Florida State’s backfield is getting a fresh look in fall camp, and this time the Seminoles have more than one name worth watching.
Last season, the running game never really settled in. Quarterback Tommy Castellanos ended up leading Florida State in carries, yards and touchdowns, and the Seminoles went a second straight year without a 500-yard rusher from the running back room. With New Mexico State looming at the end of August, Mike Norvell still has a lot to sort out across the roster, and the backs are right in the middle of it.
The most obvious question is whether Ousmane Kromah can seize the top job. Texas transfer Quintrevion Wisner brings experience and third-down value, and he earned the 28th-best PFF grade among 129 FBS backs with at least 50 pass-blocking snaps.
He also piled up more than 1,000 yards at Texas in 2024. But Florida State may have a more gifted runner in Kromah, who flashed as the Seminoles’ RB2 last season and arrived as a former top-three recruit at the position in the 2025 high school class.
Kromah’s numbers from last season hint at why the staff is high on him. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry to Gavin Sawchuk’s 4.5 and finished fewer than 80 yards behind Sawchuk despite getting 32 fewer touches.
He’s now listed at 225 pounds after coming out of high school at 205, and that added bulk gives Florida State a downhill runner who can be a problem between the tackles. The coaching staff was already talking him up in the spring, and that buzz has carried into camp.
Wisner should still see plenty of work, but Kromah looks like the back Florida State will lean on most, especially on early downs.
That ties directly into how Norvell and offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. want to use the personnel around them. Florida State plans to lean on 21 personnel and two-back looks, and that makes sense with the options in the backfield and the flexibility they bring. Norvell has long liked this style when he’s calling plays, and from 2020-24 the Seminoles used 21 personnel nearly 11 percent of the time, fourth among Power Four teams over that stretch.
Harris said before fall practices that those packages matter because of what the backs can do. Florida State can line up with two runners on one snap and then move one of them into the slot on the next without changing personnel, which helps the offense keep tempo.
Wisner played 18 snaps at receiver spots at Texas last season and has 66 catches over the past two years. Kromah has also shown he can do damage as a receiver, averaging 16.3 yards per catch on nine receptions last season, including a touchdown.
The tight ends and receivers add even more options. Landen Thomas is in the best shape of his career, and ECU transfer Desirrio Riles and redshirt freshman Chase Loftin give Florida State more to work with there.
The receiver group is led by preseason All-ACC selection Duce Robinson. Still, the depth in the backfield should keep two-back packages in regular use.
The third running back spot also looks like it’s starting to sort itself out. Samuel Singleton Jr. has been one of the early standouts in camp after a strong spring, and he appears ready to claim RB3 duties. He came into college at 178 pounds and is now listed at 205, and that added strength has shown up on the field.
Singleton was third in the room in touches last season, but he led Florida State backs with 7.1 yards per carry. He finished strong, too, averaging nine carries and 48.3 yards over the Seminoles’ final four games.
He has only four career receptions for 19 yards, but his burst as a runner makes him a real part of the rotation. Nearly 20 percent of his carries went for more than 10 yards.
Beyond those three, Florida State still has other options. FAU transfer Gemari Sands started three games for the Owls last season and played in all 12 while rushing for 465 yards on 105 carries.
Redshirt sophomore Zay Parks turned 15 touches into 95 yards and a touchdown in nine games. True freshman Amari Thomas arrives as a three-star recruit from Blountstown High School in Florida and was ranked the 39th-best back in his class.
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