Mike Norvell is gushing about this young player and FSU fans should be thrilled

It feels like we're on the verge of something big happening with Ousmane Kromah.

It's no secret that the sophomore running back has to be a big part of the offense in 2026 and the good news is that Mike Norvell seems to be making his involvement a much greater priority this spring. This development makes sense with the Seminoles working in a brand new offensive line.

"Elite expectations for what he's going to do and what he can be. He's gotta go do it," Norvell said. "He's someone that loves to be coached. When you have a talented player that embraces and wants the challenging situations...his desire and willingness to play with or without the ball in his hands is what makes him really special.

I'll get past my annoyance with the phrase "elite expectations", because any situation that gets Kromah on the field as much as possible is something we should all get behind.

Mike Norvell should ride his high-upside backfield on offense

I've been of the belief that no one player should benefit more from the exit of Gus Malzahn than Kromah. There were no surprises that the former five-star prospect was going to have some growing pains as a freshman, but the hope was that the positives would outweigh the negatives and by the end of the season, he was going to be the primary focus on the running game.

Instead, it felt like Malzahn was trying to do anything other than give Kromah enough touches to be effective. It was five carries this week and maybe seven the next week, and maybe six in garbage time the week after as a complimentary piece to the Tommy Castellanos show. And to make matters worse, Malzahn was trying to work in opportunities for mid-level guys like Roydell Williams and Caziah Holmes when Kromah should've gotten those touches.

If there's one thing I'm confident in is that Norvell is going to let his running backs handle the running. Last week, it was Castellanos getting double-digit carries a game because he wasn't a good passer. This year it's going to be Kromah and Tre Wisner that should get the touches in the backfield. I wouldn't be shocked if both players got over 200 carries this year with Sam Singleton picking up the remaining slack.

For all the talk about weapons, the FSU offense needs to revolve after four guys — Kromah, Wisner, Duce Robinson and Micahi Danzy. Norvell's positive words about Kromah give me hope that he sees this as the way the Seminoles will be explosive on offense and inevitably gives them the best chance to win.