Florida State at Wake Forest: Tuesday Practice Observations for the Seminoles

No. 4 Florida State kicked off preparations for a road game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons with an energetic practice filled with highs and lows. It was a defensive day, with some flashes added in on the offense in team drills.

"I thought today was a good Tuesday. Our guys came out with good energy. I thought we had good physicality throughout the practice," head coach Mike Norvell told the media after the session wrapped up.

Concluding a successful three-game homestand with a 38-20 win over Duke last Saturday, Norvell seemed pleased with how his team continues to respond and prepare for the second half of the season.

NoleGameday attended the entire session and jotted down some observations from the day.

— Numerous scouts could be seen roaming the sidelines with representation from the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, and Philadelphia Eagles.

— Both kickers were flawless from 34 and 43 yards on the day, and after Saturday's win, Ryan Fitzgerald is a perfect 8-8 on the season.

— There was a muffed punt during special teams drills. Safety Shyheim Brown, who seems to be everywhere when it comes to practicing them, was there to count pushups for the player and express the importance of not dropping the ball.

Offense:

— Wide receiver Keon Coleman had a big catch to start the day off, but the defense took over the two-minute drill. Multiple touch sacks from the defensive line and cornerbacks held the offense to a field goal made by Fitzgerald.

— Markeston Douglas and Trey Benson had huge chunk plays to move the chains in third-down drills. Kyle Morlock also had an impressive catch on a roll-out pass from quarterback Brock Glenn. Tate Rodemaker and Glenn both had good days for the most part.

— You could tell Deuce Spann had some extra pep in his step after his remarkable 99-yard kick return for a score on Saturday. In 1-on-1's, he was making contested catches, and throughout the day, it was apparent what a game-changing play does for someone's confidence.

— Kentron Poitier had a nice juke on freshman Quindarrius Jones, causing him to slip, leaving the veteran wide receiver wide open in 1-on-1.

— Ja'Khi Douglas had a big-time catch in 1-on-1's over Greedy Vance after Vance was flagged for pass interference. Vance held on a little too long to the slot receiver, and even through the contact, Douglas came down with the ball.

— Lawrance Toafili, who is also coming off of a big game, continued to show his value in the slot, catching a 30-yard pass from Rodemaker.

Defense:

— It seemed Renardo Green was lining up in the offensive backfield, given how frequently he was there. Green, alongside Patrick Payton, had "tackles for loss" on the day.

— Joshua Farmer sacked AJ Duffy in team drills, and Justin Cryer had a big stuff on Rodney Hill. Farmer has worked into a significant role in the two deep and continues getting in the backfield at practice.

— In 1-on-1's, Green had another solid performance with pass breakups. Kevin Knowles had a nice pass breakup against Preston Daniel, locating the ball behind him and getting a hand on the pass as it honed in on Daniel.

— Conrad Hussey had another breakup in 1-on-1. As a true freshman, Hussey's progression as a solid defensive back has been noticeable, although he still makes freshman mistakes in games.

Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the 2023 season.

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