Everything Mike Norvell said after FSU's practice

The FSU Seminoles are continuing to prepare for the 2026 season, and head coach Mike Norvell met with the media on Wednesday to discuss the team.

With both scrimmages behind them, Norvell identified this as an important week as the coaching staff works on building a depth chart and rotations. He seemed very pleased with the players that they added over the offseason, explaining that they are pushing for more and more reps.

"It's just really across the board, definitely got a very talented group of newcomers," he said. "I say newcomers, even guys that have been here since January, but they're fighting to emerge, and guys that have been here that are getting pushed, and they're getting pushed on a daily basis, and the best players are going to play the most, and obviously see how it all fits together, and see what guys can do."

He also singled out several young players for their efforts, including injured linebacker Izayia Williams, tight ends Xavier Tiller and Corbyn Fordham, and defensive back Jordan Crutchfield.

Norvell also talked extensively about quarterbacks Ashton Daniels and Malachi Marshall, the offensive line coming together, and how good the tight end room can be.

Opening statement

Little bit shorter practice today, but you know, a lot of situational football. We've got about 18 periods, big focus, two-minute.

We had end-of-game situations, you know, being able to really install and put guys in high intensity, but obviously situations where there's got to be great detail and understanding. I thought it was a really good day of practice in regards to seeing guys respond to that. I actually presented an offensive situation to the guys where they had a timeout down six.

The guy spoke up saying, we don't want a timeout. We want it to go out there and execute, we want it to be clean. And even in that, you know, it's kind of how we finished the day.

We had a negative play that showed up, which nobody ever wants, but I thought they had a great response, Ashton had a couple of great throws. He was able to extend the ball down the field and finish with a touchdown. That was an encouraging thing just to be able to see guys embracing the difficulty and wanting to put themselves in that position and being able to rise up in the moment.

I thought we were able to put in some third-and-extra-long situations. I thought the defense looked really good. Was able to create some challenging looks. Seeing guys continue to grow in their skill sets and just showing the versatility of the ways that they can attack. 

Overall, I was pleased with the work that we got in. There were some situational things, especially with some of the younger quarterbacks that we're going to have to learn from, grow from.

But, you know, it was good just as an offense, especially that first group, to see them go out there and operate. Had some big plays, had some things that we wanted to see. But Duce (Robinson) had a good day. (Micahi) Danzy, you had the big play at the end.

Ashton, overall, probably one of the best days. Just his – you feel his confidence. The things that he's been asked to do. I really like where he's progressing in all areas. It's been good this last week. Malachi (Marshall) was able to get some scrimmage work. We actually went live with him on whatever day we scrimmage.

I wanted to see him go out there and have to operate work, get a sense of the mobility where it's not everything tag mode. You see him just competing. I thought he did some really good things. He's earning more opportunities there just as he's going through, and I really like just the competitiveness in that group. 

Like I said, it's fun watching the leaders continue to push and lead and Ashton, been very, very pleased with what I'm seeing from him and just his continued progress.

I do want to announce that, unfortunately, Karson Hobbs went down yesterday. He'll be out for the season. Definitely disappointed for the young man. As a guy that came in, went through the spring transitionally, had new experiences, some expectations.

It's just to see him and what he was doing through the summer, coming into fall camp. I thought this last week was some of the biggest steps that we've seen and just unfortunately went down and had an injury yesterday. That's going to keep him out for the rest of the year, but definitely fully expecting him to make a great recovery and to grow through an adverse situation, but my heart's with him. I'm just so disappointed for the young man because he really saw some progress coming from him. 

On if certain players thrive in end-of-game or end-of-half situations

Absolutely. Throughout the years, you see guys that when the pressure's mounting, when everything's on the line, guys that can truly rely on what to do, be in the moment, understand the situation, but then also the playmaking ability to go execute it when the task is required. There's guys that really do thrive in those moments. 

I've seen football teams. I think there's certain teams that that's what you're building towards. You want to find those situations where they can be fully confident, not let the distractions of whatever might be on the clock, whatever might be in the stands, whatever you might see from an opponent, but then you get confidence in your rules, your responsibilities, any adjustments that you need to make, and then you go out there and play the game. 

That's where you want to be. You want to be in those moments in football games because there's nothing like it. There's the feeling you get in your chest, the excitement, just the emotional swings of it. That's one of the things I really appreciated today.

Tom and I, Coach Herman and I, were talking about it right after. We had a negative play that showed up with no timeouts and a two-minute drive, and just immediately we went to the next play. To be able to execute, to be able to put ourselves in that position, a lot of people can start pressing and just trying to do either too much, but just go play the next snap.

It's a situation you find yourself in where you don't necessarily want to be, but you still have opportunity. That was an encouraging sign just to see those guys and how they handled today. 

On depth with Karson Hobbs going down

I think we have got some guys that have got some great versatility, a guy that I've really been pleased with.

I think we'll probably get a little bit of a look. Ricky Knight is really coming along. I think, Ricky, you feel just the way that he's been practicing.

He's been emerging there at the corner position. We've got guys, Nehemiah Chandler, who's got some great flexibility of skill set. I think Ricky is a guy that is pushing. I think has the skill set. I like what I've seen. 

Ma’Khi Jones, obviously, has been really good playing there in what we've seen from him, but also to be able to have just added versatility into that position, I think would be really good.

That's the thing I like about the safety and nickel position for us, even with some of the corners, just how those guys can move and just obviously the diversity in their game. 

On what he is looking for from Ashton, how he is challenging him

Just continue to get better. He's showing us the things that we want to see.

I think I said this at some point. For anybody that comes into a program, everybody can say coaches. People can try to put a tag on what somebody is or is not.

Ultimately, you have to go earn it with your teammates. You've got to go show them what you're willing to bring every day, who you are as a person with the good, the bad. Ashton is at a home run in that regards with this football team.

Just continue to push. Stay true to himself. Have a focus of improvement every day. When this team needs him to carry it, carry it. Whether it's a supporting word or just a great example to see, go be that. He's embraced the expectations, and I think he's definitely earned all the respect of these guys.

A guys that has played a lot of college football, but definitely playing at a high level right now. 

On what he has seen from Malachi Marshall, his potential

Yeah, really excited about him. He's great arm talent.

He's an exciting player to watch. He's still learning just how to process situations, but what I've really appreciated about him is just coming into the summer, the amount of time that he's spending, the amount of study that he's done to be able to have a grasp. There's still a lot of continued work that he has in front of him in regards to just some of the details offensively, but obviously just trying to hone some of the decisions, some of the things that are allowing him to be his best, but he's got a great skill set, and you've really, really enjoyed how he's come in.

Just like you say, the respect he's earned within that quarterback room of a guy that's going to come and put in the work, and now he's just building that trust and this consistency throughout it. 

On how MicahiDanzy has improved his routes this fall camp

You go out and you watch practice and you see he's a legit receiver, and maybe last year you saw a really fast athlete that could play the ball, but there were still some areas where he could improve in his separation, some of the details of the routes, and I think he's done a great job of embracing that. I think Tim has done an outstanding job within that room of helping those guys grow and play to their game.

Mikai's got great feet. Obviously, a high school running back, he's got vision, he's got separation ability, but you even see just every part of his game, his physicality, blocking on the perimeter. 

Yeah, he's really coming along, and even for him it's just the continuing growth because he's still relatively new to the position, but we've seen some great strides.

On how the depth chart looks right now

Yeah, I mean this is a week that guys are seeing progression opportunities, guys that have earned more are getting more, and then guys that need to be more consistent, they're fighting for reps, and obviously we'll have a compete day, which will be still like a half-and-half on Saturday, I want some of the younger guys to probably have a couple of live periods that will let them go. But I mean it's just the step, the embracing of the things that are necessary to go play at a high level and yeah, I mean it's been good. I've been pleased.

We've had some young players that I don't know if I mentioned them, but like Jordan Crutchfield, there's a guy coming out of the scrimmage that man, I got done within the scrimmage, first of all I watched the film, that guy looked different, and he was here in the spring, he made some plays in the spring, but really liked what I saw from him. 

Izayia Williams was somebody that hopefully we'll be able to have more full capacity here by this next week, but he was a guy early on that, okay I like what I'm seeing. A couple of the young, Xavier Tiller, Corbyn Fordham, I like those tight ends, what that's going to be, what that role is going to look like early, we'll see whether it's an opportunity to impact the team, those guys are fighting for that.

It's just really across the board, and definitely got a very talented group of newcomers, I say newcomers, even guys that have been here since January, but they're fighting to emerge, and guys that have been here that are getting pushed, and they're getting pushed on a daily basis, and best players are going to play the most, and obviously see how it all fits together, and see what guys can do. 

On Kevyn Winn

You feel him, especially in his pass rush situations, he's probably had a handful this week of times where you felt his presence, he's always had great quickness and explosiveness, but now he's so strong, so he's stout in the run game, but his movements, and just being able to finish the primary get off, but now working on those finishing moves, have allowed him to be a lot more impactful, and he's a guy that he's put in a lot of work, he's very smart, he's talented, he knows what to do, and I think he's going to have a great role within this defense, as he continues to emerge. You feel, and he's now at a point where it's not, hey you can be out for one or two plays, and you've got to get out, and he's been able to play within some sustained drives, and drop 30 pounds, I mean that's a little bit easier, thats like a third grader. 

On the tight end room

Yeah, that's one of the things that's offensively I'm probably most excited about, is just you look at the personnel groupings that we can have available, guys that are showing capability, Desirrio Riles was a great addition, just seeing the development of Landon (Thomas), and the things that he can do, he's moving as well as he ever has, just the toughness of that group, is something that I've been really pleased with, Chase Loftin's a guy that we have big expectations, and we've seen some great passes from here throughout fall camp, so I mean it's a group that I definitely think you can see too, maybe three of those guys on the field at a time. 

Greyson Labiad has kind of been a guy that's come in, and done a lot of dirty work for us, and he's really kind of emerged of the role that I've been pleased to see, so I think we're going to have a lot of flexibility within that group, same thing in the running back group.

I mean you look at guys like Ous (Kromah), and Sam (Singleton), and Tre (Wisner), and Gemari Sands has had a really good last week and a half, I've praised him, Zay (Parks), I mean I like that group, and so to be able to see my history, there's been plenty of times we've been 21 personnel, being able to utilize multiple guys, so it's really how it all comes together, it's going to be fun to watch the ways that we can attack.

If they are at a point where they are locking in five offensive linemen

Yeah, O-Line this week we've actually had a couple guys that have been limited, just transparency, but I feel good about it, it's opened the door for some of those guys that are in those competitions, to show more reps, and I've been pleased with what I've seen, and right now what is that number, is it six, seven, eight guys that we feel comfortable being able to throw in there, and I think some guys are really emerging.

I’ve been pleased with what I saw, Paul's (Bowling) got more opportunities here this week, and I think that as a guy that played last year as a true freshman at Troy, and played some big games, and now you're seeing him start to take that next step of understanding the things that we do, I think he's a talented young man.

Sandman's done some really good things, Sean Poret, those guys, they're pushing, and with the versatility. Nate Pabst has been incredibly solid for us, Chap has played a lot of football, Joyner, those guys are really guys that we feel can be cornerstones up front, and then you see Otto, who has been a little limited this week, but I'm expecting him to get back, and I really like the growth. 

Chim is a guy that's really talented, and just seeing that consistency in his work. But it's a fun group to see, and then we've got some young tackles that just kind of continue to grow and emerge, but I think it's a great group to work with, and now it's the emergence of, hey, who are the guys that will be able to be counted on here in a little over two weeks? The time's coming, and it's now. 

On defensive lineman Rylan Kennedy

I mean he's been awesome. A guy that we knew had a lot of athleticism, you look back at past years, I mean he's been able to play, he's been able to showcase that, but the thing that probably didn't show up as much as what I'm getting to see is just the physicality, and you can see a guy that can move and line up a lot of different places and come off the edge, but to see him, the way that he's embracing playing the run with a physical nature. He absolutely can get to the quarterback, he's tough.

Him, Jalen Anderson, those guys have shown a great knack for that, as well as the guys that we have in the room. So, yeah, I'm very pleased with what I've seen from him. 

On if they can have one of the best wide receiver duos in the country

Oh absolutely.

I mean, Jayvan Boggs is, you know, is a guy that he got back this week, and his first day yesterday, I mean, he's full, it's limited him a little bit just for himself, but, you know, he is, he had three or four really, really good plays yesterday. 

So I’m excited about that room, as well as, you know, some of the guys we've talked a lot about, you know, with Jasen (Lopez), and, you know, obviously, Tae (Gelsey, and Devin (Carter) coming along, I mean, we got to see those guys, we want to have that mentality that it doesn't matter who's out there, we're going to go, we're going to uphold a standard that that room has to be, you know, the best. Yeah, but with our two most experienced being Duce and Micahi, yeah, absolutely, they should, they should embrace that challenge. And, you know, it's one thing to talk about it, you know, they've got some good numbers to say, to at least put them in a conversation, but go be it and I think the way that they have worked, they way they have continued to grow, and the way we are utlizing them I’m excited to watch it come together.

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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Everything Mike Norvell said after FSU's practice