Mike Norvell Discusses What's Next for Florida State after Mycah Pittman's Injury
Florida State began spring practice earlier this month and head coach Mike Norvell announced on the first day that wide receiver Mycah Pittman, offensive tackle Robert Scott, cornerback Kevin Knowles II, defensive end Aaron Hester, and defensive tackle Malcolm Ray would miss all of the period.
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Less than two weeks ago, Pittman revealed on his YouTube Channel that he had undergone surgery to repair a 'completely' torn labrum in his hip that he suffered during the season. Pittman is expected to miss four to six months but that's the timeline that the doctor offered before discovering the full severity of the tear, so it could feasibly have been extended.
Florida State resumed practice on Tuesday afternoon following spring break which offered Norvell the first opportunity to comment on Pittman's injury and what's next for the team.
"We've got a great group that's returning and we've got some guys that have come in that I'm really excited about," Norvell said on Tuesday. "I thought Vandrevius and Hykeem had great days today. For them to come off spring break and to jump in, both of them had some big plays in big moments and that's always good to see."
"Then you've got a lot of guys that played last year that were in the rotation or a couple guys that, you know, Ja'Khi missed a better part of the year due to injury in the early part of the year and Darion missed some in the late part of the season," Norvell continued. "Both of those guys I think are really good players. Getting Winston back, I like our personnel that we have. You hate any time that you lose a player to injury for any amount of time but it does open up the door for other guys to rise up."
It won't be easy for the Seminoles to replace Pittman in the slot. The consistent veteran provided stability as a punt returner while contributing in multiple ways on offense. He appeared in all 13 games, with seven starts, and hauled in a career-high 32 passes for 330 yards with three touchdowns through the air while rushing seven times for 35 yards.
With that being said, there is some talent in the cupboard that includes returning players and a pair of newcomers. Norvell mentioned players that have already been in the program such as redshirt senior Winston Wright, redshirt junior Darion Williamson, and redshirt junior Ja'Khi Douglas but he also provided rave reviews on true freshmen, Vandrevius Jacobs and Hykeem Williams.
Jacobs, in particular, has flashed through the first four practices of the spring. He's consistently put himself in a position to make plays and hasn't had any trouble adjusting to the level of competition. On Tuesday, Jacobs beat cornerback Fentrell Cypress II with a route over the middle before showing off his awareness to come back to a ball for a big play late in the session.
The Florida native is displaying the instincts that guided him to a standout senior season in high school. Norvell is excited to see where things go from here for Jacobs, who caught 100 passes for 1,511 yards and 21 touchdowns for Vero Beach High School in 2022.
"He's a really good player. Throughout the recruiting process, he came up here multiple times, got to see him in camps, got to see his competitive spirit," Norvell remarked. "The way that he plays, he's one of the best players in Florida and I thought in the country last year. Had 20 touchdowns receiving, he is a playmaker and the moments not too big for him."
"He's come out here and there's a lot of new information, a whole new language that he's learning and he'll continue to clean up the details but you see the reactions, you see just the confidence in how he's playing," Norvell continued. "That's what gets you excited. There will be some moments where it's going to jump on him at times but what I thought we were getting, we did."
As Norvell noted, Wright, Douglas, and Williamson are all working their way back after suffering injuries last season. Wright missed the entire year after suffering a leg injury as a passenger during a car accident. He was able to return to practice but never suited up for a game. Douglas was injured in the preseason and returned for the second half of the year. Williamson went down against Boston College and didn't play again until the Cheez-It Bowl victory against Oklahoma but has the potential to break out.
That means the job is up for grabs at the moment but it's important to note that the trio has all made their fair share of plays to start off the spring.
While there's no guarantee when Pittman will return to the lineup, Florida State seemingly has the talent in place to mitigate his absence. In the most generous projections, Pittman could make it back between August and October, depending on his rehab.
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