Takeaways from FSU football coach Mike Norvell's pre-camp press conference

Florida State football is on the clock.

The countdown to kickoff against Alabama has officially started as the Seminoles enter their first week of fall camp.

Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell spoke to the media at his annual fall luncheon, and he peeled back the curtain on what the expectations are for fall and the 2025 season.

With the first practice set for Wednesday, July 30, the Seminoles have 25 practices. Those are punctuated by eight full-contact sessions to fine-tune new schemes and concepts ahead of the opener.

"Excited to be at report day, already started meetings here this morning with players. Really proud of the work they put throughout the course of this summer," Norvell said.

"Very productive summer, one where we tried to utilize the time we can spend together here on the field, being able to maximize the time we can spend in the meeting room as well, really working to build the cohesiveness in this group."

With the hiring of defensive coordinator Tony White, the offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, and former head coach Zach Arnett as an analyst, there is a wealth of knowledge at Norvell's disposal as the Seminoles enter the new year.

The spring and summer practice windows allowed the first taste of the new schemes for the Seminoles roster, but fall camp is a critical period for improvement and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the team.

After a disappointing 2-10 season in 2024, Norvell and his staff need to nail their evaluations of the team in fall camp ahead of a challenging season opener.

Here are the takeaways from Norvell ahead of fall camp.

Full focus on Alabama, 'desperation' to be better for the Seminoles in fall camp

One of the words that Norvell and his players have used consistently in the build-up to fall camp is "desperation."

Norvell said he wants his players to be "desperate" to be at their best, as he and the staff want the team to develop an edge for them to raise the standards of the program back to a level that is expected at FSU.

"I want every bit of who they are to go be what they can be. There is not going to be a player who stands up and says they want to be mediocre or want to be average. Everyone is going to say the same things... but on a daily basis what shows up," Norvell said. "Are you truly willing to give everything... the one opportunity you have, are you willing to give it your all with a sense of desperation to make it happen?"

"It might not look good, it might not feel good, the odds might be stacked against you, but are you willing to rise up and overcome?"

There was an emphasis on getting players out of their comfort zone and pushing them to perform, especially with a challenge against the Crimson Tide in the season opener.

Norvell said his players have physically improved since the spring, and with anticipation growing for the kickoff against Alabama, the challenge from Norvell to his players is to push past their limits.

It's necessary, especially after a 2024 season where the Seminoles weren't able to get the most out of the roster.

"You've got to come with a daily focus, a daily edge, that competition has to drive everything that's within," Norvell said. "You have to eliminate all areas of complacency, all areas of comfort, you've got to be willing to give every bit of it. That sense of desperation, that's what I want for this team."

"I don't say in a negative light or anything else, but being able to get all that we can from players and staff, this program, that's in front of us. Got a lot of belief for what that can be, I just don't want to hold anything back."

Norvell wants players to "establish themselves" on each side of the ball

The arrival of Malzahn and White brings a new style of play for the Seminoles. Malzahn's crafty, run-heavy offense is paired with the creative 3-3-5 defense that White brings with him from Nebraska.

Joined by a host of new assistant coaches, there is a clean slate for Norvell to work with after the roller coaster ride of the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He said he wants his players, whether new or old, to establish themselves in practice.

"One of the big focuses as we get into this fall camp is to work to establish each side of the ball, it can be a lot of competition. Guys have done a great job of continuing to grow and develop in their time here at Florida State," Norvell said. "Whether it's been 7-8 months or five or six years. For this team to come together and put their stamp on this 2025 season, ton of energy and excitement."

Norvell said that it's "all hands on deck" from the coaches and staff to help improve the players ahead of season kickoff.

That desire stems from Norvell wanting his team to develop an identity of competitors. He said he got to see how players responded to that challenge in offseason workouts, and is excited to see it transition into fall camp.

"I got to see the edge that was brought when things were good for somebody and at times when it wasn't... trying to establish that identity. It doesn't matter where or when, time, situation, if you get a chance to compete, go put it all out there," Norvell said.

"With the result, where do you go from there. I really like the mindset of this team, I've liked the way they've challenged each other, inspired each other, pushed each other. That's something that is needed, and something this football team has really embraced."

The hiring of Gus Malzahn allowed Norvell to "connect" more with players

Norvell handed playcalling duties to Malzahn when he hired him.

It's the first time in his head coaching career that Norvell has relinquished play calling duties, but while it's a change, he said it was a welcome one for how it's impacted his relationship with players.

"I love that part of it. I'm here to help these guys go live out the dreams they have, to be able to maximize potential to be able to showcase and shine for all areas of their life," Norvell said.

With the evolution of the head coaching role in college football taking coaches like Norvell further away from the X's and O's of playcalling, handing off the offensive responsibilities to Malzahn signifies the change in times. Not only did Norvell gain more free time, Malzahn also wanted to take a step back from the CEO-like nature of the head coaching schedule.

How fruitful the decisions from both coaches end up being remains to be seen, but the seeds of their success can be planted in fall camp. Norvell said being able to "meet them where they are at" will help him with different avenues of coaching this season.

"As a coach, you can see it, you can believe it, but these players they live it day to day side by side. To be able to hear from them to hear who is having that positive influence, who that is that is challenging them, begin able to grasp that perspective... has really been good for me," Norvell said.

"It's something that allows me to implement different strategies or where we might have a need, or be able to help a player along wth a situation they are going through, really looking forward to being able to build on that."

Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @__liamrooney

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: What FSU football head coach Mike Norvell said about fall practice