The Florida State spring game took place this past Saturday and I was excited to lay eyes on some of the new faces for Seminole football. Head coach Mike Norvell has a history of hyper productive offenses and is now entering his second year in Tallahassee. I believe that after a few years off that fantasy football relevance can be mined at FSU once again. In this article I outline the notable performances for fantasy purposes.
Quarterbacks
McKenzie Milton – rSr
It was really good to see the transfer from Central Florida in live action for the first time since 2018. Recovering from a brutal knee injury, Milton looks to show his stuff against power 5 competition and rebuild his career. Splitting reps with Jordan Travis with what appeared to be the first team offense, his arm looked live and I love his signature quick release. He placed a number of passes in the bucket, dropping dimes to Malik McClain, Bryan Robinson, and Joshua Burrell.
Milton even reminded onlookers that he rushed for over 1000 yards in 33 games at UCF with a nice scramble for a big gain. It was evident to me that Milton is the best quarterback on the roster, and in this short sample I didn’t see much rust from his glory days. I like him to be a college fantasy football value pick in C2C and there might be a some NFL potential to boot.
Jordan Travis – rSo
The dual-threat junior quarterback was about as expected. Travis is an excellent athlete who just so happens to have a good arm. However, while he can excel with his legs Travis does not look the part of a major college football signal caller. His pocket presence is skittish and he looks to run very quickly as plays develop.
As you might expect from a 55% completion rate, Travis’ offerings fall to the ground far too often as was the case in this game. The offense did not look nearly as efficient or explosive with the former Louisville Cardinal calling the shots. Should he get the starting nod in fall, he’s still interesting for fantasy purposes because of the rushing ability. However, I think the offense as a whole would suffer and the ‘Noles would have a worse chance at winning games with Travis.
Tate Rodemaker – rFr
Pretty clearly the third team guy, made almost no plays of note. Has a strong arm but zero pocket presence or running ability.
Running Backs
Joshua Corbin – rSo
After 2 years at Texas A&M, Corbin moved East to the Sunshine state and found some success. He began 2020 in a committee with La’Damian Webb and Lawrance Toafili but by the end of the season he was commanding the lion’s share of work. La’Damian Webb transferred down a classification to Troy and Corbin now sits atop the depth chart.
Corbin was used sparingly in this game but got the first few reps with the starters which confirmed my suspicions. Notably, he had a smooth catch and run from Travis over the middle on the first series. He was given most carries between the tackles, but the team wasn’t looking to pound the rock in a scrimmage. He has the biggest frame in the backfield (6’ 215) and should get 15-20 touches a game including 2-3 receptions. I think he’s an extremely nice value pick at running back as a potential fantasy football bell cow who is an afterthought in drafts.
Lawrance Toafili – So
He was very much in play with the starting group as a change of pace. The ‘Noles will have a potent backfield as Toafili offers burst and sizzle but at 180 pounds is unlikely to dominate the carries. I did like what I saw from him on the ground, finding holes and darting through before being softly tackled as you might expect from a spring game. I didn’t see him catch a pass in this limited contest but that will likely be a part of his game.
It was pretty clear to me Toafili will have a role, but how large it will be is a bit of a mystery. He’s a good player but probably best suited to spell Corbin at this stage in his career. This is all good news for FSU but unfortunately limits his fantasy ceiling.
Treshaun Ward – rFr
Ward started off the scrimmage playing with Rodemaker, implying he sits behind the aforementioned backs on the depth chart. A compact, thick athlete Ward showed some nice burst and caught a short screen.
Later in the scrimmage he was playing with Milton, so I think he will get some run on game days but he’s a small part of the offense for now.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
Malik McClain – Fr
Easily the most exciting player to my eye was the four star freshman out of IMG Academy in Bradenton. He was targeted on the first series by Travis on a wide open crossing pattern which he turned up field for a score. Later, he hauled in an absolute dime over the shoulder along the sideline on Milton’s first series for a big gain. Finally, he was targeted late by Milton on a potential big play but it was over thrown.
This is how a freshman breakout starts, folks. The kid hasn’t even been on campus for 6 months and is catching touchdowns from the first team quarterback. He has the size (6’4” 195) to compete against seasons vets in the ACC and now is receiving targets in the first possible dress rehearsal. I will be moving him up my rankings and drafting him late in campus2canton leagues. I want him on my roster before he is the next break out freshman.
Bryan Robinson – rFr
After an injury-riddled freshman season, Robinson looked like an important piece of the offense in this game. He was featured in multiple ways with both teams. Robinson caught a screen from Rodemaker then a great back shoulder touchdown from Milton. He looked like a shifty and agile playmaker.
He has the prospect pedigree to be intriguing and if his absence in 2020 was more injury than talent this would be a coming out party no one expected. I would continue to keep my ear to the ground for Robinson buzz as the off season progresses.
Camren McDonald – rJr
The veteran tight end caught plenty of balls from Jordan Travis during the contest. He was the team’s 3rd leading receiver a year ago and looks fairly athletic. He may fade into the background with some of the exciting new pass-catchers in garnet and gold but for now it appears he is relevant, at least if Travis is taking the snaps. For fantasy football leagues with two tight end spots he’s worth a peek.
Joshua Burrell – Fr
The massive true freshman made my list of interesting three star recruits so I was hoping to see something. He wasn’t very active but did catch a long pass perfectly placed by Milton over the safety. At 6’2” 217, he is already NFL size and showed good fluidity on his high school tape. I was happy to see him snag a big play while playing with the preferred personnel.
Ontarria Wilson – rJr
I saw his #80 on the field but did not see him make a play. Being older and underweight, I have very little expectations. He may retain a role as a veteran leader but with these exciting new guys Wilson may need to transfer to get meaningful playing time. I do not see any fantasy football potential here.
