There haven’t been many positives for Florida State this offseason, but a three-day run of commitments this week brought a glimmer of optimism into Tallahassee. Jayden Miles fell in the middle of that short-lived hot streak, committing to the Seminoles on Monday.
The four-star running back from Baton Rouge, La., has a versatile skillset for 6-foot-2, 203 pounds. Often running wildcat quarterback for Baton Rouge Catholic, Miles is comfortable with the ball in his hands, but as a pass-catcher, he’ll bring something to FSU that the Noles have been desperately missing in the backfield.
Jayden Miles’ pass-catching ability is a welcome addition for Mike Norvell
Generally, as a play-caller, Mike Norvell’s system is an up-tempo spread-to-run attack, but beyond that, it’s far from dogmatic. Norvell, who is retaking play-calling duties after handing them off to Gus Malzahn last season, has often professed that his is “an offense built for playmakers.”
That lack of rigidity allows Norvell to morph his system to fit his talent. He did it in 2018 with a loaded backfield at Memphis, finding a way to get four future NFL running backs onto the field consistently. Lately, it’s been reflected in his recruitment of wide receiver prototypes away from the hulking Keon Coleman-Johnny Wilson duo in 2023 or Duce Robinson, his 6-foot-6, WR1, and towards more undersized pass-catchers like 5-foot-10, 160-pound Sean Green, who committed a day after Miles.
Still, to be amorphous, you need versatile playmakers, particularly in the backfield. Last season, granted in a run-first offense with a quarterback never content to give up on a play and check the ball down, all FSU running backs posted just 37 receptions for 418 yards. That’s a far cry from the 41 catches and 447 yards that Trey Benson and Lawrance Toafili alone posted in 2023.
To be at his best, Norvell needs reliable pass-catchers out of the backfield. That was supposed to be Jaylin Lucas last season, but his role dwindled dramatically because at 5-foot-9, 173 pounds, he was simply too small to be a reliable option. Miles may not quite have Lucas’s pass-catching chops, but he’s plenty big to stick in the backfield for a more expansive role.
Projecting anything beyond this season with Norvell can feel like a fool’s errand at times. Still, until FSU is willing to pay his buyout, they’re stuck together. So, assuming Norvell is still around when Miles makes his way onto campus, it’s easy to see why the two felt it was a fit.
Between his reps as a wildcat QB, Miles did serious damage as a pass-catcher, not just navigating traffic, getting open and setting up blockers to turn a screen into a massive gain, but working downfield, occasionally even split out wide. He has the body control to make real contested catches downfield, and when you can pair that skillset with between-the-tackles instincts, you get the type of playmaker that Norvell claims his offense is built for.
Again, Tommy Castellanos was never going to be content with checking the ball down to his back. But Ousmane Kromah and Gavin Sawchuk were not the pass-catching threats FSU needed. That was okay with Malzahn, but it wouldn’t be with Norvell, which is presumably one of the biggest reasons that he went out and got Quintrevion Wisner from the Transfer Portal.
Over his last two years at Texas, Wisner caught 66 passes for 457 yards and two touchdowns. After he exhausts his eligibility, Miles could be the one to step into that role, first as a third-down back, then as a three-down threat.
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