to continue to focus on finishing.
— Safety Shyheim Brown had a couple of flashes with his ability as an elite. He came off the edge on a blitz that forced Jordan Travis to get rid of a ball. During a chippy moment of the practice, Brown utilized a couple of intriguing hand signals to display his delight to the offense. He had a deflection in the end zone as well and a tackle for loss.
— I kept a closer eye on Florida State's defensive ends today with the news that Derrick McLendon II will be entering the transfer portal. I came away impressed with what Gilber Edmond and Byron Turner Jr. displayed off of the edge.
— Jarrian Jones had a pass deflection during practice that probably should've been an interception. He couldn't quite hold onto the ball.
— True freshman linebacker Demarco Ward broke up a pass that was intended for Kyle Morlock.
— Kalen DeLoach sacked Jordan Travis on a play where the defensive line collapsed the pocket and forced the quarterback to step up.
— Ayobami Tifase had a solid outing of practice. He handled a veteran and put them on their back during one on ones against the offensive line.
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