Observations from Florida State's Final Tour of Duty Session of 2023
Florida State held its final Tour of Duty workout of the offseason on Thursday morning as the Seminoles prepare for spring practice on March 6. The session was the first time this offseason that the program has allowed media to attend Tour of Duty.
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Here are some observations and notes from the workout that NoleGameday compiled.
— The session lasted just over 75 minutes and pushed the players to their limits.
— The workout was split onto two sides of the IPF, one offense and one defense. One side of the field focused on various conditioning drills while the other seemed to involve more position-specific drills and simulating different situations, such as coming at an angle to try and block a kick.
— An impressive part of the session was how much the players supported one another. While the offense was doing the conditioning portion of Tour of Duty, the defense completed their drills and raced down to the other side of the field to provide vocal support. At certain points, players such as Travis Jay, Brendan Gant, Daniel Lyons, and multiple others took leadership roles, talking to those that were tired and trying to help them stay on their feet.
— The offense returned the favor during the latter half of the workout. Of course, Jordan Travis was acting as a leader but other Seminoles such as Keiondre Jones, Qae'Shon Sapp, Rodney Hill, Jaylen Early, and Lawrance Toafili were right there beside him. Wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs handed a water bottle with a pat on the back and some encouragement to a fellow true freshman on the defensive side of the ball who was struggling. It says a lot for the entire roster, literally from top to bottom, to be in each other's corner and provide that kind of support.
— There were a ton of players who stood out physically today. One of the most impressive was running back Caziah Holmes. Not only does he sport a thicker build and powerful lower body but he's also extremely explosive and shifty. Holmes won the majority of the drills that he competed in and it appears he's bringing a strong effort into the spring to fight for a spot.
— Florida State is bringing back a deep room on the defensive line but keep an eye on Joshua Farmer. His level of effort on Thursday morning was remarkable and he was among the most fierce competitors on the team. At one point, he slipped while sprinting to conclude a rep and Mike Norvell ran alongside him as Farmer gathered himself and pushed him through the finish line.
— Following the workout, Norvell stated that wide receiver Winston Wright has no limitations entering spring ball. That's a huge boost to a unit that is already stacked with talent. Wright's progress and progression since his injury were evident during the Tour of Duty. On multiple reps, he cranked into top gear and didn't appear to be bothered by making quick cuts and lateral moves.
— As mentioned earlier, Travis Jay is taking on a leadership role after not appearing in a game last season. Physically, he looks the best that he has in his career at Florida State and was consistently at the front of drills. Maybe a bounce-back season for Jay is in the fold?
— Of course, we've got to discuss some of the transfers. Jeremiah Byers and Keiondre Jones are absolutely massive human beings. Even more impressive, they both move extremely well for their size, especially Byers. Casey Roddick showed off some solid athleticism as well. Gilber Edmond fits the bill of a defensive end out of the SEC. Tight ends, Jaheim Bell and Kyle Morlock both look the part. Morlock earned some praise from Norvell for his effort. Darrell Jackson and Braden Fiske both bring in developed frames. Fentrell Cypress II is a little on the thinner side but that obviously hasn't affected his success at the college level. His length and speed stand out.
— At one point, true freshman quarterback Brock Glenn took the lead in a drill and showed off some athleticism. He's bringing a mindset and work ethic to push the other players in that room. It seems like redshirt freshman AJ Duffy has recognized the competition. Duffy appears to be in excellent shape. Last season, he came in a little thicker but the California native has trimmed up slightly and it's suiting him well early on.
— Other true freshmen such as Hykeem Williams, Lucas Simmons, Vandrevius Jacobs, KJ Kirkland, Demarco Ward, and Lamont Green Jr. had their moments throughout the day. The potential of Williams and Simmons is evident through their frames. Simmons has a huge lower body with room to add weight up top. Williams has filled out extremely well over the last year. He struggled at some points during the conditioning but so did players who have been in the program for more than a few weeks.
— Despite the loss of Treshaun Ward, the running back room is going to remain extremely competitive. While we mentioned Holmes earlier, Trey Benson, Lawrance Toafili, and Rodney Hill all had their moments on Thursday morning as well. Benson was consistently winning drills, Toafili looks like he's added a little bit more weight, and Hill has a special burst.
— The size on Florida State's defensive line, particularly the interior, is noticeable. Fabien Lovett and Jared Verse are the obvious standouts but the aforementioned Farmer, Darrell Jackson, Daniel Lyons, Antavious Woody, Gilber Edmond, and Patrick Payton bring ample size across the defensive front.
— Dennis Briggs is another player that looks like he's in excellent shape entering the spring. Briggs settled in along the interior during the back half of the season, it'll be interesting to see the role he carves out this spring.
— Two defensive backs that stood out on Thursday were Greedy Vance and Azareye'h Thomas. Vance is taking on more of a vocal leadership role and showed off his competitive spirit. Thomas has taken a leap in the right direction physically, with Norvell even referring to him as a "grown man" and that's a good thing for the Seminoles.
— Second-year linebacker Omar Graham has added some thickness to his frame while DJ Lundy has trimmed up a little bit. Stephen Dix Jr continues to be physically impressive despite missing the majority of last season with an injury.
— Wide receivers such as Ja'Khi Douglas, Darion Williamson, and Kentron Poitier were all impressive on Thursday. That room will be fun to follow throughout the spring.
*Logan Robinson and Tommy Mire also contributed to this report.
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