FSU Injury Report: Mike Norvell Brings Mixed News for Three Key Seminoles Ahead of Week 4

 Mike Norvell has been flying high in his redemption season. FSU is the polar opposite of what they were a year ago. There’s clear execution, better situational football, and the sideline has been phenomenal, too. As they enter Week 4 after a much-deserved rest, they’ll be focusing on keeping their good form, and the next checkpoint in their climb is Kent State. That said, the latest injury update is sort of bittersweet. The team welcomes returns after a short-term absence, but some will be taking a bit longer to step on the gridiron again.

On the positive side, Mike Norvell hinted that wide receiver LaWayne McCoy is very likely to make his 2025 season debut against Kent State. He also praised the tough ringer McCoy had to go through to be in a starting position. He also lauded McCoy’s work ethic during the rehab process. McCoy was injured during the fall camp and has been out since. A week ago, Mike Norvell said, “LaWayne got his first most extended work today, and so hopefully coming back tomorrow, continue to ramp that up and have him available. He’s a tier 1 type of guy for us.” Those comments should be enough for you to know what McCoy’s addition means to the team. And as the schedule ramps up after this week, McCoy will be giving some much-needed production so that Castellanos’ legs can take a breather.

While in the trenches, Norvell hinted that true freshman defensive lineman Kevin Wynn is becoming closer to logging his own first collegiate snaps. Though he won’t be suiting up against Kent State, the staff might be targeting the coming weeks for his availability. Norvell said, “He’s closer. We’re hoping that in the next couple of days, we’ll get to see the continued progress.” Wynn’s potential availability is meaningful because it lets the front go all in and DL go all in, knowing that there’s a fresh set of legs to keep the momentum going as they reload for more snaps. And the ACC play will test every set of legs equally.

The biggest news sits with speedster Squirrel White, who has been getting some meaningful reps in but still has a couple of days to reach the optimum playing health. Norvell said, “Squirrel was able to get back out today and put some work in.” Although he still has some way to go after he suffered a likely wrist injury during the East Texas game, this is optimistic news for the fans. We might be close to witnessing two Tier One guys playing together at wideout real soon.

Kent State should not be a problem for Florida State. This might be another game where most of the roster gets some live reps in, if Norvell plays his cards correctly. But still, upsets are awfully common this season. A couple of slip-ups here and there, a couple of unforced penalties combined with some blessings from the football gods, and Kent State just might be able to put up a worthy fight against the Noles. So, the task is to get back to the basics. Execute the fundamentals neatly and pull the socks up for what’s coming next, because Clemson, Miami, and Florida won’t be holding back their punches.

Depth and dominance

Florida State’s 77-3 demolition of East Texas A&M also doubled as a platform to engage the entire roster in some much-needed live reps. The Seminoles scored a touchdown in their first 10 drives and built a huge 49-0 lead by halftime. With an off week before the Kent State game, the formula that worked in Week 2 might just reappear in Week 4 if the game script goes as planned.

In the Week 2 game, the stars did their part pretty quickly, and as the margin ballooned, the rotation widened, which is exactly what Mike Norvell will be aiming for this week. Tommy Castellanos went for 237 yards and scored 3 touchdowns, and the Mount Everest of points never really came down. 83 players were part of the rotation that day. That’s almost an entire roster.

Florida State has already shown that they are not backing down against any opponent this season. The Alabama game comes as an easy example. But still, the ACC slate will come for them. Virginia, Miami, and Clemson are big matchups and enough to ruin their playoff dream. People seldom count FSU as ACC title contenders, but if the evidence is any hint, they definitely are, especially after Clemson has taken a hit to their potential. So the script against Kent State is clear. Build a lead, give everyone a chance, get some reps in, and dominate Virginia next week.