2023 FSU Football Position Previews: Quarterbacks

It’s not an unreasonable statement to make that in 2022, Jordan Travis made one of the most impressive leaps a college football player has ever made.

He saw a 108.67% increase in passing yards (1539 to 3214), 60% increase in passing touchdowns (15 to 24), 7.67% increase in passer rating (148.9 to 160.1), as well as a 7.60% rise in his overall PFF offensive grade which now sits at 91.7, tied for No. 4 in the country amongst quarterbacks.

The redshirt senior and popular Heisman Trophy pick leads a Florida State Seminoles quarterback room in 2023 that features both experience and still-in-development talent — a far cry from where the room has been in years past.

How does the FSU quarterback room shape up as we approach fall camp?

Let’s dive in.

Florida State Seminoles football: Quarterbacks

2022 stats

• PFF Passing Grade: 88.5 (No. 7 in country)
• 3512 yards, 28 touchdowns, seven interceptions

Main name to know

Jordan Travis, redshirt senior

From break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option to Heisman contender, Travis has etched his name in the Florida State record books as he’s become the de facto face of the revival of FSU football. Having come to the Seminoles as a Louisville transfer in 2019, he finally elevated to full-time start in 2022 and showcased from the start of the season he was cooking up something special with a huge game vs. the LSU Tigers in New Orleans.

Travis, who is the only player in Florida State history to appear in both top 10 career passing and rushing touchdowns, directed an FSU offense in 2022 that ranked 7th nationally in yards per play (6.96) and 10th in yards per game (484.2).

Individually, he logged 3,214 yards, 24 touchdowns, and five interceptions alongside 417 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, and a two-yard touchdown reception

With 11 more touchdowns, Travis (70) will move into first all-time at Florida State for touchdowns responsible for, passing Jameis Winston (72), Chris Rix (75) and Chris Weinke (81).

Travis enters the year as a presumed Heisman Trophy candidate — according to DraftKings, he has the fourth-highest odds (+1400) to bring home the stiff-armed trophy, behind USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (+550), Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (+1200) and LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels (+1200).

Career stats: 5959 yads, 46 touchdowns, 18 interceptions, 148.8 quarterback rating (1777 rushing yads, 25 rushing touchdowns)

Returning players

• Tate Rodemaker, redshirt junior

Rodemaker, who had growing pains as a true and redshirt freshman as he tried to find a groove during in-game play, came into his own during a major game vs. the Louisville Cardinals last season. With Travis forced out of the game early with an injury, Rodemaker stepped up and tossed a pair of touchdowns to Johnny Wilson to help the Seminoles survive.

That game, which was solid proof of concept of the program that Mike Norvell is attempting to build by the manner in which it was won, threw the Valdosta product some valuable confidence and offered reassurance should the same situation arise again in 2023.

Rodemaker should get some playing time in non-conference matchups vs. Southern Miss and North Alabama, in which he’ll get the chance to stake his spot in the standings for next year’s edition of the Seminoles’ quarterback room.

Career stats: 391 yards, two touchdowns, five interceptions, 105.6 quarterback rating

• AJ Duffy, redshirt freshman

Duffy appeared in just three games for the Seminoles in 2022, preserving the California product’s redshirt as he enters into this second season in Tallahassee. Duffy came to FSU as a four-star recruit, the nation’s eighth-best quarterback prospect according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

He only attempted seven total passes on the season, completing two — one of which was a touchdown toss vs. Louisiana late in the season.

Career stats: 26 yards, one touchdown

New faces

• Brock Glenn, freshman

Glenn, out of Memphis, enrolled early with FSU and went through spring with the Seminoles, getting his first taste of college football and the standards that Norvell’s looking to make second-nature. A high three-star according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, he flipped to the Seminoles from Ohio State late in the recruiting process, committing just one month out from Early Signing Day after Norvell and quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz put the full-court press on him.

Will he make any in-game appearances this season? With there being a three-game threshold that allows redshirt retention it is likely that he at least gets some playing time during a blowout so that he can begin the process of cutting his teeth — but with Rodemaker and Duffy also eager to put production on tape, chances are he’ll have to put in the work and impress during practice week to earn that valuable on-field time.