Following Practice 11, Chris Thomsen, the coach of the Florida State tight ends, reviews position group.
This coming season, who will quarterback DJ Uiagalelei’s next big target be?
After 11 practices during fall camp, the Florida State Seminoles are beginning to take shape as this year’s squad. The ‘Noles concluded their practice week on Tuesday and will now prepare for their upcoming two practices against UNF, which will take place in Jacksonville, Florida. The University of North Florida campus has been used by head coach Mike Norvell and crew in the past, and the custom is being upheld to signify the midway point of camp.
Following Tuesday’s practice, Chris Thomsen, the tight ends coach and deputy head coach, met with the media to go over what he’s seen from his position group and what the tight end room should look like on August 24, when the ‘Noles travel to Dublin, Ireland to play Georgia Tech.
“Yes, I’m really happy with the bunch. It’s been about two weeks already, and I’m just now beginning to see the guys’ work and methodology,” Thomsen said. “You know, the method from the conference room to the practice field is excellent. They’re making every effort to focus on improving their technique and assignments in order to tie everything together.”
FSU will need another large target for transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei after losing its top two receivers to the NFL in the previous year. In his second season with the Seminoles, 6’6″ redshirt senior tight end Kyle Morlock might relieve some of the strain on the offensive line in both run and pass games thanks to his 240-pound physique.
“Kyle’s done a great job with the leadership role in that room, and you know, it’s been a great two weeks.”
Amaree Williams, a former 4-star freshman, changed his position from defensive end to tight end when he joined Tribe 24 and reclassified. He is another 6’4″, 219-pound target that has made an impression over the first few weeks of fall camp. Even though the Seminoles don’t intend to use him off the edge this season, he and Jackson West, Landen Thomas, Bryan Courtney, and Morlock might have an early effect.
“He’s produced some excellent plays. Thomsen stated of Williams, “You know, he’s still obviously learning. The closer he gets to the ball, some of that stuff’s new to him. In high school, he was a little bit more out wide on the perimeter.” “But all in all, he’s done a fantastic job of just jumping right in and attempting to take in everything that he’s been asked to do.” His athleticism and ability to make plays have showed… He is quite natural at running after the catch and ball skills, that’s the one area.”
West’s numerous injuries throughout the years have made it difficult for him to play on the field during his tenure at FSU. West can become a skilled route runner and offers an aggressive man up front in the run game if he stays healthy. According to Thomsen, he is still firmly committed to the offense.
Since we’re talking about playing near to the ball, you know, the most important thing is to catch the ball a little bit more regularly. That’s his strong suit. He plays the run game with an extremely high level of physicality. You know, you always need that man. We need him in the room. We need him as a team. However, Thomsen went on, “You know, his route running has been really, really good.” “He simply has to complete a few plays, which he will accomplish. I’m confident he will, but only if he keeps establishing that kind of self-solidification.”
With Roydell Williams and Jaylin Lucas joining the team along with returning running backs Lawrance Toafili and Caziah Holmes, Florida State could have a potent rushing assault this season. The offensive line and tight ends returning to the backfield with such a wealth of experience will be invaluable in setting up big plays for the run game. The Seminoles will benefit from working closely with the offensive linemen, according to Thomsen, and the tight ends will need to be aware of the size of the defenses that rival teams will be lining up in front of them.
“We need to integrate with both the pass and run game environments. We work with the tackles on a combo block in the run game pretty much every day, and occasionally we cross over and speak with those guys to make sure we understand everything. With that, they’ve done a fantastic job,” Thomsen went on. “You know, working with the O-line is usually beneficial. Once more, when you approach the ball, you must cooperate with those people and recognize the advantages of the larger opponents.”
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