Florida State expected Tre Wisner to be part of the answer in the backfield when he arrived from the transfer portal. It just took a little longer than anyone planned for his chance to show it.
After opening the season buried behind Ousmane Kromah and Samuel Singleton Jr., Wisner didn’t log a snap in FSU’s Sept. 7 game against SMU. But with Singleton injured against Alabama and Kromah later lost for the season against Miami, the former Texas running back has moved into a much bigger spot for the Seminoles.
Against Virginia, that opportunity started to look like a turning point. Wisner put together a significant performance and finished with more than 100 yards from scrimmage, further staking his claim to a larger workload as Florida State heads deeper into ACC play.
"I feel like leaving everything up to God and just staying true to who I am and knowing that this is my path," Wisner said.
"This is the purpose that God has set for me. Just stay standing true to that.
Feel like that's going to really take care of everything else. Come in every day, stay who I am to my teammates, to the program, just keep pouring there."
Even before the production caught up, Wisner was making an impression inside the building. Coaches have pointed to the way he stayed locked in through the early-season lull, and offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. said that approach never changed.
"I know early in the season he had some games where he probably didn't get used as much as he would have liked," offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. said.
"That competitiveness of a guy like him has just always been about, 'Hey, coach, I'm going to show up to work and keep working, and as opportunities come to me, I'm going to make sure that I show that I deserve more of them.' That's really what Tre has done.
Wisner has flashed as a receiver, especially on screen passes, and has totaled 351 all-purpose yards with one receiving touchdown. He’s averaging 5.5 yards per carry, but he’s still looking for his first rushing touchdown in garnet and gold.
The numbers tell part of the story. The locker room impact tells the rest.
Quarterback Ashton Daniels said Wisner was a steadying voice all week leading into the Virginia game.
"He built my confidence up throughout the week," Daniels said.
"Throughout practice, if I made a good throw or even if I made a bad throw, he was the first one to come up to me and say something. That just goes to show the type of leader that he is. I'm fired up to see what the rest of the season holds for every playmaker on our offense."
Wisner said the setback around Kromah hit hard, but it also sharpened his mindset.
"I feel like this kind of ties into the vet aspect of things. I didn't play a lot of football and seen a lot of things," Wisner said.
"So, it's like always be ready for your number to be called. Coaching them preached that a lot, and it showed.
Ous went down, and I'm right there, and I'm watching my brother on the floor, crying in pain. So that also kind of instills something in you where it's like, I know how hard he's going to go, so I'm going to go that hard for him.
For Florida State, the payoff is clear: a back who can handle more touches, catch the ball, and bring a veteran presence to an offense moving through the second half of the schedule. Wisner has already shown he can do the job when his number comes up, and now the Seminoles are leaning on him more heavily than they ever expected to this season.
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