Florida State’s special teams picture is starting to come into focus, and Adam Scheier isn’t hiding how much he likes the options he has built into the return game.
The Seminoles still have some sorting to do with a little over two weeks left before kickoff, but the first-year special teams coordinator made it clear after Thursday’s practice that he sees real juice in both the punt and kickoff units. On kickoffs, Micahi Danzy and Samual Singleton, Jr. have been working into the mix, and Scheier called them a pair of elite return threats.
“I think we’ve got two of the best returners in the country. We’ve got good middle skill to block for them up front, and the guys are understanding the schematics and the fundamentals, it’s going to take to block for those guys. Again, they’re dangerous with the ball in their hands, so we’re excited,” Scheier said after Thursday's practice.
Singleton is already a proven piece in that role. Over three seasons at Florida State, he has 940 all-purpose yards, with 406 coming as a kickoff returner. In 2024, he earned Freshman All-America honors after averaging 24.9 yards on 15 returns.
Danzy brings a different kind of electricity. He hasn’t yet returned a kick in college, but his production from scrimmage last season showed exactly why Florida State wants the ball in his hands. He totaled 787 yards and six touchdowns, led the country with six plays of at least 50 yards, and averaged 21.15 yards per catch.
Punt return is still a crowded competition, and Scheier said Florida State may use multiple players depending on the situation. The Seminoles are moving into “move week,” which should sharpen the depth chart even more, but one name has kept surfacing throughout camp: freshman wide receiver Jasen Lopez.
Duce Robinson, Jayvan Boggs, Devin Carter, Gemari Sands and Ja’Bril Rawls have all gotten chances back there as well, but Lopez has made a strong early impression even as a true freshman.
“Jasen Lopez has shown the ability, confidence, and moxie for a true freshman to be the guy,” Scheier continued. “Boggs, now that he’s back healthy, has been working back there. Devin Carter, Gemari Sands, Duce Robinson, Ja’Bril Rawls; we’ve got a good pool of guys that can go back there and catch.”
For all the speed and upside in the room, Scheier said the priority is still simple: secure the ball first. Big plays matter, but only after the catch is clean.
“Possession is key. As we learned here last year, possession is key.
It’s got to be first-and-10 Seminoles at the end of that play,” Scheier said. “After that, what we do block-scheme-wise, return-scheme-wise, you’d love to have a guy back there that can hit a home run, but not at the cost of securing possession for the 'Noles.”
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The group has the kind of names that make the praise easy to understand, with the Desir twins and transfer Rylan Kennedy among the players drawing attention. Still, practice impressions only go so far, and the real test for that defensive line will come once the games count and Florida State finds out whether its deepest strength can become the backbone of a successful season. [Read more 🡒]