Florida State vs. Georgia: Three Players to Watch In The Orange Bowl
This wasn’t quite the December Florida State had in mind. The Seminoles began the month with an impressive victory in Charlotte that secured an undefeated season and a conference championship, but those celebrations lasted all of 12 hours. Mere hours after walking out of Bank of America Stadium with a new piece of hardware, Mike Norvell and the ‘Noles watched on helplessly as the College Football Playoff committee removed them from title contention. Instead, the fifth-ranked Seminoles were awarded with the opportunity to play a consolation game against the SEC runner-up and sixth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs down in the Orange Bowl.
Over the course of the weeks that followed, however, the Florida State football team and its fanbase were forced to face a series of seemingly endless punches to the gut as they geared up for the New Year’s contest on the horizon. In the wake of the playoff snub, the Seminoles have been consistently chastised by the nation’s media, they’ve filed a lawsuit against the ACC, and they have witnessed more than 20 members of their roster opt out of playing in their bowl game, including the likes of Jared verse, Keon Coleman, and Trey Benson. The odds are stacked against the Seminoles and the nation waits on bated breath to watch the “entitled” ‘Noles suffer at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs. There’s certainly a “Florida State versus Everybody” feeling in the air, but Norvell’s crew remains focused on a different phrase: “All we got. All we need.”
Let’s take a look at just who the Seminoles will need on Saturday if they wish to defy the odds and leave Hard Rock Stadium with a victory over the Bulldogs.
1. Brock Glenn, Quarterback
With a host of impact players electing to forego participation in the Orange Bowl, the Seminoles will be reliant on a cast of unlikely heroes. To the surprise of many, one of those opt-outs included longtime Seminole quarterback Tate Rodemaker, who announced his intention to sit out of FSU’s bowl game and enter the transfer portal. As you may recall, Rodemaker was assumed to be the starting quarterback role in the wake of Jordan Travis’ season-ending injury. He led the ‘Noles to a victory over the Florida Gators but suffered a concussion in the closing moments of the game that ultimately sidelined him for the ACC Championship. With the likes of Rodemaker and quarterback A.J. Duffy both in the transfer portal, the Seminoles are left with one scholarship quarterback on the roster. Luckily for them, it’s the same quarterback that got the call for the conference championship game.
Quarterback Brock Glenn was a four-star prospect out of Tennessee and ranked as the 13th-best quarterback in his recruiting class prior to attending Florida State. As a true freshman in 2023, Glenn appeared in three games during the regular season for the Seminoles. Most notable, however, was his start against the Louisville Cardinals in the ACC Championship Game wherein he threw 10 completions for 90 yards and rushed a handful of times as well. Ahead of the matchup against Georgia, Norvell has once again turned to his true freshman quarterback to helm the offense. In just his second career start, Brock Glenn will be tasked with leading an offense (without its playmakers in Coleman, Benson, Wilson, Bell, and more) against the perennial powerhouse Bulldogs. It’s certainly a tall order for a relatively inexperienced quarterback, but all eyes will be on what Norvell, OC Alex Atkins, Glenn, and the Seminole offense have in store for Saturday night.
2. Patrick Payton, Defensive End
Florida State’s defense was one of the stingiest in the country, and they were playing at an elite (dare I say, championship) level during the ACC Championship Game. They possessed a defense capable of taking over a game and making up for any inadequacies the Seminoles may have had on the offense. The same would have been true for the ‘Noles against Georgia in the Orange Bowl, but the opt-outs have hit DC Adam Fuller’s group fairly hard as well. The defensive secondary has lost Renardo Green and Jarrian Jones to the NFL Draft, the linebacker corps witnessed the departure of DJ Lundy to the transfer portal, and the defensive line has lost three members to the transfer portal. Of course, the most notable opt-out on the defense is that of DE Jared Verse, who stands to go early in the NFL Draft. His departure leaves both the defensive linemen and the defense at large without a considerable level of production. Florida State must find someone to fill that gap, and many expect that person to be DE Patrick Payton.
Redshirt sophomore DE Patrick Payton has had a fairly prolific career at Florida State, thus far. As a freshman, Payton earned ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after appearing in all 13 games and recording 31 tackles, 5 sacks, one forced fumble, three pass breakups, and one quarterback hurry. Playing opposite Verse yet again, Payton continued his high level of play throughout the 2023 season. He notched 41 total tackles, 6 sacks (3rd highest on the team behind Verse and DeLoach), 1 forced fumble, and 9 passes defended (most of which resulted in deflections). Viewing his statistics over the course of his two-year career at Florida State, it’s easy to see why many view Payton as the next great FSU defensive end to follow in the footsteps of Jared Verse and Jermaine Johnson before him. With that in mind, the Florida State faithful will be keeping a keen eye on the edge rusher come Saturday, hoping to see glimpses of what’s to come. Then again, one can’t help but point out that Florida State fans might be intently watching Payton for an entirely different reason.
Payton’s on-field skills and abilities speak for themselves. He’s a force to be reckoned with in the trenches and any school would be lucky to have talent such as his on the roster. Knowing this value, the redshirt sophomore has been no stranger to testing the waters of the transfer portal, and he did just that in early December. Payton, very publicly and with certainty, took to X (formerly know as Twitter) and announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal. In a tweet that has since been deleted, he wrote, “Im Sorry Nole Nation I Plan To Enter The Transfer Portal…..” The announcement caused an uproar among the already irritable FSU fanbase and sparked rumors of an obscene NIL asking price. That being said, it’s very likely that the Florida State faithful will be keeping a watchful eye on Payton to see if the headache, the empty “threats”, and the money was all worth it. Either way, Payton will have an opportunity to show out against a highly regarded Georgia frontline.
3. Caziah Holmes, Running Back
Much like the two players listed before him, running back Caziah Holmes is yet another beneficiary of circumstance. When Florida State was snubbed from the College Football Playoff and their high-profile players began to announce their departure for the NFL Draft, none were surprised when running back Trey Benson announced his intentions to go pro. The surprise came when redshirt freshman running back Rodney Hill announced his plans to enter the transfer portal. Hill, who had climbed his way into the rotation a handful of times, carried the ball 50 times for 190 yards and 1 touchdown. While not on the same level as Benson or Toafili in terms of production, Hill was a sign of what was to come for FSU at the running back position. With Benson opting out of the Orange Bowl as well, Hill was likely going to bump up to the number two spot. Perhaps even higher now that Toafili underwent season-ending surgery. In the wise words of former Florida State linebacker Dontavious Jackson, “Oh well!’ Because the mix of injuries and departures has paved the way for redshirt junior Caziah Holmes to take first team reps.
Prior to attending FSU, Holmes was a member of the Penn State football program for two seasons. Over the course of that time, he appeared in 12 games and rushed for 254 yards and two touchdowns. He joined the Florida State football program during the 2022 season and worked with the scout team offense. During 2023, the back has received limited opportunities compared to his peers, but he has made the most of them nonetheless. Holmes has carried the ball 21 times for 156 yards and 2 touchdowns (averaging 7.4 yards per carry) in six appearances. Most notably, Holmes helped spark the FSU offense in the passing game following the Jordan Travis injury against North Alabama. Whether or not the coaching staff intended to use Holmes in this role, he’ll be the number one guy in Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday. Per the depth chart, he will command the rushing attack alongside wide receiver Ja’khi Douglas. With limited film on his role in the offense, perhaps things have the potential to get weird on Saturday, which is why he’s someone you’ll want to watch closely.
Despite the unfavorable odds and the unfortunate circumstances, head coach Mike Norvell and his guys, like those listed above, remain committed to the Climb. With an undefeated season and conference championship under their belt, the Florida State Seminoles will look to continue to carry that momentum into the offseason with a win over Georgia in the Orange Bowl. It may not have been a December to remember for Florida State fans, but Saturday's contest will give the Seminoles their first look at the bright future still ahead for their resurgent program.
The #5 Florida State Seminoles (13-0) will face the #6 Georgia Bulldogs (12-1) this Saturday in Hard Rock Stadium in the 90th edition of the Orange Bowl. Kickoff is set for 4:00 PM EST.
READ MORE: Mike Norvell Discusses Tate Rodemaker's Decision To Transfer From Florida State
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