Florida State Spring Camp Observations: Running Backs Show Out During Tenth Practice

Tuesday marked Florida State's tenth practice of the spring and the team finds itself roughly two-thirds of the way through camp. Following a physical scrimmage over the weekend, there was no drop-off from the Seminoles during another session in full pads that might've been the hottest day of the spring thus far.

Head Coach Mike Norvell came out of the practice extremely pleased with the effort and level of competition on both sides of the ball. He specifically referred to a pair of interceptions that the defense was able to come down with during the second half of practice.

With that being said, it was the running backs who showed out on Tuesday as Rodney Hill, Trey Benson, and CJ Campbell all put together a variety of big plays on the ground and through the air.

NoleGameday was in attendance for the entire practice and jotted down some observations from day ten of the spring.

— Ryan Fitzgerald went 1/2 on the day while Tyler Keltner was able to connect on both of his attempts. All of the kicks came from 40 yards as the coaching staff tried to put some stress on the two kickers.

OFFENSE:

— Florida State kicked off the practice with some work in the red zone and the offense came out throwing punches. Wide receiver Deuce Spann put together a decent gain on a jet sweep before quarterback Jordan Travis utilized play-action to get free and hit running back CJ Campbell on a roll out for a touchdown. Tight end Jaheim Bell ran a similar concept to Spann prior to Rodney Hill bursting up the middle for a score. On the next play, Campbell cut up the leftside on a scoring run that was opened up by a block from true freshman Hykeem Williams.

— Rodney Hill was one of the stars of the day, consistently getting in a position to make plays. Following his scoring run in red zone drills, he carried the momentum into the remainder of practice. Hill's most impressive play on Tuesday came on a run to thr right. He made a cut in the open field to freeze a defender before sprinting up the sideline untouched. Norvell came running right after him to dap him up and celebrate.

— Hill was consistently getting open out of the backfield for catches during team drills. He worked himself free over the middle on a play where Tate Rodemaker was pressured in the backfield. Rodemaker flipped a shovel pass to Hill, who cut up into the second level of the defense. The sophomore is primed to take his game to another level this fall after continuing to impress this spring.

— I don't want to say it's been a quiet spring for Trey Benson but it's definitely been a little less active since he's donning the green non-contact jersey. Today, he was able to make a couple of nifty plays with most of his impact coming as a pass-catcher. Benson brought down a catch in space before cutting by a defender. Later in practice, he corralled a ball with one hand and made the most of it for a decent gain.

— Jordan Travis was making a lot of plays outside of the pocket on Tuesday. There were multiple roll outs where he was able to make the decision between throwing to a receiver or taking the ball himself. He had a couple of decent scrambles.

— True freshman quarterback Brock Glenn is continuing to show signs of growth. He made a quick decision in team drills to throw over the middle to Hykeem Williams for a big play. He had Jaheim Bell open but Glenn chose to go for the larger play. On the next step, Glenn wasn't afraid to check down to the running back.

— Tate Rodemaker and AJ Duffy both had plays where they were forced to scramble due to pressure or due to coverage. Both of them made the most of opportunities with their legs.

— True freshman Vandrevius Jacobs is keeping his streak alive. He caught a touchdown after getting free from a defender during 7-on-7. Jacobs made a diving catch later in the period and also showed off strong hands on a pass to the sideline that was thrown too high by the quarterback.

— Fellow early enrollee Hykeem Williams is continuing to progress and it feels like he's making more of an impact as the days go by. He's still working his way into shape but his confidence from the beginning of the spring to now seems to be improving. That's leading to more consistency from the former five-star prospect.

— Tight end Jaheim Bell made a couple of tough catches and was utilized in the ways we expected in the offense. He was consistently moving from the traditional tight end spot, in motion and in the backfield.

— Tight end Markeston Douglas brought down a few catches on the day.

DEFENSE:

— Defensive end Jared Verse continues to make spring practice look easy. Day in and day out, he's been putting together dominant performances. On Tuesday, it was the energy and emotion that Verse displayed that fired up the defense. He came barrelling into the backfield on a play that ended in a tackle for loss, letting out a primal scream. He's fun to watch during every single practice for a multitude of ways.

— Defensive Tackle Joshua Farmer is becoming more consistent this spring after flashing during the first two years of his college career. He was able to get into the backfield with ease and lay a big hit on a running back on Tuesday.

— Sophomore cornerback Azareye'h Thomas recorded a pick-six during the practice. I was distracted by the player I'll mention next during the observations so I couldn't see the entire play.

— Redshirt sophomore Patrick Payton feels primed for a breakout campaign. He's joined Verse as another defender that is consistently making plays and showing dominance. Matched up against a young offensive tackle during 1-on-1s, Payton showed no mercy as he put the player on their back with ease to the delight of the defensive line.

— Cornerback Jarrian Jones was able to record an interception during team drills.

— True freshman linebacker Demarco Ward was also able to intercept a pass on Tuesday. A ball that was thrown into traffic was tipped into the air by walk-on Jaden Floyd and Ward came with it.

— True freshman Quindarrius Jones forced an incompletion while guarding Johnny Wilson in the end zone.

— Stephen Dix made a couple of impressive tackles in open space. He also brought down Campbell in the backfield for a negative gain.

— Bishop Thomas laid a big hit on Jaheim Bell on the sideline. Nice pursuit and effort from the young defender to sprint to the sideline from his spot on the defensive line.

— Ayobami Tifase took advantage of a busted play by the offense for a sack/tackle for loss on Duffy.

— Antavious Woody batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage late in practice.

— Cornerback Fentrell Cypress II displayed impressive closing speed down the stretch in practice, working into position to deflect a pass. His length and shiftiness on the outside makes it tough on receivers.

Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the spring

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