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The Florida State football team still has what should be a healed wound, yet they keep picking at the scabs from last year’s College Football Playoff snubbing, being one of the final four teams.
The committee’s decision ultimately came down to one thing: the Seminoles’ lack of a starting quarterback. They weren’t completely void of one, mind you. They just didn’t have one that the playoff committee deemed competitive enough to deserve a final four spot.
Losing Jordan Travis just before the end of the regular season last year wasn’t just a damper on the season; it completely derailed it, with Florida State unable to make up for his absence with their play on the field. His loss was something the team wasn’t supposed to address until this season when he ran out of eligibility.
Like head coach Mike Norvell did in acquiring Travis a few seasons ago, he once again hit the transfer portal to find his starting quarterback for the 2024 season in DJ Uiagalelei. The former Clemson and Oregon State signal-caller is certainly one of Florida State’s biggest additions this year, even if he comes with some skepticism.
For Norvell, it’s hard to replace or discount experience, which is what Uiagalelei has with 48 games under his belt. But when considering an X-factor for what could set the 2024 Florida State football team apart, he’s likely not it. No, that resides with those in the backfield.
Lawrance Toafili and Florida State football running backs will be X-factors in 2024
If you looked at the personnel turnover from last season, it goes without saying that Florida State football is set to look a bit different offensively. Not only is Travis gone, but so are Keon Coleman at wide receiver and Trey Benson at running back, among others.
Benson, in particular, was the premier back for the Seminoles last season, accounting for 905 yards and 14 touchdowns of the team’s 2,102 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns. But you can’t overlook the returns of Lawrance Toafili and Caziah Holmes. It was Toafili, after all, who won the MVP award in the ACC Championship Game over Louisville last year, racking up 118 yards on 10 carries for a touchdown. Sure, the Seminoles were one-dimensional in that game, but that was a tough Cardinals defense to go up against.
Norvell likely knew his run game was going to be a necessity this season, given the potential uncertainty at the quarterback position. That’s why he brought in transfer portal additions Roydell Williams from Alabama and Jaylin Lucas from Indiana.
The four of them could become the best group of backs in the ACC, if not the country. Thanks to a lethal combination of speed and size, they make for a versatile rushing attack capable of challenging most defenses.
What really makes this group the X-factor of this year’s Florida State football team falls back on Uiagalelei. Though the veteran quarterback did show signs of improvement last season with the Beavers under Jonathan Smith and his offensive scheme, he still completed under 60 percent of his passes (57.1), with the fewest attempts since becoming a full-time starter (315). He almost matched his touchdown-to-interception total last year to his final at Clemson as well (21/7), according to Sports Reference.
What helped the most offensively was their running game. In comparison, they compiled 2,172 rushing yards to 3,148 passing yards, which ultimately means they had a more balanced attack. They also had one of the better running backs in the nation last season in Damien Martinez, who transferred to the Seminoles’ archrival, Miami, this season.
Norvell wants to limit Uiagalelei and his mistakes much like Smith did with him in Corvallis, which means creating a more balanced attack. With the group that Uiagalelei has behind him in the backfield, that should be no problem.
