Florida State football fall camp: Malik Benson's big day among six things to know

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Florida State football fall camp: Malik Benson's big day among six things to know

Liam Rooney, Tallahassee Democrat · Tallahassee Democrat

Thu, Jul 25, 2024 ·

6 min read

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Florida State football returned to the practice fields at the Albert J. Dunlap training center Thursday morning for day two of fall camp .

Practicing with more intensity than on day one, Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell has remained focused on getting FSU players back up to speed, continuing to push players on learning alignment and building communication.

"Thought today was another good day," Norvell said. "Really trying to push and see some young guys... I thought we had some good competitive work at the end, seeing the guys really trying to get the communication and the bases of alignments and working on the core fundamentals. Just pushing to the finish."

Norvell has been impressed with the newcomers to the program, including talented freshmen Amaree Williams , Micahi Danzy and Elijah Moore .

Here are six things to know after day two of FSU football fall camp.

Malik Benson leads receiver group on strong day of practice

Florida State football players participate in day one of the Seminoles fall camp at Florida State University on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.

After a steady day one of camp, FSU's wide receivers seemed to hit another gear on Thursday, with Alabama transfer Malik Benson leading the way.

The 6-foot-1 inch Benson showcased his speed with a couple of nice deep routes in drills against defensive backs. Benson turned heads with his spring game performance , hauling in a couple of impressive catches before leaving the game early with an injury, and he seemed to be making a case for being the go-to wide receiver for the Seminoles .

After day two of camp, it looks like Benson is continuing to make his case to be wide receiver one come kickoff.

While Benson was the standout, Moore had another strong practice, with the freshman quickly finding his footing at the division one level. His release is strong and he is able to get a step on defensive backs early in his route, allowing him to use his 6-foot-4 inch frame to gain leverage over defensive backs, something he did a few times in practice.

Kyle Morlock's route running key to strong start to camp

For the second day running, redshirt senior tight end Kyle Morlock impressed.

The Shorter University transfer didn't play a massive role in his debut season for the Seminoles last year, with Jahiem Bell taking much of the responsibility, but through two days of camp, Morlock looks a comfortable target for DJ Uiagalelei .

Posting 255 yards on 19 receptions last season, the 6-foot-6 inch Morlock has vastly improved his route running in the off-season, finding gaps in the defense that he maybe was reacting to as quickly last season.

"I feel a lot different," Morlock said. "I feel like I've developed so much just route running, pass blocking and run blocking, the whole aspect really."

Morlock hauled in a handful of catches during Thursday's practice, with a long catch and run up the middle of the field in 11 vs. 11 work the standout. During 1 vs. 1 drills, Morlock won his rep and made a nice catch, which prompted Norvell to scream "Good job Kyle."

Caziah Holmes adds another layer to FSU running back room

The Seminoles running back room is talent-rich, with Lawrance Toafili , Roydell Williams, Jaylin Lucas and more comprising one of the team's strongest areas. Caziah Holmes is another member of that group who could have an impact this season, and during day two of practice, he showed why.

Having a good showing both as a receiver out of the backfield and running the football, Holmes made a couple of chunk plays in 11 vs. 11 work, including a nice run between the tackles that drew praise from Norvell. He took a quick pass from Uiagalelei in the backfield for about 15 yards, showcasing quick cuts and movement in his run.

The redshirt senior transferred to FSU from Penn State and scored two touchdowns in his debut campaign, recording 185 rushing yards on 29 carries, but he could be in for a more impressive return this year if he continues to practice with the poise he did on Thursday.

An improved day two for DJ Uiagalelei

It was a strong day for Uiagalelei , who had a good practice on day two after an okay opening day of camp.

Working in both scrimmages and in passing drills, Uiagalelei looked more than comfortable at times making quick decisions and reading progressions. He connected with Morlock for a long pass up the middle of the field during scrimmages, and in drills he worked well with Benson and Ja'Khi Douglas, with one deep throw to Benson showcasing his arm strength and deep ball accuracy.

Norvell is happy with the progression his transfer quarterback is making.

"I thought he was good," Norvell said. "When you look at the decision-making process and where he's going with the ball, you are seeing the confidence that is a split second faster than where we were in the spring."

"I'm excited about what we're seeing, he's locating the ball well."

Freshmen Amree Williams, Micahi Danzy turn heads

The Seminoles freshman class looks particularly strong, with a handful of players looking ready to make an impact in year one. Both Amaree Williams and Micahi Danzy look the part and during day two in practice, the pair of freshmen made some good plays.

Williams has been working with the tight ends, he has said he plans to be a two-way player and Norvell confirmed he'll get work defensively soon, but he doesn't want to overwhelm the freshmen.

Reclassifying from 2025 to 2024 , instead of preparing for his senior year of high school, Williams is impressing on the Seminoles practice field. During 7 vs. 7 drills, Williams lined up with Luke Kromenhoek at quarterback, and the tight end was running sharp routes and made an impressive diving catch at one point. He's impressed Morlock in the early stages of camp, with the senior tight end singing his praises.

"That kid's a freak," Morlock said. "He's gonna be so good. Once he gets his baseline down and understands the offense, he's going to be really good."

Danzy showcased his versatility , working both in kick return situations and out of the backfield, and the multi-time state champion sprinter showcased that speed a few times Thursday.

Working in 11 vs. 11 with Brock Glenn at quarterback, Danzy picked up about seven yards on his first run. On the final play of practice, Danzy broke to the outside and sprinter around the corner into the endzone, despite Nrovell whistling the play dead before he crossed the line.

"Micahi coming in, that's a very, very impressive young player," Norvell said.

Another impressive day from FSU football secondary

It was another strong practice showing for the FSU secondary on Thursday, with Fentrell Cypress, Azareye'h Thomas and Shyheim Brown impressing .

All three members of the secondary had big moments during practice, but Brown seemed to be the standout today. He worked through his position drills with relative ease and comfort, and the 6-foot-2-inch redshirt junior even got an interception during 11 vs. 11 work.

Brown was rarely beaten in 1 vs. 1 work, much like Cypress and Thomas, and he said the trust the secondary has allows them to be aggressive.

"It feels good knowing that I've got two lockdown corners on either side that I'm on," Brown said. "I've got them over the top, so I tell them to be aggressive and play their brand of football... tap into that dog mode, that aggressive mode, I got you behind."

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: FSU football fall practice: WR Malik Benson leads a strong day

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