Florida State is sending a small but notable group to ACC Kickoff in Charlotte, and Ja’Bril Rawls is one of the names that stands out. The veteran defensive back will be part of Mike Norvell’s trio of players at the event on Wednesday, alongside quarterback Ashton Daniels and receiver Duce Robinson, as the Seminoles begin the media circuit that comes with the start of a new season.
For Rawls, the spotlight comes with a clear message attached: stay on the field.
He is entering his fourth year in Tallahassee, but durability has been a real issue. Rawls has missed 15 games over the past three seasons, making availability just as important as production for a player expected to help steady Florida State’s secondary. The Seminoles will need him healthy, active and reliable if they want that back end to hold up.
The production has been there when Rawls has played. Last season, he finished with 40 tackles, one interception, a fumble recovery, two tackles for loss and two pass breakups. That body of work earned him second-team preseason All-ACC honors from Phil Steele.
He also showed what he can do against Virginia in 2025, piling up 11 total tackles and an interception as part of three passing takeaways in a loss.
Now comes the next test: talking about the job in front of him while also being asked to explain how Florida State can sharpen its pass defense. A question like this is likely waiting for him in Charlotte: “Ja’bril, how can you and the Seminoles secondary get better at challenging receivers and cause disruption in the opponent’s passing game?”
That’s the area Florida State needs to clean up. The Seminoles finished last season ranked No. 28 in the FBS in pass defense, allowing 190 yards per game, and they came away with 12 interceptions.
But the bigger issue was disruption. Florida State managed only 24 pass breakups and 36 passes defended, numbers that left the unit ranked No. 133 in the FBS.
ACC teams SMU, Clemson and Virginia all finished in the top ten in that category.
So Rawls heads into the new season with a dual responsibility: produce on the field and help set the tone for a secondary that needs more playmaking. Florida State will be counting on him to do both as the Seminoles look to open another college football season with Rawls right in the middle of the action.
In Other News...
Ashton Daniels Is Already Being Written Off At Florida State
Ashton Daniels has already been pushed to the margins in the national conversation heading into the 2026 season, even though Florida State brought him in as a graduate transfer with a chance to reshape its quarterback room. The path is familiar enough by now: he started at Stanford, moved on to Auburn, and then landed in Tallahassee, carrying the kind of mixed rsum that tends to make evaluators hesitate. The passing numbers have not always matched the promise, but Daniels has never looked like a one-dimensional quarterback.
What keeps him interesting for Florida State is the element that does not always show up in rankings, especially for a system that can reward movement and improvisation. Daniels has built a real body of work as a runner, and that dual-threat ability is part of why some around the program still see him as a dark horse fit for Mike Norvells offense. For now, though, the national perception has been lukewarm at best, and that leaves Daniels with a familiar task: forcing people to notice him instead of waiting for them to come around. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Faces A Growing Recruiting Problem Mike Norvell Cannot Ignore
Brysen Wrights recruitment is another reminder that Florida State is no longer selling only brand name and history. The five-star wide receiver has the Seminoles in his top five, but his family is looking hard at whether a program can back up its pitch with real offensive success, and that puts Mike Norvell in a tougher spot than he was a few years ago. Florida State can still point to its recent resurgence, but the conversation around elite receivers has shifted toward programs that can show a clearer track record of producing big plays and winning at the highest level.
For the Seminoles, the challenge is not simply landing another blue-chip target, it is convincing him that the offense is headed in the right direction right now. Rival schools with more convincing recent rsums have an obvious edge, and Florida States current struggles on that side of the ball only make the sales job harder. Norvell still has the chance to sell the programs upside, but with Wrights camp prioritizing proven results, the Seminoles may need more than hope and potential to stay in the race. [Read more 🡒]
Ousmane Kromah Faces A Huge Year 2 Test For FSUs Offense
Ousmane Kromahs first season at Florida State gave the Seminoles a useful glimpse of what he can be, even if it also left plenty of room for growth. The 2025 four-star back handled a steady workload as a true freshman, finishing with 408 yards on 72 carries and ranking third on the team in rushing, enough production to keep him firmly in the conversation as the offense turns toward 2026.
Now the bigger question is whether Kromah can turn that promising start into a true lead-back push. He has reportedly trimmed from 225 pounds to 216 pounds ahead of fall camp, a change that suggests Florida State wants to see a lighter, more explosive version of him as he battles for the starting job. With Quintrevion Wisner also in the mix, Kromahs second year is shaping up as a real test of how far his game can climb. [Read more 🡒]