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FSU football's wide receivers start slow, finish fast in day five of camp | 5 things to know
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- FSU football's wide receivers start slow, finish fast in day five of camp | 5 things to know
Florida State football's second week of fall camp kicked off on Monday and the Seminoles defense continued to steal the show.
The wide receivers got off to a slow start during day five. They dropped a couple of catchable passes in team drills and had trouble finding openings against a stout defense. After a mid-practice meeting with a displeased head coach Mike Norvell , the FSU offense kicked into gear to finish practice strong.
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On the other side of the football, the Seminoles look up to the task of following in the footsteps of last season's high-level defense. Transfer defensive end Sione Lolohea had one of his best showings, tipping a pass in scrimmages, and the defensive line led by Joshau Farmer and Darrell Jackson continued to impress.
Here is what to know after day five of the Seminoles' fall camp.
Drops from wide receivers leads to a slow start to practice
Florida State football players participate in day one of the Seminoles fall camp at Florida State University on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
It wasn't the start of the week that the FSU offense would have wanted after a strong opening few days of practice.
Working through drills and team scrimmage work, Seminoles wide receivers had trouble holding onto passes from quarterbacks Brock Glenn and DJ Uiagalalelei early in the day.
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It looked, at times, that the wide receivers were doing everything right up until the point of catching the football.
That changed quickly after talking with Norvell during a break in action.
The timing of some passes and routes seemed to be just off schedule during the early portion of practice, which could explain the drop numbers, but most of the passes seemed catchable. With Uiagalalelei and Glenn having solid starts to camp, there is still plenty of room to grow between the receivers and the quarterbacks.
While it wasn't the best start for the offense, in 7 vs. 7 and 11 vs. 11 work toward the end of the day, things started coming together for a few players. Finding difference creases in the defense and working through coverage, Hykeem Williams , Ja'Khi Douglas and Malik Benson ended the day with a flurry of nice catches.
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Wide receivers Jalen Brown , Lawayne McCoy have strong day
Florida State football wide receiver Lawayne McCoy takes part in the final Tour of Duty winter workouts ahead of 2024 spring practices on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
While it was a slow start for much of the offense, transfer wide receiver Jalen Brown had arguably his best practice this fall.
A quick catch and run in 7 vs. 7 work led to a touchdown on Glenn's first pass of the drill. Brown was able to show his speed on Monday, winning some reps against the defense by blowing by them in coverage a few times, and he showed good hands throughout the day, keeping his drop numbers low.
Brown redshirted in his freshman season at LSU, and he could become a key figure in the Seminoles offense as he develops.
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Freshman Lawayne McCoy has shown flashes of his potential during fall camp, and on Monday he was able to put together a few nice plays.
In drills against the defensive backs, McCoy showed his quick release, gaining an advantage over the defense with his first step before securing the football. In 11 vs. 11 work towards the end of practice, McCoy made a few really nice catches in traffic, including one in the redzone over a leaping defender, with the freshman caching the football almost at a 45-degree angle.
Consistency from running backs the key for the Seminoles
Florida State football players participate in day one of the Seminoles fall camp at Florida State University on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
While the wide receiver took a bit of time to get up to speed, the running back room has remained relatively consistent throughout the opening five practices.
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Transfers Roydell Williams and Jaylin Lucas have been successful additions so far, and the play of freshman Micahi Danzy and Kam Davis has turned a few heads early on.
On Monday, Williams had a handful of good carries in scrimmage work, including one that went for a touchdown after he broke a tackle and got away from the defense. The entire room had a solid day, with each running back netting a few solid plays on the ground.
Williams said he thinks the position group is special because of its versatility, especially with guys like Lawrance Toafili and Caziah Holmes.
"We got a balance of speed, explosiveness, power and being able to catch out of the backfield," Williams said. "It's a very special group and I appreciate every one of those guys in that room because of the way they come in and work."
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Defensive backs Shyheim Brown , Fentrell Cypress continue to play well
Florida State football players participate in day one of the Seminoles fall camp at Florida State University on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
The duo of safety Shyheim Brown and cornerback Fentrell Cypress continue to impress for the Seminoles early on, as both players looked sharp during Monday's practice.
Brown was expressive on the field during practice, breaking up passes and winning reps before celebrating in front of the offense. He covered well in 1 vs. 1 coverage and showed good play recognition during scrimmage work, breaking up a couple of passes.
Cypress set the tone for the defensive back room during the first day of fall camp, and he's followed suit each practice by making some smooth plays. He looked strong in ball tracking and coverage drills, and once again took his opportunity to shine in scrimmage work.
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Breaking up a few passes, Cypress was hard to beat when targeted, quick to wrap up the opposing player if he wasn't able to break up the play.
Special teams remain an emphasis for the Seminoles
Florida State Seminoles place kicker Ryan Fitzgerald (88) kicks for the extra point in a game against the LSU Tigers at Camping World Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023.
Throughout the first week of practice, a heavy emphasis on special teams has been placed by the coaching staff.
Often the most coached-up drill, Monday's practice was no different as during punt return work, coaches were either racing to their players to congratulate a good rep or yelling out what needed to be fixed before the next snap.
While working in the return game, Roydell Williams , Benson and Toafili all had good moments working through blockers to find gaps.
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Kickers Ryan Fitzgerald and Jake Weinberg escaped Patrick Payton 's blocks on Monday, with both nailing field goals during simulated fourth downs. Punter Alex Mastromanno showed off his leg, sending a couple of punts high and deep into the air.
Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamroone y
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State football fall camp: Seminoles defense frustrates offense
