Florida State’s backfield has taken a hit, but the Seminoles still have enough bodies to keep leaning on the run game.
Samuel Singleton Jr. will be sidelined for an “extended period of time” after getting hurt in the Alabama game, Mike Norvell said. Singleton was on FSU’s sideline in the second half on crutches, and while Norvell said the Seminoles are hopeful he can return during the season, he also indicated the injury could keep him out deep enough that a comeback might not come until 2026.
That’s a tough break for a player who had become one of FSU’s most versatile weapons. In three games, Singleton logged 20 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown, but his bigger impact came as a receiver. He caught eight passes for 162 yards and two scores, including a 65-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter that set up Ashton Daniels’ 2-yard touchdown pass to Landen Thomas.
“We’re hopeful for a return within the season, but it will be an extended period of time that he’ll be out,” Norvell said. “He’s had an outstanding start of the season.”
Now the Seminoles will ask more from Ousmane Kromah, who has already been carrying a heavy load. Kromah and Singleton handled most of the rushing work through the first three games for FSU, and Kromah has responded with back-to-back 100-yard outings - the first Seminole to do that since Trey Benson in 2022. He followed that stretch with 80 yards on 17 carries in Saturday’s 50-36 loss at Alabama.
Florida State’s offense needs that kind of production. The Seminoles are 63rd in the FBS in rushing at 170 yards per game, and they’ve got to keep the ground game moving to ease the burden on Ashton Daniels.
Daniels can run, but he’s been fighting accuracy issues at 58.2 percent and has thrown four interceptions in his first three games. He has also carried 37 times for 108 yards, including sacks, which technically makes him FSU’s No. 2 rusher.
That ranking should shift starting with Saturday’s game against Central Arkansas at 3 p.m. on ACC Network. Texas transfer Tre Wisner and freshman Amari Thomas are in line for more work.
Wisner hasn’t had much of a chance yet after missing a chunk of preseason camp with an injury. He’s totaled 34 yards on five carries and added three catches for four yards, but his résumé suggests there’s more in the tank.
He ran for 1,000 yards at Texas in 2024, has five career 100-yard games and put up 155 yards in a win over No. 3 Texas A&M in November 2025.
He’s also proven useful as a receiver, with 44 catches in 2024 and 22 in 2025 at Texas.
“Tre’s very detailed in what he does,” quarterbacks coach Austin Tucker said. “Another guy that’s very experienced.
You see his versatility in practice. You always want a guy that can go and extend plays in the passing game.”
Norvell also singled out Thomas, who rushed for 1,799 yards and 21 touchdowns on 117 carries at Blountstown (Fla.) High in 2025.
“Amari Thomas is somebody I’m really excited about,” Norvell said.
FSU has a couple more names that could factor in, too. Florida Atlantic transfer Gemari Sands joined the program after rushing for 582 yards and two touchdowns with FAU in 2025, and Zay Parks has already shown he can make an impact after running 15 times for 95 yards across two FSU games this season against East Texas A&M and Kent State.
Saturday will also bring a different kind of spotlight. FSU is set to honor its Athletics Hall of Fame class during the game, with Bjoern Werner, Nick O’Leary, left-handed pitcher Sean Gilmartin and longtime athletics director Dave Hart among those being recognized.
In Other News...
Florida State Has A Realignment Concern As Senate Vote Nears
The latest college sports push in Washington has put Florida State in the middle of a debate with big implications for how the sport is organized. The Protect College Sports Act, bipartisan legislation from Sens. Maria Cantwell and Ted Cruz, is nearing approval in the U.S. Senate after drawing support from 77 senators, and it has backing from the Big Ten, SEC and NCAA.
For Florida State, though, the fine print matters. Florida senators Ashley Moody and Rick Scott are opposing the bill because of provisions that would limit conference realignment and cap conference membership, and Miami, Florida State and South Florida have all lined up behind that resistance. The schools want to preserve flexibility if the shifting landscape of league membership keeps moving, which leaves the Seminoles watching a Senate vote that could shape their options down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Norvells Postgame Response Should Worry Florida State Fans
Florida State came out with enough punch to build an early lead against No. 10 Alabama, but the afternoon unraveled in the second half and left Mike Norvell explaining how the Seminoles went from control to damage limitation. In the postgame session, Norvell pointed to Ashton Daniels as a bright spot and said he was proud of the effort he saw from his team, even as the final result turned into a 50-36 loss.
The concern for Florida State is not hard to find in Norvells comments. He acknowledged the turnovers that swung momentum and the defensive problems that surfaced after halftime, the kind of issues that can erase a promising start in a hurry. For a team that wanted to prove it could handle a top-10 opponent, the response after the break may end up saying as much as the score did. [Read more 🡒]
Florida States QB Praise Suddenly Feels Like A Bigger Warning
Ashton Daniels gave Florida State a mix of the encouraging and the alarming in the Week 3 loss to Alabama, throwing for four touchdowns while also putting the ball in harm's way with three interceptions and taking three sacks. Even so, Mike Norvell made a point of praising the quarterback afterward, a sign the Seminoles are trying to steady Daniels as much as the offense after a 1-2 start.
The bigger issue now is whether that public confidence is mostly about keeping Daniels on track or a reflection of how thin Florida States options are behind him. Malachi Marshall, the Iowa Western transfer, is the likely backup and could be in line for work in Week 4 against Central Arkansas, which makes the coming game a chance to learn more about the Seminoles quarterback picture than the final score alone. [Read more 🡒]