FSU Football Spring Quarterback Preview: How Do 'Noles Replace Jordan Travis?
There are two weeks remaining until Florida State hits the field for spring practice. Despite a ton of talent moving on from Tallahassee, the Seminoles are still expected to compete for another ACC Championship after a highly-regarded haul in the transfer portal.
Head coach Mike Norvell will have to replace one of the most prolific quarterbacks in program history as Jordan Travis's illustrious career has finally concluded. There will be a competition to find his suitor and the front-runners for the job are Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei and redshirt freshman Brock Glenn.
Glenn is the only scholarship signal-caller returning to the team. Tate Rodemaker and AJ Duffy transferred out of the program. The Seminoles are adding an intriguing prospect in four-star recruit Luke Kromenhoek as well as three-star preferred walk-on Trever Jackson.
Departures:
Jordan Travis (NFL), Tate Rodemaker (transfer), and AJ Duffy (transfer)
Returners:
Redshirt freshman Brock Glenn
Florida State only returns 229 passing yards (6.5%), 0 touchdown passes (0%), and two interceptions (50%) from last season.
New Additions:
Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei, four-star prospect Luke Kromenhoek, and three-star prospect Trever Jackson
Uiagalelei transferred to Oregon State after beginning his career at Clemson. He completed 180/315 passes (57.1%) for 2,638 yards with 21 touchdowns to seven interceptions while also rushing for six scores in his lone season with the Beavers.
Kromenhoek completed 168/267 passes (62.9%) for 2,578 yards with 24 touchdown passes to two interceptions. He added 558 yards and seven more scores on the ground for Benedictine Military School.
Jackson completed 56/101 passes (55.4%) of his passes for 916 yards with seven touchdowns to five interceptions while rushing 104 times for 855 yards and two more scores during his senior season at Jones High School.
Projected Depth Chart:
1. DJ Uiagalelei
2. Brock Glenn
3. Luke Kromenhoek
Uiagalelei has the edge to win the starting job at the beginning of spring practice due to his experience at the college level. He's started for three combined years over his time with Oregon State and Clemson. Glenn will also be battling for the opportunity to succeed Travis after one year with the Seminoles when he was asked to step into situations beyond his reach. Those snaps in the ACC Championship game and Orange Bowl should still be useful in his development. Luke Kromenhoek will be settling in as the program's quarterback of the future.
Spring Outlook:
For the first time in years, there is uncertainty when it comes to Florida State's quarterback room, especially one that is made up of this many moving parts. Uiagalelei and Kromenhoek don't have any experience in Mike Norvell's system while Glenn struggled immensely during his two starts in 2023. That means we don't really know what's going to happen this spring as the Seminoles integrate a ton of new players on both sides of the ball.
The unknowns are what makes this process so fun as well. First, Florida State has to figure out which signal-caller is up for the challenge of replacing Travis. Assuming it's Uiagalelei, the process then turns to figuring out how the transfer quarterback will fit into the offense. That may require the philosophy to be shifted slightly to fit Uiagalelei's strengths.
Uiagalelei brings a massive frame (6-foot-4, 254 pounds) and a big arm into Tallahassee. He was a five-star prospect out of high school but hasn't quite lived up to that billing during his time at Oregon State and Clemson. At the same time, he has displayed a vast ceiling when things are clicking. Just look at what Uiagalelei did in South Bend while playing for the Tigers in 2020. He completed 29/44 passes (65.9%) of his passes for a career-high 439 yards with two touchdowns through the air and one on the ground.
Five of his top-10 passing games at the college level came last season while he was suiting up for the Beavers. That means there is still plenty of upside for the Seminoles to tap into. After the work Mike Norvell and Tony Tokarz did with Jordan Travis over the last few years, there should be plenty of optimism that they'll be able to get the best out of Uiagalelei. The veteran quarterback holds a 30-10 record as a starter.
Outside of Uiagalelei, there's not much experience waiting in the wings with redshirt freshman Brock Glenn, true freshman Luke Kromenhoek, and true freshman Trever Jackson. The spring will be a valuable period for all three players to grow. Glenn will be trying to take the next step while Kromenhoek and Jackson will be getting their feet wet.
Glenn turned heads out of the gate after enrolling early at Florida State. He instantly jumped into the mix alongside Rodemaker and Duffy, competing for the backup job. Glenn has solid arm strength, accuracy, and a competitive nature that drives him. It's hard to fault him for his struggles late in the season when he was thrown into an impossible situation. He handled it as well as possible after not taking the entirety of first-team reps in bowl prep due to Rodemaker's late departure from the team. Now, the Seminoles will have to see if he can be a quality backup, or potentially a starter, depending on how the spring unfolds.
Kromenhoek was one of the longest-standing commitments in #Tribe24 and the highest-rated quarterback recruit to sign with Florida State under Norvell. He's got a unique football mind and mentality as Kromenhoek routinely played wide receiver, safety, and special teams to get on the field before finally starting as a junior. He put up 48 touchdown passes to six interceptions and won a state title in just two years. Kromenhoek will be fun to follow as he finally begins his time with the Seminoles.
Jackson joined FSU as a preferred walk-on after a senior season where he lost his job to an underclassman. With that being said, this is a low-risk, high-reward for the Seminoles since they won't be allocating a scholarship to a prospect with a lot of potential. He's a dual-threat quarterback who participated at the Elite 11 over the summer. Jackson won the mailshot challenge at the event which is essentially an accuracy competition.
READ MORE: Jordan Travis Endorses Former Five-Star Prospect After First Season With FSU Football
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