FSU recruiting: Breaking down Florida State's transfer portal pickups on defense -- what are Seminoles getting in latest crop of defensive players?

After losing four out of five games in top 25 matchupvs vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide, Duke Blue Devils and Texas Longhorns, Florida State Seminoles softball has won 19 out of their last 20 games. The cherry on top of the turnaround? That 19th win came via run-rule over the Florida Gators in Gainesville, earning FSU a school-record sixth-straight win in the series. On the latest episode of the Seminole Softball Wrap, hosts Brian Pellerin and Gwyn Rhodes discuss the recent success of FSU’s softball team, highlighting an impressive run which has seen Florida State take first place in the ACC. They delve into the team’s significant victories, including that blowout win over Florida, which puts them in a good position to potentially host a regional. The episode also touches on the team’s depth, coaching, and player development, speaking on how the bounceback after the tough start to the season underscores the team’s resilience, adaptability, and the strong culture within FSU softball. (Editor’s note: Also, this is Brian’s first episode as a dad. Everybody say congrats!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida State spring football is over -- but the Seminole Wrap is back. Perry Kostidakis takes up hosting duty with fearless leader Brian Pellerin out on paternity leave, joined by staff writer Jordan Silversmith who has been up-close and in the trenches all spring long. After a quick recap of everything in the FSU sports world, Jordan shares his answers to some burning questions after Florida State’s Spring Showcase, including: What was there to like the most from Saturday’s showcase? Who was an expected stand out that lived up to the hype? Who was a surprise? What position groups to feel the most confident and most concerned about at this point What has been seen throughout spring that wasn’t on display Saturday? Offensive and defensive spring MVPs The two also discuss the way that the annual spring exhibition has been held under Mike Norvell, while Jordan shares some thoughts on the NFL Draft and the upcoming week in FSU baseball. All that and more on the Seminole Wrap podcast. ---------- 00:00 Introduction 00:13 Quick Recap of Florida State Sports 02:03 Deep Dive into Spring Showcase 02:57 Defensive Standouts and Potential Improvements 06:17 Offensive Analysis: Progress and Concerns 12:10 Transfer Portal Speculations and Team Needs 16:52 Spring MVPs and Standout Performers 20:59 Final Takeaways from Spring Football 26:35 The Spring Game Debate: Showcase vs. Traditional Game 39:22 NFL Draft Prospects and Predictions 45:49 FSU Baseball’s Challenging Week and Outlook 49:36 Wrapping Up: Host Reflections and Audience Engagement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I told (the team) after practice, I’m a head coach going into my ninth year, and you get a pretty good sense of a team by how the practice before the spring showcase or game (goes) and what their approach to it is.” Mike Norvell appreciated the effort exemplified by his players on Thursday. Florida State had its last “physical” practice of the spring today before the gates of Doak Cambell Stadium open, and the public gets to see what the team looks like. The Seminoles went out with a bang with explosive plays, competitive situations, and a couple of emotional moments that crossed the line. Although the headman did not admit it, the defense won the final practice. Poor offensive execution, mainly drops, helped Adam Fuller’s unit stay in front, as the offense did not know where to go with the ball most of the day. The key to success came from the stout secondary play that suffocated the wide receivers. Patrick Surtain stapled Azareye’h Thomas and Fentrell Cypress to the field, and they delivered with sticky coverage and pass break-ups. As Mike Norvell mentioned in his press conference, the offense worked heavily on the short passing game and screens, which meant Jaylin Lucas played a featured role. As noted, the Seminoles will suit up inside Doak Cambell Stadium for the first time in 2024 at 4 P.M. on Saturday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Usually, Florida State football takes center stage in Tallahassee. Not today. As the football team started doing their outside work, the baseball team began batting practice. At the same time, Lottie Woad started doing an interview about her accomplishments at Augusta National this past weekend. Of course, Mike Norvell does not care about the outside noise, and he guided his team to one of their cleanest practices of the spring. Both sides of the ball focused on fundamentals in the early portion of practice, such as blocking and tackling. The offense and defense battled competitively throughout the day, each taking turns and winning consistent reps. The day started with the defense dominating, as they only allowed one positive play during 11-on-11 in the first portion of practice. However, the offense responded, and their receivers later led the charge. Momentum swung when Lawayne McCoy caught a pass over the middle, and instantly, AZ Thomas drilled him into the ground. He held on, and it sparked the group. A few plays later, Hykeem Williams found himself wide open as his corner route busted the defense’s zone, drawing praise from Mike Norvell. One of the keys to the resurgence came from the offensive line. Today felt like one of their most consistent days, as they picked up blitzes nicely and gave the quarterbacks a clean pocket to throw in. Of course, the defensive line did what they do during run-blocking drills, but Alex Atkins seems pleased with the group's progress. With positives all around, it felt like the scrimmage on Saturday could be a catalyst for the rest of the spring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida State football held its second spring of the scrimmage on Saturday, April 6, with the offense in particular putting on a performance that head coach Mike Norvell was excited to see after an up-and-down week. Some really good moments defensively, a couple big stops, a couple created takeaways — but I thought overall, the offense did a nice job in how they executed.” “The quarterback play was really good: DJ had a couple long, extended drives [and the] offense had some explosive plays put in there...I thought today was his best day. He’s had some good days in spring practice, but today he operated at a very, very high level. You saw the confidence of the ball getting out [and] where it’s going, even on a couple throwaways — you could tell he was in control.” [Brock also] had some good plays, moments. Obviously any time in spring scrimmages, we keep the quarterbacks in tag mode so there are some times where maybe they would get out, maybe they wouldn’t — but it’s still opportunities to have to react to whatever the situation calls for.” “I thought the receivers did a good job, because there had been some missed opportunities throughout the week and I thought they really rose up...It was definitely good to see guys take advantage of those balls coming their way. Lawayne McCoy had a big play, Camdon Frier had a big explosive play.” “[The tight ends] made some tough catches. Brian Courtney had a couple, Landen Thomas continues to show he’s on the fast track. Jackson West had a really big play, explosive pass and Kyle [Morlock]...has really taken a step in who he is. I thought he had a great week of practice this week. I think that group, they’re really about the right things.” While the offense seemed to carry the momentum of the day, he still had plenty of praise for the defense, specifically offering compliments to the defensive front, who said continue to showcase their explosiveness “especially when we get into longer situations,” where “you see those guys pin their ears back.” “Marvin Jones, you saw him, Sione [Lolohea], Tomy [Durojaiye] even had a couple really good plays.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Norvell rarely makes definite statements during his media availability after practice. Today, he changed his tune. “I thought the defense was definitely the winner today.” After a mistake-filled practice on Tuesday, Adam Fuller’s group wanted to respond on Thursday. An interception from Justin Cryer on the first snaps of 11-on-11 work sent them in the right direction. All three levels worked in tandem together and wreaked havoc for the offense. The defensive line dominated as they squeezed the pocket against the pass and exploded into the backfield against the run. The linebacking core, led by DJ Lundy, communicated more effectively today than last practice and put all the players on the same page. With everything smooth in front of them, the secondary did its thing as the QBs were frequently forced to pull the ball down, and coaches needed to blow the play dead from coverage sacks. The day was not all bad for the offense as their young freshman stepped up and made plays. Luke Kromehoek, Kam Davis, and Camdon Frier impressed and will be written about later. The coaching staff wants to continue to give their young guns more run, and they trust the work they have put in. Specifically, the Luke-Camdon connection grows every day in practice, and they hooked up for a couple of nice throws and catches during the 1-on-1 portion of practice. After the day ended, Mike Norvell announced Destyn Hill and Jerrale Powers would be out for the rest of spring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The start of conference play came with a rather tough week for the Florida State softball team. In one week, the Noles played five games against three ranked opponents — the Alabama Crimson Tide, Duke Blue Devils and Texas Longhorns. By week’s end, the Noles found themselves going 1-4 with a 10-0 run-rule loss to Texas as the exclamation point of it all. But since then, the Noles have looked like the dominant force we’re accustomed to seeing. Across the following two ACC series. the Noles swept both the Pitt Panthers and NC State Wolf Pack, run-ruling four of six games and outscoring their opponents 64-22 in that stretch. In this episode of the Seminole Softball Wrap, Gwyn Rhodes and Brian Pellerin discuss the rough week before and rebound that followed. Which version of the Seminoles is the real deal? Who has stepped up to help this team find its stride? How does FSU’s upcoming schedule set them up for the close to the season? All that and plus Gwyn shares some of her FSU memorabilia haul from the First Pitch Party when FSU opened the year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The boys are back. Not the Florida State Seminoles men’s basketball team, who are missing from the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row, but rather Matt Minnick and Michael Rogner, hosts of The Gospel of Ham. In this episode, Minnick and Rogner reflect on Florida State’s 2023-2024 basketball season — an inconsistent and frustrating year from the Seminoles that the duo attributes to a lack of competitiveness and defensive issues. The two also talk about the ACC’s performance in the tournament, noting the conference’s overachievement relative to seeding and discussing reasons behind this trend, such as the ACC being undervalued by metrics and poor conference scheduling: a reflection of ACC leadership’s strategies and the conference’s overall management, especially in comparison to other conferences. They also discuss FSU’s roster, from the impact of departing players (De’Ante Green, Baba Miller and Primo Spears) to potential transfers and recruits for Florida State, emphasizing the need for experienced players from winning programs to improve the team’s competitiveness and toughness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida State switched things up with its first scrimmage of the spring on Thursday, giving head coach Mike Norvell and his staff an early glimpse into where the team sits after putting four practices in the books. “I thought it was a good opportunity for guys to see exactly where they are,” he said following the scrimmage, noting that it was the earliest he’s held one in spring. “No coaches, no extra assistance, having to go out there and communicate, operate, understand the play that you have but also know the details and fundamentals.” “For the most part, I thought the guys did a really good job of understanding. It was a lot better than what I really expected.” With ACC referees in attendance to emphasize a need for mindful reps, the coach said “there a few focus penalties, things that showed up” that will be targeted as the team moves to a more cohesive place. “In the understanding of what to do, we’ve got to continue to improve on how to do. The techniques and the fundamentals, some things with our footwork, our eyes — those are all things that we get an opportunity go and get better.” The offense, in Norvell’s eyes, missed a few opportunities (“throws we’d definitely like to have back, missed opportunities where we had a chance to finish a play but didn’t”) but still managed to execute on some big plays, saying running back Kam Davis and wide receiver Malik Benson both found the endzone while also namedropping running back Caziah Holmes. The offensive line, in Norvell’s eyes, did a solid job while the staff mixed things up with a variety of personnel groupings. Speaking on his quarterback room, he offered some high praise for early-enrollee Luke Kromenhoek, calling his performance “outstanding” for a first-time out. Speaking on the defense, Norvell said the linebackers have “been one of the pleasant surprises to start the spring,” complimenting DJ Lundy for looking “like what we needed him to look like” in a veteran role. Byron Turner, Sione Lolohea, Marvin Jones Jr., Tomiwa Durojaiye, Darrell Jackson and Pat Payton, who had a sack, were pinpointed when talking about the defensive front, who Norvell said “did a really solid job” while making the same caveat that there are fundamentals and finer details still deserving of polishing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Seminole Softball Wrap and hosts Brian Pellerin and Gwen Rhodes are back, chatting about why they took a little break (hint: Perry got married, got lazy and forgot to upload the last pod.) The duo jump right into the thick of Florida State softball's early season performances, including the games in Clearwater, how the weather messed with the Oregon tournament, some key wins, and finally, looking forward to the big game against Alabama. Joining them this time is Sydney Supple, a former Northwestern pitcher currently diving into journalism, covering college softball for big names like ACC Network and ESPN Plus. Sydney adds a ton of great insight into what's going on with FSU softball, specifically calling out the team's solid offense, the evolving pitching strategies, and giving a shoutout to some of the newer players who are stepping up in big ways. The conversation takes a deeper dive into specifics like how disciplined FSU is at the plate, the potential for the pitching staff to shape up as the season progresses, and highlighting a few players who have made a significant impact. It's not just about praising the good stuff, though. They also get into areas the team is working on, like finding the right mix in the pitching rotation and getting the batting lineup just right. Sydney expresses optimism for the pitching staff, calling out some fresh faces that have been promising, and everyone weighs in on how the team is shaping up as they head deeper into the season. They also touch on how FSU's team dynamics play into their strengths and areas for growth, emphasizing the team's work ethic and the culture within FSU softball. Wrapping up, they look forward to FSU's upcoming matchups and the crucial learning opportunities these high-stakes games represent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices