The Florida State Seminoles have plenty of fresh faces on the roster as the 2026 season approaches.
Throughout the offseason, the Seminoles signed the largest high school/JUCO class since head coach Mike Norvell arrived in Tallahassee. Florida State is planning to put some of those true freshmen to work.
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It's not easy to throw a first-year player into a big role. However, members of FSU's #Tribe26 class have displayed consistency and mental maturity, two aspects that the coaching staff is looking for.
Over the spring, summer, and into the preseason, a couple of newcomers have consistently caught Norvell's attention.
Here are a few faces we might see on Saturday.
Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Jasen Lopez (7) catches a pass Thursday, April 9, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Obviously, wide receiver Jasen Lopez is the true freshman with the best chance to start. He's competing with sophomore Jayvan Boggs for the role in the slot, but it sounds like Boggs may be close to locking down the job.
Regardless, Lopez is expected to see a fair amount of playing time, along with the possibility of handling the punt return duties.
"Jasen Lopez is going to be a guy that, he's just consistently shown up and been able to make plays," Norvell said. "Been able to grow through mistakes that have been made, grow through some of the challenging looks or things that we put him through, but he's just continuing to answer the call."
Linebacker Izayia Williams is another player we've heard about during the preseason. He was fully cleared to return from an ACL injury at the beginning of fall camp but got banged up during the first scrimmage.
Williams' potential might help get him on the field sooner rather than later, despite the missed reps.
"I think Izayia Williams is a guy that you're gonna definitely see, you're definitely excited about, you know, what he's been able to do, even coming off of a slight injury," Norvell said. "He's just hit the ground running, coming back in. What that looks like throughout the course of a game, how many plays, we'll get a we'll get a better sense of that as we continue, as it continues to unfold."
In the defensive backfield, a season-ending injury to safety Karson Hobbs has opened the door for younger players to earn playing time.
Jordan Crutchfield, who flipped to Florida State from Kentucky, is in that conversation.
"Jordan Crutchfield is another young guy that, very excited about the things that he's shown early," Norvell said. "You know, we'll see where that emerges."
Linebacker Daylen Green is another true freshman who flipped from the SEC to sign with the Seminoles, spurning Arkansas to stay close to home.
Green is still figuring things out defensively, but Norvell believes he can be useful on special teams.
The NCAA's new 5-for-5 rule means Florida State doesn't have to worry about redshirting players and maximizing opportunities in the four games they previously would've been able to play in.
"Daylen Green is a guy that has really showed up as a freshman that I think he's gonna have an opportunity in some special teams units to do some good things for us," Norvell said. "Right now, defensively, he's still working through, growing."
"I don't have to sit there and worry, well, if we play him early, then we might get to 4 games and maybe not, but, or let's hold him to see where he goes throughout the course of the season," Norvell added.
Depending on the season, plenty of true freshmen will have an opportunity to break into the lineup, whether that's due to availability or growth.
Norvell claimed a "good number" of Florida State's first-year players are in a position to make an impact in a multitude of ways, whether that's on offense, defense, or special teams.
The Florida State Seminoles kick off their 2026 season against the New Mexico State Aggies on Saturday, August 29. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on The CW.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/fsu as Mike Norvell Highlights FSU Football Freshmen Who Could Make Early Impact .
