Florida State coach Mike Norvell recently provided a couple of injury updates on multiple Seminoles who have missed significant time this season. Injuries have been a huge issue for the team this year for Norvell, particularly on defense, where multiple players are out for the season. Sometimes injuries can make or break a team, and so far, the Seminoles have been able to do quite a bit with multiple contributors sidelined.
The real test for Florida State involves finding a way to navigate the final five games of the season without starting running back Ousmane Kromah, who was the one constant on offense.
The Seminoles might have help on the way at linebacker, but there are still concerns
Norvell kicked off his injury updates portion of the press conference with a quick tidbit on linebacker Blake Nichelson, who has not played since the season opener against New Mexico State. Nichelson is nearing a return, and while the game against Clemson might still be out of reach, the linebacker should be able to return to play soon.
Getting an experienced player like Nichelson back would be huge for the Seminoles, but the reality is that the linebacker room is still very banged up. Norvell was not too concerned about the players who would be on the initial injury report for the week, but Omar Graham Jr. is someone who left the game against Miami. Nearly every rostered linebacker has been on an injury report this season, which is certainly not a positive trend.
Samuel Singleton Jr.'s return would be huge for the Florida State offense
After suffering an injury against Alabama, Florida State might finally be getting close to seeing running back Samuel Singleton Jr. back on the field. Norvell revealed that Singleton is progressing, but he will not be playing this week against Clemson, and future games are still unclear as well.
Norvell is not giving up on Singleton's return; he never ruled the running back out for the season, and he clearly still thinks there is hope for his return. It might be a delusion at this point from Norvell to avoid the reality that Florida State is in a bad spot at running back, or a future return this season might still truly be in the cards.
I personally would like to think that Singleton is close to coming back, and the faster he can return, the better for Florida State. Tre Wisner is an experienced running back, but he has not been the most effective player in a short sample size this season. Aside from Wisner, there is not much of an experienced supporting cast.
I have all the faith in the world in Amari Thomas, but there is no doubt that Singleton is an extremely dynamic player. Thomas may not be able to replicate the production of Ousmane Kromah on his own, and Singleton could help take some of that pressure off of the freshman.
Additionally, Florida State might be in trouble if Singleton is not able to return this season due to the fact that there are only three healthy running backs. The Seminoles truly cannot afford to have another running back go down with an injury, and if Singleton is not available for another two or three weeks, that could be an issue.
Jordan Crutchfield might be returning at the perfect time
One of the biggest notes that Norvell dropped during the press conference yesterday referenced defensive back Jordan Crutchfield. Norvell stated that Crutchfield should be good to go this week, and getting healthy in the secondary is a goal that Florida State needs to continue to work on.
Crutchfield, a freshman, has played sparingly this season due to injuries despite entering the year with plenty of praise from the coaching staff. The defensive back recorded his first and only tackle of the season against Central Arkansas, but he should be in line to play against Clemson. The Florida State staff has wanted to play the kid all season, and now there should finally be a chance to do so.
The timing of Crutchfield's return could not be any better, with Quindarrius Jones, Nehemiah Chandler, and Ashlynd Barker all dealing with injuries. Barker has been playing through his injury thanks to a cast, but Crutchfield can do it all in the secondary, and he should be able to take some pressure off multiple players.
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