Weekly Mailbag: Spring practice, off-season additions, and Jordan Travis
The offseason is already over a month old and Florida State fans can't even turn to basketball to save them this year. Thankfully, the spring is quickly approaching and the Seminoles will begin spring practice on March 5. The program has a lot to look forward to with a ton of experience returning to the roster in 2022, including starting quarterback Jordan Travis and leading tackler Jammie Robinson.
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There will also be a fair number of new faces. 11 high school prospects early enrolled in Tallahassee in January and all ten transfers that Florida State has landed out of the portal thus far are already on campus. The additional practice time will only be beneficial for the growing Seminoles as the new talent looks to make a seamless transition. The coaching staff will push for the majority of its transfers to make an instant impact.
Let's check out what's in the mailbag this week.
Who is the favorite to start at RB heading into the spring? - @tavis.r
With Jashaun Corbin moving on to the NFL, Florida State will have to replace its leading rusher from a season ago. It won't be an easy task but the Seminoles do have a group of multi-tooled backs to step into the hole such as Treshaun Ward, Lawrance Toafili, and DJ Williams.
Ward played second-fiddle to Corbin last year, totaling 81 carries for 515 yards and four touchdowns. The former walk-on is a legitimate option to start in the backfield in 2022 with his mix of athletic ability. Toafili has contributed in a backup role during his first two seasons in Tallahassee while dealing with injuries. Williams played sparsely in 2021 but had a successful stint at Auburn prior to transferring to Florida State.
The obvious option for me is Ward due to his production but I won't be surprised to see Williams and Toafili push for the top job. Trey Benson, Rodney Hill, Ja'Khi Douglas, and Corey Wren could contribute in certain situations.
Regardless, this will be a by-committee approach and multiple running backs will contribute based on their skillsets.
Who's starting QB in the 1st game of the season? - @sage.oberry
Barring a proven transfer coming in and somehow beating out Jordan Travis, the redshirt junior will once again hold the reins to head coach Mike Norvell's offense in 2022. Travis began to show signs of developing into a capable passer towards the tail end of last year. He also limited his turnovers. After throwing three interceptions in the loss to Notre Dame, Travis only turned the ball over three times over the remainder of the year.
Redshirt sophomore Tate Rodemaker and true freshman AJ Duffy will compete for the backup job. Duffy has already received a couple of rave reviews since arriving on campus.
Biggest addition this offseason? - @brian.mahoneyy
Florida State has added ten transfers so it's hard to go with just one. I'll select one on offense and one on defense.
The Seminoles made it a point of emphasis to revamp the wide receiver room this offseason after struggles out wide last season. The coaching staff added four transfers; Winston Wright Jr, Mycah Pittman, Johnny Wilson, and Deuce Spann. I think Wright will be a play-maker out of the gate for FSU. He caught 63 passes for 688 yards and five touchdowns for West Virginia in 2021. Wright is experienced, shifty, and has breakaway speed.
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I'm torn between defensive end Jared Verse and linebacker Tatum Bethune on defense but I think I'll roll with Verse. Florida State has to replace Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas off of the edge. Verse recorded 10.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss during the fall with FCS Albany. The step-up in competition is obvious but Verse has the mentality and tools to adjust to the FBS level.
What's the early guess for the record this season? - @rwalk_4
It's very early, so don't hold me to it, but at first glance, the 2022 schedule is pretty favorable for Florida State.
The Seminoles host three of their top opponents in Clemson, Florida and Wake Forest. They get BYEs following what will likely be extremely physical games against LSU and Clemson. FSU also gets the benefit of traveling to Louisville to face the Cardinals, who will be on a short week, after a week off.
There are road games to North Carolina State, Miami, and Syracuse. The Wolfpack will be one of the toughest teams in the conference this season but the Seminoles defeated the Hurricanes and Orange in 2021.
This isn't final but as of now, I have Florida State winning seven games in 2022 (Duquesne, LSU, @ Louisville, Boston College, Georgia Tech, @ Syracuse, and Lousiana). I think Miami and Florida are very winnable as well but I can't realistically predict a 9-3 finish at this time.
Does FSU have a legit shot at landing Brandon Innis? - @sage_rubin9888
The Seminoles have a deep wide receiver board for the 2023 class and one of the top wideouts in the country is Brandon Innis. The coaching staff has been steadily pursuing Innis but he's been enamored with some of the top programs in the sport like Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and USC. He was previously committed to the Sooners prior to head coach Lincoln Riley leaving for the Trojans.
It will be no easy task to keep the Florida native in-state. Florida State will have to win nine or ten games and show that it can produce wide receivers, something the program has struggled to do recently.
How many 2023 recruits should we expect to bring in during the spring? - @b_.raines
I'm not quite sure how to interpret this question. Florida State will be hosting a ton of talent throughout the coming months. One of the biggest dates on the calendar right now is March 5, when the Seminoles will begin spring practice and hold a junior day event.
Last year, the coaching staff landed seven commitments from January 28 to April 28. I wouldn't be surprised to see a similar number join the fold by May. Florida State currently has four players committed in its 2023 class; quarterback Chris Parson, tight end Randy Pittman, wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs, and defensive end Lamont Green Jr.
Will FSU ever get a top-5 recruiting class again? - @joker_gur_aryeh
I don't necessarily think it's going to happen in 2023 but there is definitely a path for Florida State to get back to signing top-five classes. Heck, if a few different things go your way in the fall, Norvell might've nearly gotten the program there this season.
Essentially, it's going to come down to winning games, player development, and coaching stability. Plus, NIL is now a big factor and FSU is still trying to establish a solid base on that front. Obviously, the coaching staff has already lost a player due to NIL so it's paramount to get that done.
After all, Florida State is only six years removed from landing the No. 3 class in the country. The Seminoles signing a top-five class in five of six years from 2011-16.
If Jameis Winston was a 10 what would you rate Jordan Travis so far? - @howbeauitifultheworldis
Tough but interesting question and it really does get me thinking. Jameis Winston won a Heisman, National Championship, and is one of the best quarterbacks to ever come out of Tallahassee. While he redshirted as a true freshman, it was obvious in 2013 that he was ready for the moment despite it still being so early in his career.
On the flipside, Travis was an under the radar prospect coming out of high school that ended up Louisville. He transferred to Florida State in 2019 but didn't see the field until former head coach Willie Taggart was fired late in the season. Interim coach Odell Haggins used Travis as a gadget option due to his athleticism and he had instant success. During his debut against Boston College, he ran three times for 94 yards and two touchdowns.
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Following Mike Norvell's hire, Travis was slated to be a backup again in 2020. Instead, James Blackman struggled out of the gate, Chubba Purdy was injured in fall camp, and Tate Rodemaker wasn't ready to play as a true freshman. Travis took over during the comeback victory over Jacksonville State and never looked back, outside of missing the loss to North Carolina State due to an injury. Once again, it was his ability on the ground that stood out and there were some clear struggles in the passing game.
Over the offseason, former UCF star McKenzie Milton elected to grad-transfer to Florida State. Many expected him to take over for Travis in 2021. Instead, both of them struggled to get comfortable early in the season as the Seminoles started 0-4. After Travis led the program to a win over Syracuse, he began to assert himself as the starter.
Travis went 5-2 over his final seven starts of the season. He tossed two touchdowns to three interceptions in the season-opening loss to Notre Dame. In his final seven starts, Travis threw 11 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Both of those turnovers could've been avoided too. One came on a missed block from Camren McDonald on a wide receiver screen and the other happened in the season-finale against Florida after Travis hurt his throwing shoulder.
There are signs that Travis is ready to take the next step. His touchdown to interception ratio improved to 2.5 to 1 last season after being 1 to 1 in 2020. Travis threw a total of six touchdowns and six interceptions as a redshirt freshman. That jumped up to 15 touchdown passes to six interceptions during his redshirt sophomore season. He did all of this despite having zero wide receivers eclipse 400 or more receiving yards in the last two years.
As of now, I think the rating has to be between a 6 and 7 with a chance to improve depending on how Travis finishes his career.
Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage on Florida State football this offseason.
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