Much of the buzz around Florida State’s first fall scrimmage centered on the running backs, and for good reason. The Seminoles spent last season trying to patch together a backfield hit hard by injuries, but this year’s group is built with a different goal in mind: find runners who can stay on the field no matter the situation.
That vision was on display Tuesday night even with Texas transfer Quintrevion Wisner held out. Offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. said Wisner was kept out with something minor and “didn't get any reps in that scrimmage.” Even so, Harris added that Wisner has been practicing “really well,” and that Florida State’s staff has already seen a “big jump” from the spring to now.
The absence opened the door for sophomore Ousmane Kromah and redshirt junior Samuel Singleton Jr., both of whom are expected to battle Wisner for carries. Kromah, the third-ranked running back in the 2025 high school class, was the first player defensive coordinator Tony White brought up when asked what stood out on the other side of the ball.
“Ous - all the backs, you could feel their development,” White said. “They're hitting stuff downhill, and we're watching film today and [safeties coach Evan] Coop[er] said it too - he's like, 'Coach, you can call whatever defense you want.
It's like the NFL. Sometimes that dude just made a play.'
He's making plays - those guys are making plays.
"It's cliché to keep saying it, but truly iron sharpens iron. The O-line doing some stuff, us showing all these looks at them, and you can see them processing through and then still being able to punch stuff up in there. The running backs making plays, making guys miss."
Harris said the thing that jumped out most was the physical edge Florida State’s backs brought to the scrimmage. He pointed to the way they ran behind their pads, lowered their shoulders and finished runs.
"Those guys did a good job running behind their pads, finishing runs," Harris said. "A big point of emphasis for our entire offense this year has been just YAC - yards after contact - and you're watching our running backs really lock into that, lowering their shoulders, falling forward, the ability to break tackles. You saw that."
That kind of production is no surprise for a Florida State offense that will lean on its backfield, especially with Ashton Daniels at quarterback and nearly 1,400 career rushing yards entering his fifth season of college football. But as running backs coach Kam Martin said Monday, the path to snaps is about more than carrying the ball. Catching passes and protecting the quarterback matter just as much.
Martin also said he expects the Seminoles to use plenty of 21 personnel, something Harris mentioned last week as well. Kromah’s receiving ability gives Florida State extra flexibility after he averaged over 16 yards per reception last year. That opens the door for the Seminoles to shift from a split-back look to a spread set with one back in the slot, giving Daniels more ways to operate.
Harris said he’s seen real progress in pass protection too, especially from Kromah and Singleton as their roles expand this fall.
"Ousmane going into Year 2, he's a lot more comfortable with that side of the game," Harris said of his running back's pass-blocking. "Sam, with the more opportunities that he's getting, he's continuing to grow there too.
And Coach [Martin] is right - that's exactly what we want. We want backs that we don't have to take off the field a whole lot.
If we can find a good mix of guys that can do that, we'll feel really good moving forward with that group."
For Florida State’s staff, that’s exactly what these August scrimmages are for. Martin said Monday the Seminoles still haven’t decided who will be the first back on the field when Week 0 arrives at the end of the month, and the coming practices will decide that.
It won’t just come down to rushing numbers, either. Ball security, pass protection and doing the little things asked of them will all shape who earns the first carry.
In Other News...
FSUs First Scrimmage Put One Camp Battle Into Sharper Focus
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Norvell Just Opened One More Path To Change FSUs Roster
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The catch is in the fine print, because newly eligible players cannot jump into the transfer portal unless they had already done so earlier this offseason. That means Florida State can look at familiar names and see whether the fit still makes sense, but the options are not unlimited. Former quarterback Tommy Castellanos is one of the players eligible to return under the ruling, along with linebacker Elijah Herring, giving Norvell another avenue to reshape the roster if the pieces line up. [Read more 🡒]
Ousmane Kromah Is Forcing A Florida State Backfield Shakeup
Ousmane Kromah has spent the offseason and fall camp making a stronger case for touches, and Florida States staff has taken notice. Mike Norvell and the Seminoles have praised the freshmans work since his first year in the program, even as the backfield has grown more crowded with the addition of Texas transfer Quintrevion Wisner alongside Kromah and Samuel Singleton Jr.
Norvell has already signaled that this seasons rotation will look different, which makes the early part of the opener especially worth watching. With so many pieces competing for snaps, Kromahs rise has created a real ripple effect in the depth chart, and Florida State may be about to learn how quickly his offseason momentum turns into game-day opportunity. [Read more 🡒]