Football is (kind of) back.
Mike Norvell and the members of the Florida State football coaching staff joined local media members for a luncheon Friday — preceded by a Norvell press conference — before the team takes the field to begin spring practice on Monday.
It’s a team with plenty of questions, with a new quarterback, newcomers galore (50 in total), a few new coaches and a familiar (but also new) offensive playcaller in Norvell.
And it’s certainly an important spring for any hope of Norvell building
a team that will help him keep his job after back-to-back tenuous seasons have ramped up the thermostat on his seat.
Here are three takeaways from Norvell’s opening press conference.
No. 1: Norvell’s playcalling return
With Norvell’s job all but certainly hanging in the balance this fall, it makes sense in a way that he would step back into the offensive playcaller role he held at the start of his tenure in Tallahassee.
That was the opportunity presented when Gus Malzahn abruptly retired in early February after one season as FSU’s offensive coordinator.
“Obviously grateful for everything that Gus poured into the program,” Norvell said. “ … I know it was a tough choice, but it was the right choice for him and what he felt for him and his family.”
While Norvell felt it was right to take the step back and focus on the bigger picture last offseason, he now feels ready to step back into the playcalling shoes. He’s also excited by the early returns he’s seen from wide receivers coach Tim Harris Jr. since he was promoted into the offensive coordinator position which will help build gameplans even if not directly involved in in-game playcalling.
“I’m excited to be back in the room. Tim Harris, in the last more-than-a-month period of time, really has done a an outstanding job of putting his stamp on this offense,” Norvell said. “The way that he pushes, challenges, lifts up guys, he’s a tremendous leader of men. He’s been in this position before and it was a very seamless transition for us.”
It’s a role Norvell has had success in previously, both at FSU and Memphis and coming up through the assistant-coach ranks. When things have been clicking under Norvell, he’s played a critical role in that with how he’s managed the offense during games.
Part of why he feels more comfortable stepping back into the role, he said Monday, was his renewed confidence in Florida State’s revamped front office with new GM John Garrett and new director of football and player acquisition Taylor Edwards.
“I think with some of the enhancements within our personnel department, being able to bring John and Taylor into the program, and some of the additional personnel, it really allows me the opportunity to where I feel I can put everything I have into the task that is at hand, knowing there’s ownership in every one of those other areas with a well-equipped and very talented personnel staff that we have now,” Norvell said.
“Really looking forward to how all of it comes together. I’m having fun and doing one of the things I really love to do.”
No. 2: Quarterback battle for FSU?
When Ashton Daniels committed to FSU, he seemed to be exactly what Malzahn was looking for in a quarterback.
He’s remarkably mobile, and we saw at times what that can do for opening up the run game as a whole in Malzahn’s offense.
But with Malzahn now gone, it’s fair to wonder if that changes the conversation around the starting quarterback job entering this spring.
Daniels is a career 60.2% passer with nearly as many interceptions (22) as he has touchdowns (24). He’s also ran for over 1,400 yards — including 669 at Stanford in 2024 — but aside from what he built with Jordan Travis, overly mobile quarterbacks haven’t often been Norvell’s offensive ideal as a playcaller.
Could redshirt freshman Kevin Sperry have a greater opportunity to start in 2026 with this change? He was consistently praised last offseason and nearly led a game-winning drive in his first real game action last season at Stanford.
To hear how Norvell said it during his press conference, everything is on table, something that we didn’t ever really hear the last few seasons when more proven transfers were brought into the QB room.
“It’s gonna be best man will play. I think we have big expectations for Ashton, you bring a guy in that has experience, at this point of his career there are high expectations for what that needs to look like,” Norvell said. “Kevin’s been here for a year. Really proud of him and his growth, his progress. This is going to be every day, I want to see guys challenged to go be the the best that they can be and who’s going to lead in production when they step on the field. Ten other guys that are playing you know better because of what (the quarterbacks) do.
“I’ve got very high expectations for Ashton. He’s got to go be all that I know he can be. Same thing with Kevin. That position specifically is going to be a fun one to watch because they’re very talented young men that you can feel their presence within this football team you know. … Definitely looking forward to the battle that’s ahead.”
No. 3: The Duce Robinson hype builds
While there aren’t too many known commodities about this team entering the offseason, one thing is clear.
Florida State has one of the best offensive players in the ACC, if not the country, in returning wide receiver Duce Robinson.
Robinson was sensational in his first season with the Seminoles, leading the ACC in regular-season receiving yards (1,081), making him FSU’s first 1,000-yard receiver since 2019. He caught six touchdowns and was a walking big-play machine, averaging 19.3 yards per catch, second only to teammate Micahi Danzy in the ACC.
It was something of a surprise to many when Robinson announced his intention to return in 2026.
“He absolutely could have declared and went and he would play in the NFL next year if he elected to do that,” Norvell said.
And yet, it sounds like Robinson has made the decision to return not just about himself and boosting his personal draft stock but improving the team as a whole, ensuring everyone works as hard as they can, just like he does.
“This football team has his DNA. I say that as a great compliment. I’ve coached for 20 years, I don’t know if I’ve been around (anyone) better,” Norvell said. “ … Duce is somebody that his heart, the willingness to serve, what he pours into his teammates, how he challenges himself, I’m grateful for the opportunity to coach him for another year.”
Norvell told a story Monday about how Robinson was getting some individual work at the indoor practice facility early in Tour of Duty when he didn’t think the newcomers responded to a question asked of them during an introductory workout with the proper intensity or buy-in.
Robinson personally interrupted the workout to inform his teammates what the expectation is.
That set the tone for an offseason of accountability that Robinson has taken on as a personal challenge towards his teammates.
“If there’s an opportunity to call someone up, he’s calling them up. If there’s an opportunity to be able to put himself out there, he’s doing it,” Norvell said. “What does that mean for him this year? I don’t know. I’m really confident the best Duce Robinson is going to show up and I’m very confident in what the results will be because of that.”
