Florida State football will begin its spring practice on Monday, March 9th. Much of the fan base isn't as excited for football to be in the air again after the administration decided to retain head coach Mike Norvell for the 2026 season.
However, this is the reality of the situation, and the Seminoes have to make the most of it. During this time of anticipating spring practice, fans always look around the roster and admire the new pieces that were acquired in the transfer portal and recruiting ranks.
This is today's landscape of college football, where rosters can be flipped year after year. Fans are hoping Coach Norvell can find the renewed energy the program had in 2022 and 2023.
Duce Robinson and Mandrell Desir should be difference makers for Florida State in 2026
Given that the Seminoles had a 5-7 record last year, the general public isn't aware of Florida State's potential for 2026. When the program defeated Alabama in the season opener, it created an unreal set of expectations that included being a College Football Playoff contender.
With spring practice about to begin, this allows the coaching staff to put their heads down and go to work on why the program underperformed drastically as the season went along.
I wrote in a recent article that the wide receiver Duce Robinson is my selection for the team's Most Valuable Player for the spring. His veteran leadership and pass-catching ability could take the offense to a whole other level with whoever is named as the quarterback, which is why Robinson is also my Offensive Player of the Year.
There were a couple of choices for the Defensive Player of the Year, but I ultimately chose to select sophomore defensive lineman Mandrell Desir. The former three-star prospect had 6.5 sacks last year, and defensive coordinator Tony White raved about him last offseason before the fans got a chance to see him. The Desir Twins decided to enter the transfer portal this offseason to negotiate their value. However, Florida State ended up winning in the end, and this could be massive for the Seminoles.