Florida State’s tight end room looks poised to become one of the biggest beneficiaries of Mike Norvell taking back play-calling duties.
As fall camp rolls on, the Seminoles are starting to show what this roster could look like heading into the 2026 season, and the early buzz around this group is hard to miss. Tight ends coach Chris Thomsen, along with Landen Thomas and Desirrio Riles, all met with reporters on Thursday, and the message coming out of that room was clear: there’s real confidence in what this offense can do with the tight ends.
The reason is pretty straightforward. When Norvell handled the offense from 2020 through 2024, the tight ends were a major part of the plan.
John Evans of Noles247 noted that Florida State used two tight ends together nearly 27 percent of the time during that stretch, which ranked 26th nationally among Power Four programs. That kind of usage lines up perfectly with what this group expects next season.
Florida State is expected to lean into a ground-heavy approach, and that means plenty of 12 personnel. Thomsen believes that setup gives tight ends the chance to work the seams and create explosive plays downfield. It also gives the offense a chance to keep defenses guessing, especially when the run game starts to hit.
Thomsen also singled out Thomas and Riles as the best blockers in the room so far, according to Evans. That matters in a system that wants to lean on tight ends in multiple ways, not just as pass catchers.
Riles, who transferred in from East Carolina, has already drawn plenty of attention from the staff this offseason. When asked what separates him as a route runner, he pointed to his speed.
"I'll say my speed. Being able to attack the safeties' leverage and just outrun them - my speed, and my ability and my big body."
That speed showed up in his production last season, when he posted career highs at East Carolina with 28 catches, 362 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Florida State figures to lean on that athleticism.
Thomas, meanwhile, is in what Thomsen described as the best shape of his career, and the coach said Thomas has been playing his best football this camp. Thomas took better care of his body during the offseason, and that work is already showing on the field.
He’s also familiar with what this offense can look like when Norvell is calling the shots. Thomas said the system feels most similar to the one he played in during the 2024 season, when Norvell handled the play-calling. That season was Thomas’ most productive yet, as he finished with career highs in catches with 14 and receiving yards with 173.
With Norvell back in control, Florida State could feature Thomas and Riles together often. That kind of pairing gives the Seminoles flexibility in both the run game and the passing game, and if the ground attack starts working out of those sets, it should only create more room for both tight ends to make plays.
For a position group that wasn’t used much last year, the setup now looks a lot more promising. Based on everything coming out of camp, Florida State’s tight ends may be in line for a much bigger spotlight.
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