Florida State is getting down to the final stretch of camp, and Mike Norvell says the Seminoles are starting to put real focus on New Mexico State with the week zero opener now just 12 days away.
After Monday’s practice, Norvell told local Tallahassee media that FSU spent much of the day on special teams while also getting work in on situational football. The offense, he said, has continued to stand out in those settings.
“We got a two-minute drill (today). I thought the offense has embraced that time and understanding. It’s a great opportunity for us as a coaching staff to be able to work together…I thought we got some really good work in that era throughout the last week.”
Norvell also pointed to the return of wide receiver Jayvan Boggs as a boost for the offense’s flexibility. Boggs arrived in Tallahassee in 2025 with big expectations after a record-setting senior season at Cocoa High, but injuries slowed his freshman year and left him not fully healthy when fall camp opened. Now, the head coach says he’s getting back into the mix.
“Getting Boggs back in the fold (has helped our versatility). He is a very versatile player. He’s got great speed and is a guy who can really do it all.”
On defense, Norvell praised linebacker coach Ernie Sims, who is in his first season leading that group in Tallahassee. The former FSU star has clearly made an impression in the room, with Norvell crediting the edge and daily standard Sims has brought to the position.
“The daily approach and edge that he brings with those guys is something I’ve really liked to see. He’s challenged them mentally and physically.
There is so much competition in that room; it kind of feeds off each other. But I think he’s done a really nice job making everyone in that room his.”
With the opener closing in, Florida State also took its first real look at New Mexico State on Monday, beginning prep for the matchup with a short segment of work against the Aggies.
“We got our first introduction, about 15 minutes, of working against and looking at New Mexico State with some of the things we could potentially see.”
In Other News...
Florida States Backfield Just Earned Respect Now Comes The Hard Part
Florida States backfield got a notable nod this week when Ousmane Kromah and Quintrevion Wisner were both named to the 2026 Doak Walker Award watch list. Its a small piece of preseason recognition, but it says plenty about how the Seminoles running game is viewed heading into the fall, especially with Florida State joining a short list of programs nationally to place multiple backs on the watch list and standing as one of only two ACC teams to do it.
Kromah and Wisner have each built enough of a track record to draw attention, and now comes the tougher part: turning that respect into production once the games count. The watch list honors are nice, but for Florida State the real question is whether this tandem can match the hype, carry the offense when needed and give the Seminoles a ground game that can hold up against the better defenses on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Enters 2025 With Mike Norvell Under Immediate Pressure
Florida State opened 2025 on the outside of the AP preseason Top 25 again, a familiar and frustrating place for a program that has spent much of the Mike Norvell era trying to climb back into national relevance. It is the fifth time in seven years under Norvell that the Seminoles have been left out of the poll, a reminder that last years struggles and a modest transfer portal haul have not yet changed the bigger perception around the program.
The path back will not be easy, either. Florida States schedule includes four ranked opponents, with Miami, SMU, Louisville and Alabama all waiting to test whether the Seminoles are ready to rejoin the conversation. Norvell enters the season with the pressure already building, and how this team handles the early months could determine far more than just its place in the rankings. [Read more 🡒]
Florida States Biggest 2026 Question Is All About Where The Money Went
Florida State kept Mike Norvell in place for a seventh season, even as the conversation around the program has shifted from coaching stability to whether the investment around him is being allocated the right way. The Seminoles poured more than $20 million into the roster, with a clear emphasis on skill positions, and the expectation in Tallahassee was that an aggressive offseason would help reset the programs trajectory.
The question now is whether the most important spot on the field got enough of that attention. The Athletics offseason quarterback rankings suggested Florida State may not have landed at the same level at quarterback as some of its other additions, leaving Ashton Daniels in a less favorable tier than several of the passers brought in elsewhere. For a program trying to justify both its spending and its direction, that is the kind of mismatch that can loom over an entire season. [Read more 🡒]