After missing out on the firing scare despite two losing seasons, Mike Norvell is not taking any chances. The FSU head coach’s focus on development is already paying dividends, as three young offensive players have reportedly shown significant improvement in spring practice.

“Mike Norvell mentions three younger players who flashed in the first scrimmage: WR Devin Carter, WR Jasen Lopez, and RB Amari Thomas,” FSU alum Logan B. Robinson said on X, updating on FSU spring practice standouts.

“It was a good work day,” Norvell said after the practice. “Some young players rose. I was really pleased to see guys go out there and make plays. I know Devin Carter had a play; Jasen Lopez and Amari Thomas had a big run. And the veteran guys are just continuing to push and get better.”

Wide receiver Devin Carter, son of former FSU running back and NFL first-round pick Dexter Carter, is starting his football career at Florida State. He respects his father’s legacy but is focused on building his own, and he is already making a strong impression in spring practice.

Carter comes in from Douglas County High School with a solid production. As a senior, Carter suffered an early injury; despite that, he caught 26 passes for 431 yards and five touchdowns, leading the Tigers to the third round of the state playoffs. Then, as a junior, he recorded 41 catches for 670 yards and five touchdowns over 14 games. That potential caught Mike Norvell’s eye, and he brought him to the team.

Along with Devin Carter, Florida State has another exciting freshman wide receiver in Jasen Lopez from the 2026 class. Lopez is already turning heads in spring practice. In high school, he caught 313 passes for 5,211 yards and 59 touchdowns, including four straight seasons with over 1,000 yards.

As a senior, he caught 56 passes for 1,005 yards and 11 touchdowns. What makes him even more impressive is that he is a two-sport athlete, excelling in basketball as well, and he is expected to play both sports at Florida State.

Last but not least, freshman running back Amari Thomas has been working hard during FSU’s spring preparation. He has added weight in the offseason, going from about 195 pounds to around 201 pounds, showing that he is building strength for college football. Thomas was a standout at Blountstown High School. In his senior year, he rushed for 1,799 yards and 21 touchdowns on 117 carries and also caught seven passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns.

So, with a strong freshman pipeline, Mike Norvell is all set to make a massive comeback in the 2026 season. Plus, he is making sure all past mistakes are addressed properly in this spring practice.

Mike Norvell pays attention to one key mistake in spring practice

This offseason, Mike Norvell and his team are focusing on improving their red zone efficiency. Last season, the Seminoles got into the red zone 57 times, more than twice as many as the 27 times in the previous year. They scored on 46 of those chances, with 37 touchdowns and nine field goals.

Now, this may sound perfect, especially with an 80.77 percent success rate, but even then, FSU was ranked 92nd in the country. As they struggled on the road, scoring on only 14 of 22 red-zone trips, they scored a touchdown on just half of those attempts. Norvell is working hard with his team on the red zone problem, as he explained his approach after practice.

“We started with that. The very first thing we did was put the ball at the 10-yard line and said, ‘Let’s go play.’ There were a couple of good drives and a good defensive stop,” Norvell said.

FSU had trouble scoring in the red zone because Gus Malzahn’s offense works best in open space, which is limited inside the 20-yard line. Quarterback Tommy Castellanos often had to run the ball himself because passing in tight spaces was difficult. Now, Norvell is trying a new approach where he uses WR Jayvan Boggs as a mid-range target and gives a chance to Jasen Lopez and Devin Carter, too.

This way, the team can make easier short passes instead of only trying long throws to Duce Robinson or Micahi Danzy. Norvell’s renewed focus on the red zone directly targets last season’s biggest weakness, and the development of these young playmakers will be critical to solving it.