The quarterback battle is still up in the air for Florida State football.
The backup quarterback, to be exact.
As Tommy Castellanos leads the ninth-ranked Seminoles to a 2-0 start heading into Kent State week, which will kick off at 3:30 p.m. at Doak Campbell Stadium, the QB2 seems to be ongoing. Obviously, you prefer that Castellanos play every game.
But we all know that is not a guarantee in the football world.
Both Brock Glenn and Kevin Sperry are listed as reserves, with one between the two.
In a way, it does show how confident he feels in the QB room in general, as Norvell spoke about it during his Monday presser.
“I’m feeling really good about that quarterback room,” Norvell said.
“Those guys continue to go and compete every day, continue to push Tommy, see all of them work together, it definitely was exciting for me to see one as a true freshman, and with Brock not getting as many reps throughout fall camp, still prepared and ready to go execute in the moment. I thought both those guys did a great job with that.”
We will not know for sure who Norvell can lean on in a situational game. He needs either Sperry or Glenn to step in right away in case something happens to Castellanos.
Some may think it’s an obvious choice, while others could see it as a coin toss depending on the circumstances. During the East Texas A&M, Sperry relieved Castellanos in the third quarter over Glenn. That could change on Saturday against the Golden Flashes.
Here’s a case for both QBs, with the true QB2 being behind Castellanos.
Why Brock Glenn?
Glenn is obviously the most experienced QB whenever FSU is put in a challenging situation. In the past two seasons, he backed up Jordan Travis in 2023 and DJ Uiagalelei last season.
If something happens to Castellanos for any reason, it would make sense for Norvell and Gus Malzahn to go with their experienced QB, like Glenn, to manage the offense.
Last week against East Texas A&M, he played in the second half, completing all three of his passes, including a touchdown. In the previous year, Glenn completed 70 of his 151 passing yards for 826 passing yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Glenn might not be as explosive as Castellanos is, but he is just as mobile to run Malzahn’s offense. Glenn has battled a nagging injury that kept him on the sidelines during camp and has been working his way back to full health.
“As I mentioned last week, Brock has been dealing with a few nagging injuries that have limited his participation in various aspects of practice and probably the number of opportunities he would like to showcase all area,” Norvell said.
“He’s feeling better. I think the bye week was good for him. He got some opportunities as well and did a great job with those opportunities.”
Why Kevin Sperry
Kevin Sperry came in for Castellanos in the third quarter against East Texas A&M, which led to his first scoring drive as a Seminole. He completed his five passes. Half were two touchdowns.
Since joining the Noles as an early enrollee, Sperry turned heads and took advantage of the second-team reps when being called upon while Glenn was unavailable.
He was able to catch on to the offense quickly than expected. Not only does he bring athleticism as a running QB, but he is also an efficient passer, throwing the ball accurately.
“I’m really pleased with what Kevin has done in preparing himself,” Norvell said. “Obviously, he was ready when his number was called.”
It would be asking a lot to throw Sperry in a crucial game, but it seems that coaches trust Sperry enough to run Malzahn’s offense, and it would benefit Norvell because now there is longevity in his QB room if Sperry sticks around next year.
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Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Kevin Sperry or Brock Glenn: Which FSU backup QB Mike Norvell can lean on when needed
Reporting by Peter Holland Jr., Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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