Mike Norvell provides update on Florida State’s roster for bowl game

As head coach Mike Norvell prepares his Florida State squad for their Cheez-It Bowl matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners, he provided an update on Florida State’s roster. One of the big questions on the minds of many is will the Seminoles have any players opting out of playing in preparation for the 2023 NFL Draft.

“All things of what’s happening with the bowl, we’ll go through that process as we get a little closer. Everybody is here and working,” said Norvell. “I have not had anybody say that they’re not playing yet. We’ll see how that goes. I’ve had guys I didn’t even ask what they were doing yet, and they already declared that they’re playing.

“These practices leading up it’s all focused on us. I would expect a high majority of our team to be ready and participate in this game. We got some guys that got banged up. They’re late; we’ll see where they are. We have a couple of guys that have hit their four games and their season. So unless there’s some last-minute declaration by the NCAA, they probably won’t play. We’re going to be smart with some of that.”

The most recent trend for players heading to the NFL sitting out bowl games to end the season has been at the forefront of coaches’ roster decisions during bowl season. Florida State has a few NFL-ready prospects on their roster that could still potentially declare for the NFL draft. The Seminoles at the top of that list for Norvell are defensive end Jared Verse, safety Akeem Dent, and offensive tackle Robert Scott. No word has been given on whether they intend to declare for the NFL draft and potentially opt out of the Cheez-Its Bowl.

Norvell explains how Florida State has built program to this point

When Norvell came to Florida State from Memphis, the Seminoles needed a hard reset. The Jimbo Fisher era ended on a low note, which was followed by the brief but frustrating Willie Taggart era. So, despite how big of a brand Florida State is, rebuilding the program was never going to be quick or easy for the Seminoles.

This year, things started to click for Florida State and Mike Norvell beat both Miami and Florida on the way to a 9-3 record and a birth in the Cheez-It Bowl.

Mike Norvell explained how he has built Florida State to this point over the last three seasons in the Cheez-It Bowl press conference.

“Coming in there had been quite a bit of change around Florida State over the years prior to being able to come, and it was important that we set those values and we really established an understanding for our players and what to expect. And, because there had been different leaders, with every leader there’s gonna be different languages and different expectations,” Mike Norvell said.