Florida State isn’t one of these programs overflowing with money and shelling out $40 or $50 million on their roster for 2026. Through mismanagement and untimely decisions to undergo massive stadium renovations and build a new football facility, combined with a lack of donor enthusiasm after Mike Norvell’s back-to-back losing seasons, Florida State is relatively cash-strapped.
That’s all to say that when Florida State pays up for a player, whether to keep them from entering the portal or to pluck them out of it, it says a lot. So, it turned heads when FSU, which had paid to land four-star running back Ousmane Kromah in the 2025 recruiting class and kept both he and Samuel Singleton Jr. around for 2026, landed a transfer commitment from former Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner.
Wisner had 1,734 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns through three seasons in Austin, much of it while splitting time in the backfield, so he was a coveted player on the open market. And multiple suitors drive the price up. So, while there’s little reason to question the talent, it’s fair to ask why Florida State felt the need to invest even more in a position it seemingly had locked down with a promising young talent. Especially when that position is running back.
Well, I dove into the tape to try and find an answer.
Jack-of-all-trades isn’t an insult
When I watch Wisner play, the word ‘responsible’ jumps to mind. That may not be the most exciting for an incoming transfer running back. It’s not ‘explosive’ or ‘dynamic,’ but you need 'responsible' in the backfield.
Wisner does everything well. He reads out runs exceptionally well, especially in the outside zone game, which it seems FSU may lean into more with Norvell calling the plays again and a bigger-bodied dual-threat QB in Ashton Daniels capable of running counter or inside zone stuff off the backside of option plays. Wisner isn’t going to wow you with his route-running or ball skills, but he’s a natural pass-catcher who excels in the screen game. He’s also, critically, a reliable pass-protector.
Scouting report
Strengths:
- Vision - Not the most creative runner, but always makes the right read, especially on zone runs
- Agility - He’s not going to make you miss in a phone booth, but Wisner is light enough on his feet to dip in and out of run-lanes and forced 32 missed tackles in 2025
- Ball-security - 0 fumbles on 130 attempts in 2025 and only 1 through 311 career carries
- Passing game - Wisner is above average as a pass-catcher and pass-protector, especially at his size (6-0, 203 lbs)
Weaknesses:
- No elite trait - This is the ‘master-of-none’ caveat that comes with the jack-of-all-trades moniker. Wisner has good quickness, good speed, good contact balance, and good agility, but he doesn’t have a standout physical trait to his game.
- Play strength - He’s not an undersized back, but he’s a bit light at 6-foot, and it can show up in his finishing.
Now, typically, that skill set would translate to being a third-down back. And that could be his role in Tallahassee, but that may not necessarily be the reason Norvell and general manager John Garrett brought him in. The idea with adding a jack-of-all-trades back like this is that he can fill any role, which will allow Kromah, and to a lesser extent Singleton, to find what they do best in Norvell’s offense, and do it more frequently because Wisner can fill in the gaps, wherever they might be.
Kromah is still early in his developmental curve as a true sophomore, so he’s growing into his game. He should have higher highs than Wisner, and ideally does hold him off for the lion’s share of the carries, but if there are any hiccups in Year 2, Wisner’s arrival ensures that the floor won’t drop out in the run game.
In some ways, it’s redundant for FSU to spend more capital at the position on top of keeping Wisner, but the Noles are betting on compounding returns. That Wisner’s ability to paper over deficiencies in Kromah’s game and take responsibilities off his plate will free him up to be even more effective.
And, as much as we may be enticed by the upside of Kromah, a responsible back like Wisner who doesn’t make many mistakes tends to find his way onto the field more often than not. So don’t be surprised if you look up in Week 10 and Wisner has played 60 percent of the snaps as the lead back in a true committee.
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