Florida State Seminoles Welcome $97 Million Key Star Player For 2024 Season On a Year Contract….

TALLAHASSEE – Mike Norvell, on the eve of spring practice, made what could seem like a bold statement coming off a 13-win season.

It wasn’t in the form of a promise of what’s going to happen, nor was it necessarily an expectation setter. Simply, it was a matter-of-fact statement based on raw data that Florida State collects through a variety of testing metrics during offseason workouts.

“This is probably th

fastest team that we’ve had here,” Norvell said last week. “Now it’s time to translate that to practice, it’s to translate that into all different phases.”

Later, he added: “It’s the strongest we’ve been in any of our time here, from a team average.”

So, to summarize, the data points to this being the strongest and fastest team Norvell has had the chance to coach since he arrived in 2020. That includes a 10-win 2022 team and a 13-win 2023 squad that just finished raging on the Combine

But as Norvell noted, that athleticism has to translate to football skills and proper scheme execution.

Yet for a staff that has consistently maximized its talent through steady development, the notion of being faster and stronger than ever is exciting.

And through three practices, those elements are well on display. Whether it’s newcomers like Earl Little Jr. covering ground to make his second pick in as many days or Jaylin Lucas blazing up the sideline to prompt a pursuing defensive back to matter “that little dude is fast”, or a third-year defender in Daniel Lyons throw a stiff arm at a blocker to knock him off his spot in a burst of power, you feel the speed and strength all over the field these days.

“I like the speed of this team,” Norvell said after Day 2 of spring camp. “There’s explosiveness on both sides.”

Why, though? Why is this team standing out with its speed and general explosiveness more than past years?

The initial inclination is to associate a gradual uptick in recruiting with more talent, which is a reasonable assumption to make and valid. For example, FSU recruited speed at the skill positions intentionally, bringing in track stars like Lucas and Malik Benson. Then you have freshmen BJ Gibson and Camdon Frier squatting 585 pounds, the most of any skill players on the roster regardless of classification.

So the baseline of athlete is being increased.

Yet that’s a simplification of what’s actually happening at FSU, in the estimation of offensive coordinator Alex Atkins.

“Time. Of course recruiting becomes a part of it, but you can recruit good players with high potential that’s not very strong,” Atkins said. “So I think that over time, understanding the expectation, seeing the result of the work, no more questioning because when you first come in and bring new guys in, they do what you tell them to do, but they’re still trying to see the result of it. Now there’s no more waiting to see the result because they’ve seen the result, so they know it works. Now there’s an attacking to work.”

“If you look at the O-line, D-line, linebackers, bigger bodies. Strong. …And also, [strength & conditioning director] Josh Storms. People talking about the consistency of staff, the consistency of THAT staff.”

In short, it’s probably not hyperbolic to view this as the most athletic FSU team has fielded in Norvell’s tenure. And it’s a testament to not just recruiting, but culture and development.

Now the next step is to further develop the impressive attributes into football skills.

“If you look at the O-line, D-line, linebackers, bigger bodies. Strong. …And also, [strength & conditioning director] Josh Storms. People talking about the consistency of staff, the consistency of THAT staff.”

In short, it’s probably not hyperbolic to view this as the most athletic FSU team has fielded in Norvell’s tenure. And it’s a testament to not just recruiting, but culture and development.

Now the next step is to further develop the impressive attributes into football skills.

Here’s a look at the latest CBS Sports first-round 2024 NFL Mock Draft after Harbaugh’s strong opinion and expected movement:

Now that the Bears have moved on from Fields and received very little in the return, Caleb Williams is the obvious pick to be a savior of sorts for the franchise. Don’t ask Deion Sanders for his opinion of the situation, however. The Colorado coach strongly encouraged Williams to look away from Chicago and try to play somewhere that is not in frigid temperatures. Williams is anxious to get started at the next level and said last month he has no preference on where he’s selected. Contrary to previous reports of Williams wanting to play for a specific team — specifically in Washington with former USC analyst Kliff Kingsbury — one of the most-talented players this cycle said Chicago would be a fine fit recently.

There’s always a chance Jayden Daniels goes No. 1, but if not, he won’t be on the board for long. Sam Howell did some nice things in spots, but Washington shipped him to the Seattle Seahawks in a trade that leaves the Commanders without a franchise quarterback. That’s where Daniels steps in. The belief here is Washington will go with the next-best signal caller available after Williams goes to the Bears. Daniels finished with 3,812 yards passing this season and 40 touchdowns to go along with 1,134 yards on the ground and 10 scores.

There’s no doubt the Vikings are going to take a quarterback this draft with Cousins no more, but who? In CBS Sports’ latest mock mock, Minnesota moves up to No. 3 after a trade with the Patriots, who also intend on taking a player at the same position after sending Jones to Jacksonville. Drake Maye is one of the career record holders for the Tar Heels after throwing for more than 8,000 yards and finishing with 63 touchdown passes. Most analysts believe he’s a sure-fire, top-five selection despite choosing not to throw or participate in on-field drills at the combine — like Williams and Daniels

Joe Alt graded out as one of the nation’s most consistent offensive linemen last season as Notre Dame’s most dependable star. Alt helped pave the way for Doak Walker finalist Audric Estime’s career-best rushing outing in his final game with the Fighting Irish, an incredible performance that all but solidified top-10 billing. Alt kept Sam Hartman upright throughout the season, too. Alt is a guy you can give a long-term contract to and feel good about it up front. The Titans need help along the offensive line and that’s the expectation here if there’s a trade up, whether it’s Alt, Amarius Mims or Olu Fashanu depending on which option is available to them.

Could the most talented non-quarterback prospect fall to No. 5? Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., a player who would likely go No. 1 overall if that spot wasn’t so often reserved for a quarterback, has done very little on-field work in front of scouts this spring after skipping the combine and Ohio State’s Pro Day. That hasn’t played a negative role in his draft stock, however. There’s a chance he could be better than his talented father at the next level if he continues to develop as an elite player.

Like Harrison, Malik Nabers is a big play waiting to happen with the perfect skillset that should translate to immediate success at the next level. New York needs all the help it can get in terms of additional playmakers and Nabers will be a plug-and-play star at the next level. Nabers finished just shy of winning the Biletnikoff after a splendid season as the top target for Jayden Daniels. Not only does he display great hands and route-running ability, but he’s a menace to bring down after catching the football.

Rome Odunze battles several top-end wideout options for top billing including Harrison and Nabers — that’s elite company. No receiver in college football mastered the back-shoulder reception and production in the red zone quite like Odunze last season. He gave defensive coordinators fits thanks to his elite route-running abilities and superior hands. There are three wideouts capable of going inside the top 10. If he goes ahead of Nabers, it would not be surprising, but it doesn’t appear any elite target will be taken before Harrison.

Atlanta needs to make sure this is the right pick for an expected quick turnaround with the Cousins signing. Turner, a former freshman All-American at Alabama prior to winning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, stands 6-foot-4, 250 pounds and passes the eye test with what you want to see for a future first-round selection. He posted career-bests with 13.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Often used as a hybrid defender who Alabama allowed to roam in various roles, Turner’s strength is his speed and athleticism. He has no problem fighting off double-teams and will be a three-down threat in the NFL.

J.J. McCarthy’s stock has risen considerably since the end of the season after he finished the campaign with wins over Ohio State, Iowa, Alabama and Washington to help Michigan claim its first national championship since 1997. He is mobile, has a strong arm and fits the profile of what teams seek inside the top five. In this updated mock, Denver trades up and takes the former Michigan star at No. 9 overall as the fourth quarterback taken in the first round