FSU enters 2023 season with talent, experience, renewed championship aspirations

Sky-high expectations used to be an annual occurrence around the Florida State football program.

The Seminoles won three national championships between 1993 and 2013 and finished in the top four of the national polls 14 straight years between 1987 and 2000 under legendary head coach Bobby Bowden.

Those expectations deteriorated over the worst program stretch in modern history. Between head coach Jimbo Fisher leaving for Texas A&M, Willie Taggart’s failed tenure and a slow start to Mike Norvell’s time atop the program, the Seminoles posted a 26-33 record over the 2017 through 2021 seasons.

It would appear, though, that those expectations are finally back in Tallahassee. After a breakout 10-3 season in Norvell’s third year as head coach last fall, the Seminoles begin the 2023 season as the No. 8 ranked team in the country. It’s the first time the Seminoles have been ranked in a preseason poll since 2018.

“I believe in these young men. I believe in the work that I’ve seen them do. We have a responsibility to honor that work with how we play, with how we carry ourselves, for the position that they’re going to put themselves in,” Norvell said before FSU began preseason camp. “I’m more excited right now than I’ve ever been because of the work that’s gone into it. But when it comes to expectations, like I say, there’s nothing on the outside that we don’t have a higher desire than on the inside. We’re excited for the opportunity.”

The reasons for the rejuvenated hype surrounding the Seminoles are plentiful. However, they must start with sixth-year quarterback Jordan Travis.

Travis, a former three-star prospect out of West Palm Beach Benjamin School, has gradually improved since arriving at FSU ahead of the 2019 season after one year at Louisville. In 2022, that gradual growth turned into a rapid improvement as he shot onto the national scene with new career highs in passing yards (3,214), passing touchdowns (24) and a career-low five interceptions. His 1,734 career rushing yards and 24 career rushing touchdowns are the most in FSU history by a quarterback.

Travis’ breakout season saw him named the second-team All-ACC quarterback and has him as one of the preseason betting favorites to win the 2023 Heisman Trophy. But that’s not where Travis’ focus is entering the 2023 season.

“My goal every day is to win the football games. That’s it. I care about winning football games,” Travis said. “I could go for 100 yards or 50 yards, throwing zero touchdowns (and) as long as we win, I’m happy.”

The experience returning to the FSU roster extends far beyond the quarterback room. The Seminoles rank third nationally in ESPN’s returning production metric at 79%. The Seminoles lost safety Jammie Robinson to the NFL Draft, but return running back Trey Benson (990 rushing yards in 2022), wide receiver Johnny Wilson (897 receiving yards), veteran defensive tackle Fabien Lovett and veteran linebackers Kalen DeLoach and Tatum Bethune, each of whom could have elected to embark on their NFL careers but collectively decided to return to FSU.

That being said, there was no decision by an FSU player to return more shocking than the one made by defensive end Jared Verse. A D-II transfer who chose FSU over a host of other top programs ahead of the 2022 season, Verse exploded onto the scene with nine sacks and 17 tackles for loss last fall. He was viewed as a potential first-round draft pick in this year’s draft but decided to return for one more season with the Seminoles instead.

“I’m not done here yet. I accomplished what I wanted to. I put myself in conversations where I was able to go high up in the draft, but it wasn’t what I wanted. We still had a lot more as a team to do,” Verse said. “Team goals, I don’t really have any crazy goals. Obviously we want championships. We want to win ACC, national championships, but I just want to reach our full potential as a team. Because if we do that, the sky is the limit.”

Add in a few offseason transfer additions like former Michigan State wide receiver Keon Coleman (798 receiving yards last season), South Carolina tight end transfer Jaheim Bell (1,029 rushing/receiving yards over 2021 and 2022 seasons) and All-ACC cornerback Fentrell Cypress from Virginia and it becomes more clear why the Seminoles begin the season as the highest-ranked ACC team.

FSU’s newfound expectations will be tested from the onset of its 2023 season. The Seminoles’ two games against preseason ranked opponents are both scheduled for the first month of the season.

They begin the season Sunday, Sept. 3 at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium against No. 5 LSU and then play at No. 9 Clemson three weeks later on Sept. 23 in a battle of the top two preseason ACC teams.

“We just have to keep the main thing the main thing and go out and give everything we have every single day,” Travis said. “There’s a lot of expectations, but when you get on the field, all those expectations disappear when the ball is kicked off.”