Florida State’s 2026 roster has a different look, and Mike Norvell isn’t hiding the fact that some of the newcomers could be part of the mix right away.
The Seminoles signed their largest high school/JUCO class since Norvell took over in Tallahassee, and the staff believes a number of those true freshmen have already shown the kind of consistency and mental maturity that can earn trust fast. Not every first-year player is built for immediate snaps, but Florida State is clearly planning to give several of them a shot.
At the top of that list is wide receiver Jasen Lopez. He has the best path to early playing time among the freshmen, even if sophomore Jayvan Boggs appears to be close to securing the slot job. Lopez still looks poised to see meaningful action, and punt returns could also be part of his workload.
"Jasen Lopez is going to be a guy that, he's just consistently shown up and been able to make plays," Norvell said. "Been able to grow through mistakes that have been made, grow through some of the challenging looks or things that we put him through, but he's just continuing to answer the call."
On the other side of the ball, linebacker Izayia Williams has also stayed on Norvell’s radar throughout preseason work. Williams was fully cleared from an ACL injury at the start of fall camp, though he was banged up in the first scrimmage. Even with those missed reps, his talent could still push him onto the field sooner than later.
"I think Izayia Williams is a guy that you're gonna definitely see, you're definitely excited about, you know, what he's been able to do, even coming off of a slight injury," Norvell said. "He's just hit the ground running, coming back in. What that looks like throughout the course of a game, how many plays, we'll get a we'll get a better sense of that as we continue, as it continues to unfold."
The defensive backfield has also opened up a little more after season-ending injury to safety Karson Hobbs, and that creates a path for younger players. One name in that group is Jordan Crutchfield, who flipped to Florida State from Kentucky.
"Jordan Crutchfield is another young guy that, very excited about the things that he's shown early," Norvell said. "You know, we'll see where that emerges."
Another freshman to watch is linebacker Daylen Green, who flipped from Arkansas and chose to stay close to home. He is still developing on defense, but Norvell sees a role for him on special teams. The NCAA’s new 5-for-5 rule also changes the calculus, since Florida State no longer has to manage freshmen around the old four-game redshirt limit.
"Daylen Green is a guy that has really showed up as a freshman that I think he's gonna have an opportunity in some special teams units to do some good things for us," Norvell said. "Right now, defensively, he's still working through, growing."
"I don't have to sit there and worry, well, if we play him early, then we might get to 4 games and maybe not, but, or let's hold him to see where he goes throughout the course of the season," Norvell added.
Norvell said a "good number" of Florida State’s first-year players are in position to contribute in different ways, whether on offense, defense, or special teams. Depending on how the season unfolds, the Seminoles could lean on several of them sooner than expected.
Florida State opens the 2026 season against New Mexico State on Saturday, August 29, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. ET on The CW.
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