Update, 19h05
Mike Norvell was pleased with the Seminoles’ approach on the first day of practice. The biggest difference he saw was the conditioning of his team and the ability to finish training. He said: “Good first day. I thought the crowd left and had a lot of energy, it started at the meetings, the crowd was very attentive. We want to be very aggressive in the way we install, in the intensity of individual repetitions. “
Much of the increase in conditioning and approach came from the weight room. Last week, the Seminoles ended their winter program with a squat party in the weight room. That day, Norvell said, ““ That was a great way to end the winter program. It was exciting to see. You see a team that comes with the challenge, with the work … Even in the moments when the guys couldn’t finish their representation, the incentive. “
The state of Florida has a large quarterback room with the addition of McKenzie Milton and the return of three guys who started sometime last year. Norvell hopes to see how these guys push each other. “It’s a challenge; our guys know it’s a real competition. I thought they did a good job today. I thought McKenzie had a good handle on what we were asking him to do. I thought Jordan looked really good, Chubba and Tate did. some very good pitches. ”
When asked about striker Darius Washington, Norvell said he was the player who improved on the team during the winter program. Regarding Washington and his first full off-season program, Norvell said: “There was an unbelievable transformation for him for having the full off-season period. Darius, he improved a lot in what he did. Great expectations for him and he answered the call in the winter program. “
The defense of the state of Florida struggled a lot last season. But it was also an entirely new system for the third year in a row. With some continuity in the system this year, Norvell believes that the defense will only be able to go out and play this year. “Trying to allow these guys to go out there and play as fast as they can. It is a learning experience for us to see exactly what we have. Guys that we are looking at in different positions and different roles. “
Update, 19h20
Offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham took second place on the podium today. Dillingham is excited to see how the guys play, now that they have confidence and knowledge of the Norvell system. Like Norvell, he also mentioned that conditioning is on a whole new level. He said that familiarity has been the main thing to drive improvement. “This is the first time that these guys have the same team in the attack, except for Baveon, maybe. Our conditional level is not even comparable, last year we were barely able to finish training. “
Dillingham was impressed with his quarterbacks on the first day. He was happy with the way they took the ball and was using his knowledge of the attack to his advantage. Dillingham said: “I was impressed, the level of comfort is drastically different. Significantly taller than it was. The knowledge of the system is showing up with your feet and your eyes. Have a plan every time you take a picture. “
Another group that pleased Dillingham was the race room. Specifically, he praised Jashaun Corbin, the third member of the team to do so this spring. Regarding running backs, he said: “I love it, these guys, that group as a whole is all-in. Corbin took a big step from the leadership point of view. He’s a reserved guy by nature, but he’s challenging himself to step out of his comfort zone to lead. ”
Norvell mentioned that freshmen from Malik McClain and Josh Burrell don’t look like freshmen. Dillingham called them physical specimens and said the key to them would be consistency. “They are physical specimens from the freshman point of view. Both are guys who come with the tools to help us from the start. Have the wish. After a practice, it is consistency for a young person. They can make a big move in the past few days. “
Florida state football took to the pitch this afternoon for its first spring training. It will be a great spring for the ‘Noles, who only had three training sessions last March. Last week, Mike Norvell spoke to the media about how the Seminoles are in the weight room and how they grew up during FSU’s ‘Tour of Duty’. Norvell said: “I think the leadership that we have seen throughout our program has been very good. The work approach was the biggest improvement I have ever seen. “
Strength and conditioning coach Josh Storms agreed with Norvell’s opinion of the Seminoles’ daily approach, saying it was the biggest difference since last spring. “The biggest difference is how these guys approach work every day that they arrive. They will expect to be challenged, but they are confident that the coaches will not put something in front of them that they cannot succeed. “
Norvell will speak to the media again today at around 6:15 pm. Offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham will follow the head coach before selected players finish the day.
As always, we will be providing updates in the comments section and on Twitter.