Florida State football: Mike Norvell speaks to media after first day of fall practice

Mike Norvell met with the media today following the first official day of fall practice to begin the 2020 Florida State football season. The ‘Noles went with a split practice today, with the offense and defense splitting up. Norvell mentioned this is something he’s done for years to nail home the small things early in the season. Norvell said, “This is something that I’ve done for a few years. Our plan right now is to do two more practices like this. It’s all about the individual attention and repetition.”

One of the main focal points this fall will be on the starting quarterback battle. Norvell was happy with the way all his QBs threw the ball on Friday and had good things to say about all of them. Starting with James Blackman, he said, “James Blackman had his best day by far... I’m really excited about his approach to it.”

Jordan Travis also had himself a day at practice, as Norvell mentioned he threw the ball “really well” multiple times.

On the two incoming freshmen (Chubba Purdy and Tate Rodemaker), Norvell said, “Those two young freshmen, they can sling it.”

Norvell was also asked about Jamarcus Chatman’s decision to opt out. As in a statement he released earlier today, Norvell emphasized that he respected his choice. He said, “Every young man has a choice. I respect Jamarcus’ decision.”

The first year head coach was also asked about FSU’s face shields, which they plan to experiment with. There are many options on the table, but that is the top one thus far, “That’s something that we are evaluating. We’re going to explore all our options. Face shields are the plan right now,” Norvell said.

Florida State’s running back group is made up of five newcomers, and Norvell is ready to see what they’re going to bring to the table. He mentioned that they had one of the best days of all the position groups, saying “I think it was one of the bright spots of practice today. I’m excited about those guys. Coach Johnson’s done a great job in the meeting rooms.”

For Norvell’s full presser, see below: