Florida State’s first in-season shuffle on the offensive line came quickly, and it came after one play that said plenty.
When right tackle Chimdia Nwaiwu gave up a sack to close out the Seminoles’ opening drive of the second half in Monday night’s loss to No. 17 SMU, Florida State responded by moving veteran transfer Nate Pabst out of right guard and sliding sophomore Paul Bowling into that interior spot. It was the first change up front this season, and on Thursday, Mike Norvell made it clear the staff sees it as a live competition rather than a permanent verdict.
Offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. said Wednesday that the coaches are not necessarily “giving up” on Nwaiwu “and his development,” but at that moment the adjustment was the best move for the team. Norvell echoed that theme, stressing that the staff wants to keep evaluating who gives the Seminoles the best chance to protect Ashton Daniels.
The need for change has been easy to see through two games. Nwaiwu has been the clearest weak spot on the line, allowing a team-high five pressures and two sacks on 50 pass-blocking snaps. That has helped drag Florida State to 119th nationally in pressure rate, sitting near 39 percent early in the season.
Daniels has also been part of the picture. He’s held the ball for an average of 3.56 seconds, the third-highest mark in the country. Norvell said the lack of downfield production isn’t about just one issue, pointing to a mix of poor separation from receivers, Daniels not anticipating throws quickly enough, and protection that hasn’t consistently held up long enough for plays to develop.
Even so, Florida State’s time-to-pressure is tied for the 12th-best mark in the country at 2.92 seconds.
Norvell said the midgame switch did produce some encouraging signs. Florida State scored touchdowns on two of its next four possessions before the last two drives ended with a sack and a failed lateral play.
The final sack came after Daniels had to climb into pressure created by Bowling losing on a strong interior bull rush. Pabst, meanwhile, showed why the staff values his flexibility, but the move also exposed that tackle is not his ideal home.
He allowed no pressures in 50 pass-blocking snaps at guard before giving up two in 13 second-half snaps at right tackle.
“There was a reason we started [the game] the way we started," Norvell said. "And then, obviously, there was a reason we made a change within it.
For any of the changes that were made, the opportunity for guys to respond to that - it's there. So I just want to see the competition.
I want to see the growth, and then I want to see the application of it with the next opportunity."
For now, the plan is straightforward: keep searching for the best five. Norvell pointed to Pabst’s value as a movable piece, along with the experience he brings after more than 1,400 career snaps at either guard spot and nearly 800 at tackle from three years as a starter at Bowling Green.
"In two games, to be able to bump out," Norvell said of Pabst. "He's showed really good capabilities, and definitely proud of how he's come into the program, what he's been able to do."
Still, Norvell made it plain that Pabst’s strongest work is expected to come inside, and that puts the pressure on other tackles such as Nwaiwu and junior Jonathan Daniels to answer the challenge.
"For us, it's a challenge to those guys that are also at the tackle position that, if they didn't start the game as a starter, then they need to get it going," Norvell said. "At the end of the day, we're gonna play the best guys that we have, and Nate has that capability to be able to jump out. Love to see guys that are solely tackles continue to be able to grow in that regard."
Next up is a steep test: Alabama and projected first-round edge rusher Yhonzae Pierre.
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