DJ Uiagalelei leads improved FSU football offense during fall practice 14

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DJ Uiagalelei leads improved FSU football offense during fall practice 14 | 6 things to know

Liam Rooney, Tallahassee Democrat · Tallahassee Democrat

Tue, Aug 13, 2024 ·

6 min read

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The scout team was out as Florida State football prepared for kickoff against Georgia Tech during Tuesday's fall practice.

After a dip in performance on Monday , the Seminoles offense put together a more complete day on Tuesday with the wide receivers having a better showing. Defensively, the team remained solid, with another strong performance from the defensive backs.

The Seminoles practiced in front of NFL scouts from the Kansas City Chiefs , Arizona Cardinals , Indianapolis Colts , Green Bay Packers , Las Vegas Raiders , New England Patriots , Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins .

Here are six things to know from FSU football's 14th practice of fall camp.

Malik Benson leads an improved showing from wide receivers

FSU football players participate in fall practice as the team prepares for Georgia Tech at the Albert J Dunlap training center on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.

Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell challenged his wide receivers during Monday's practice after some bad reps early in the day, the group responded to end the session and that response carried over to Tuesday's practice.

Malik Benson again impressed , showing why he could be the top target for quarterback DJ Uiagalelei this season. In early drills, Benson flashed his speed, winning reps and beating defensive backs by one or two steps each play.

During team activities, Benson did well in red zone opportunities, winning a rep against Azareye'h Thomas after a nice move at the line of scrimmage gave him a step on the defensive back.

He was one of the receivers Norvell challenged directly yesterday, and Benson has risen to that challenge.

The receivers as a whole had a better morning, with Darion Williamson making a couple of acrobatic catches over the middle of the field. In a similar fashion to Benson, Kentron Poitier made a nice catch in the back of the endzone in one-on-one drills, adjusting his body well to a high ball in the back corner of the endzone.

The runningbacks, particularly Roydell Williams and Kam Davis , had a strong showing.

Davis has put together a string of strong practices, with the freshman showing his speed in the second level of the defense. He had a couple of big runs where he burst through tackles or hit a gap outside, continuing his impressive improvement from the start of camp.

DJ Uiagalelei has a strong showing

It was a good day for Uiagalelei , who showed good command of the offense in certain red zone situations. He made some nice, well-placed throws to Benson, Williamson and Deuce Spann in red zone work, with the veteran signal-caller looking confident.

There were still some moments of inconsistency from Uiagalelei and the offense, but overall it felt like the group executed well and it was an improvement over Monday's performance.

In some situations, Uiagalelei was able to show his ability to get out of the pocket, be it throwing on the run or tucking and running himself, the senior showed he was more than capable with his legs on Tuesday.

The offense looked more consistent in its execution as it looks to put together a strong string of practices ahead of Georgia Tech .

Deuce Spann continues to grow, has second straight strong practices

For the second day in a row, Spann was one of the standout players for the Seminoles.

He had little to no drops, caught some impressive catches in traffic and even showed quick feet to get off the line quick and gain leverage against defensive backs.

He beat Earl Little Jr. in a rep, using a quick move to get by Little and secure the ball thrown by Uiagalelei.

While Benson continues to shine, Spann's recent performances could land him more looks in the regular season. He's had a good fall camp to this point, but the last few days he's taken his game to another level, and if he finds consistency, he could be in for a big season.

Marvin Jones Jr., Darrell Jackson create havoc

Last season the Seminoles' defensive line led by Jared Verse and Braden Fiske was one of the top in the country.

While there is no guarantee that this season line can reach those heights , there is a possibility with the likes of Patrick Payton , Joshua Farmer , Marvin Jones Jr. and Darrell Jackson.

The last two, in particular, were very active in the Seminoles practice on Tuesday, with Jones showcasing his explosiveness off the line, barreling through the offensive line on a handful of occasions, getting into the backfield.

Jackson has been a force in the fall, quickly becoming a problem for the offense in team activities, disrupting the line and getting his hand on some passes from the quarterbacks.

He and Jones Jr. were both very active in team drills Tuesday, fitting through the offensive line and not allowing many runs to get past the first level of the defense.

Defensive backs showcase athleticism, disrupt offense

It has been the theme of the fall, but the FSU defensive backs have continued to be a thorn in the side of the offense and the wide receivers.

The play of Fentrell Cypress, Shyheim Brown and Thomas has been particularly impressive, with the trio matching receivers stride for stride nearly every rep. On Tuesday, the three continued to showcase their ability, locking down coverage well against the receivers and were rarely beaten.

The group as a whole has been strong, from the veterans to the freshman players, and the defensive backs have created turnovers consistently.

Freshman Cai Bates nearly grabbed an interception on Tuesday winning a rep in red zonework and coming down with the football, but his feet landed out of bounds. The young defensive backs like Bates, Ricky Knight and Edwin Joseph have been impressive in recent practices, and continue to showcase the athleticism to keep up with and disrupt the wide receivers in coverage.

Andre' Otto continues to impress, offensive line has strong day

Redshirt freshman Andre' Otto has been one of the hottest names in recent weeks, excelling in multiple positions across the offensive line for the Seminoles.

Taking reps all over the line, Otto has been reliable in pass protection and has been able to open up gaps for the running backs to exploit.

In recent weeks, Otto has drawn praise from Norvell, offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller, and the defensive line, solidifying himself as a rising star in the Seminoles squad.

As a whole, the offensive line unit has been impressive, with Darius Washington , Richie Leonard and Jeremiah Byers putting together some good reps in pass protection.

FSU football schedule 2024

Week 0: vs. Georgia Tech, noon Saturday, August 24 in Dublin, Ireland
Week 1: vs. Boston College , 7:30 p.m. Monday, September 2
Week 2: Open
Week 3: vs. Memphis, noon Saturday, September 14
Week 4: vs. California , Saturday, September 21
Week 5: at SMU, Saturday, September 28
Week 6: vs. Clemson, Saturday, October 5
Week 7: Open
Week 8: at Duke , 7 p.m. Friday, October 18
Week 9: at Miami, Saturday, October 26
Week 10: vs. North Carolina , Saturday, November 2
Week 11: at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 9
Week 12: Open
Week 13: vs. Charleston Southern, Saturday, November 23
Week 14: vs. Florida, Saturday, November 30

Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State football's DJ Uiagalelei strong day leads better offense

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