1 — Improved depth most noticeable on OL, secondary
One of the big topics you’ll be hearing this spring is the improved depth the Seminoles have across the board.
As Mike Norvell happily noted at his Friday pre-spring press conference, more than 90 percent of the Seminole roster of 85 for 2022 is already on campus and participating in spring training. This is very different from what the Seminoles have experienced in recent years, and frankly, it’s very different from what most college programs see during spring teaching.
With last season not having a big senior class and managing to bring in the majority of its rookies this spring – 23 new players signed up in January, including one preferred player – FSU has the luxury of having an almost full roster this year. Spring.
And nowhere was this more evident during the first Friday practice than in the offensive line and in defense.
At one point during positional practice, OL coach Alex Atkins put all of his players into three groups—first team, second team, and third team—and he still had one or two players left. I can assure you that at no time during Mike Norvell’s tenure did the Seminoles have a full third team offensive line. (I’m not sure we’ve seen this since Jimbo Fisher left town.)
There were actually times last spring and fall when Atkins barely had 10 offensive linemen. This is a nightmare scenario.
This means that playing offensive linemen often wear out too much due to excessive reps. Competition is limited because there are fewer viable options. And as we’ve seen a few times over the last few seasons, guys who aren’t fully fit have to play games – meaning the whole offense was at a disadvantage before the ball was snapped.
I’m not going to tell you that Saturday’s third team offensive line could have been won. In fact, there were still a couple of revelers in this group (although this will likely change in the fall when a few more high school graduates arrive). But having 15+ bodies available for training was a big step in the right direction. , and a few guys from that second division will definitely be pushing to get started.
The depth can be even better in the secondary.
The media isn’t allowed to give details of training depth, but we can tell you that there are a few guys who started games – several games – in the defense of the former Soviet Union, who worked with the defense of the third team on Saturday. . And there are guys who may well become starting this season, working in the second and third teams.
I don’t know how things will work out with this group in the long run. Even in college football today, where teams often play five or six DBs at a time, the Seminoles won’t have enough snaps to keep everyone happy. They have at least 10 guys who were in big games last season, some promising young backups and a few rookies. I have to think there’s a good chance that a couple of these guys will be looking for greener pastures in the future.
But when it comes to all-out competition, there should be something for books this spring with this db room. This means that the guys will not want to miss a training session or even a series for fear that someone will take their place.