Florida State Fall Camp Observations: Practice Eight
Florida State was back on the practice fields on Friday morning for the second straight day. The session featured the players in helmets and pants without pads, meaning there wasn't a ton of contact as the Seminoles prepare for their first scrimmage of the fall.
NoleGameday was in attendance for the session and we've listed some observations from different position groups and players below.
READ MORE: Florida State Fall Camp Observations - Practice Six and Full Pads
— As mentioned previously, the session was conducted without pads which meant that the focus shifted to technique, footwork, hand placement, etc, instead of just physicality.
— There was a big focus on special teams and fundamentals today. Head coach Mike Norvell mentioned earlier this week that he wasn't happy with the kicking, punting, or snapping units. Those players got a lot of work throughout Friday's practice as the team went through different situations.
— Wide receiver Johnny Wilson was one of the standouts of the day. He's been up and down since the spring when it comes to holding onto the football. Today was an up day as Wilson made multiple tough grabs. He brought down two gorgeous catches in the IPF early in practice. Later in the session, he had one of the catches of the day on the left sideline where he controlled the football right before going out of bounds.
— Quarterback Tate Rodemaker showed up at times on Friday. His best throw of the day came during team drills when he delivered a perfect deep ball over wide receiver Kentron Poitier's shoulder. Poitier was able to adjust and come down with the pass over two defensive backs. It was a play that had Norvell pretty hyped up.
— Defensive back Shyheim Brown's shiftiness and ability to read plays are evident in the run game. The offense tried to catch the defense off guard with play-action. Brown wasn't fooled as he came flying up to stop a running back at or behind the line of scrimmage. His instincts are steadily improving.
— Transfer linebacker Tatum Bethune simply has a knack for being consistent and making big plays. He had a pass breakup early in practice that was followed by a fumble recovery on a bad snap by the offense. In a game scenario, Bethune probably would've run the fumble back for a touchdown.
— Linebacker Amari Gainer's speed can make it tough on the offense in certain situations. He soared right by an offensive tackle to get into the backfield for a tackle for loss on a screenplay. Fitting Gainer into the piece of the puzzle will only make the defense more dangerous this fall.
— Defensive back Greedy Vance had a few flashes on Friday. He had an athletic pass breakup over the middle late in practice. Vance spent ample time discussing certain coverages and positioning whenever he was on the field to make sure everyone was in the right spots.
— True freshmen offensive line Julian Armella and Kanaya Charlton continue to make strides every day for the Seminoles. It might be hard to keep Armella off the field as time goes on this fall. The potential is there for him to develop into something special. Charlton is still working on his weight but if he gets his hands on you, it's game over.
READ MORE: Florida State quarterback target decommits from Purdue
Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout fall camp.
