Seminoles' defense ignites in scrimmage, showcasing speed and playmaking. New stars emerge as the unit dominates, silencing offensive hopefuls and building momentum.
The Florida State Seminoles' defense built on their momentum from Thursday's practice and dominated in Saturday's scrimmage.
Coach Mike Norvell said the group was fast and caused havoc for the offense, which is undergoing a quarterback battle between Ashton Daniels and Kevin Sperry.
"We had a couple of pass interceptions, a couple of opportunities where guys went and just made a play, and that's what we needed," Norvell told the media after the scrimmage. "For the first part of the scrimmage, it was definitely controlled by the defense."
Norvell's defense continues to cement itself as an elite pass defense. They allowed 190.8 yards per game through the air last season, which ranked second in the ACC behind Louisville, which allowed two fewer yards.
Florida State recorded 12 interceptions, good for seventh-best in the conference. Earl Little Jr. led the Seminoles with four picks; Jerry Wilson and Edwin Joseph trailed behind with three.
However, Little transferred to Ohio State, and Joseph transferred to Ole Miss, while Wilson graduated. Florida State lost some heavy hitters in their defensive back room, but has seemed to replace their production.
"Ja'bril [Rawls] is one of the best corners in the country," Norvell said. "Q Jones is getting more work and operating at a high level. The competition at corner is highly competitive with newcomers like Nehemiah [Chandler] and Chuck [Kennon], plus Charles Lester, Ricky Knight and others."
Rawls played seven games for the Seminoles last year and started in all of them. He recorded 40 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two pass breakups, an interception and a fumble recovery.
The 6-foot-1 Pensacola native is stepping up as one of the lead cornerbacks for his coach after his previous teammates transferred.
Jones is doing the same, and is shouldering a heavier responsibility after a season-ending injury sidelined him after five games. He totaled seven tackles, a tackle for a loss and one pass breakup in his limited availability.
The linebacker group left its imprint on the second scrimmage alongside the defensive backs.
"Our linebackers -- you feel their explosiveness," Norvell said. "Omar [Graham Jr.] and Blake [Nichelson], AJ Cottrell has done some nice things. The freshmen -- Karon [Maycock] made a couple of plays, [and] Noah LaVallee has done some really good things early."
Graham Jr., Nichelson and Cottrell are the trio of seniors leading the linebacker core. The position group needs to display a next-level jump because Nichelson's 43 tackles -- leader of the trio -- tied for 102nd in the conference last season.
Florida State's defense is trending toward replicating a similar performance from last season, but only time will tell when spring football ends.
The Seminoles host their third spring scrimmage next Saturday, April 11.
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