Florida State football enters its final week of spring camp with a few questions to answer.
The Seminoles have held two scrimmages and eight practices since March 9 as the program enters a critical seventh year under head coach Mike Norvell. The program has gone 7-17 in the last two seasons, and after coaching changes and a near-wholesale roster flip, FSU has little margin for error going into the fall.
So what are the questions that the Seminoles need to answer in the final week and scrimmage of the spring? Here are three.
Can Ashton Daniels or Kevin Sperry win the QB1 role?
The biggest question remaining for the Seminoles this spring is at quarterback. The long-held expectation was that Ashton Daniels would lead the room after his tranfser from Auburn, but as spring camp has progressed, rising sophomore Kevin Sperry is locked into a battle with him.
So, with a week of practice left and one scrimmage, can either of the quarterbacks make a case for the starting role? Following the second scrimmage of the spring, Norvell said that the program would allow the battle into the fall if they didn’t feel comfortable naming a starter by the end of spring camp.
Daniels has primarily worked with the starting group in practice, and while he and Sperry have been labeled as having played “good and bad” by Norvell, he likely remains the frontrunner for the starting job. The veteran signal caller has prior starting experience at both Stanford and Auburn, and is in his final year of eligibility.
The final scrimmage could be the chance for either Daniels or Sperry to make a case for the starting job, but should things remain where they are currently, this could drag into the fall.
How does the defense perform after a strong scrimmage?
The Seminoles’ defense is fresh off “winning the day” in the second scrimmage of the spring, according to Norvell, and the unit as a whole is taking strides it wasn’t able to last season. FSU’s defense forced three turnovers and was called “disruptive.”
Defensive coordinator Tony White, going into his second season with the program, said the group is more advanced in what they are doing scheme-wise compared to last spring. It’s a welcome sign after the unit struggled for consistency in the back half of last season.
After roughhousing Alabama, the Seminoles’ defense failed to match that same level of physicality and quality, particularly along the defensive front and linebacker room.
Transfer like linebacker Chris Jones and defensive back Ma’khi Jones have been praised earlier for their contributions, while Texas A&M transfer edge Rylan Kennedy has been a name thrown out by staff and players alike. He had an interception in the last scrimmage, and his athletic ability has allowed him to be used in multiple defensive positions.
So how well will the unit carry its momentum to finish the spring, and where does it lead them when fall rolls around? It’s a question that won’t fully be answered in the near term, but a third strong scrimmage from the unit could provide some signs on where things stand.
Which young playmakers have emerged?
The FSU roster is filled with early enrollees from the class of 2026, including a handful of players who are already turning heads in the spring.
Among the names is a familiar one to fans of the program, freshman wide receiver Devin Carter, the son of former Seminole and NFL star Dexter Carter. The 6-foot-1 receiver has consistently been one of the top performers in spring camp, and with the WR3 role next to Duce Robinson and Micahi Danzy open, he’s making a case to earn significant play time.
While Carter has been with the football program since he enrolled in January, Jasen Lopez has split his time between football and basketball, only recently joining the football program full-time after the Seminoles ACC basketball tournament run.
Lopez has worked as a punt returner during the spring, and he’s come up with a handful of big plays as he continues to work into football shape.
The big question for both players is, can they sustain the momentum? There is a chance for both players to earn significant play time as the Seminoles look to replace the threat Lawayne McCoy, now at Louisville, brought next to Robinson and Danzy at wide receiver.
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 3 questions for FSU football to answer in final week of spring camp
Reporting by Liam Rooney, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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