TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 4-ranked Florida State football team capped an action-packed Sunday that included Media Day and Fan Day with an open practice at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Over 1,000 fans braved the threat of severe weather to watch the two-hour practice at the Seminoles’ newly-renovated home.
A day after head coach Jimbo Fisher announced redshirt senior quarterback Sean Maguire would need surgery on his right foot, redshirt freshman quarterback Deondre Francois led the first team offense.
Sophomore wide receiver Nyqwan Murray showed flashes in front of fans during a practice that preseason all-conference selection Travis Rudolph sat out with a slight hamstring injury.
“Murray’s legit,” Fisher said. “(Murray) has a chance to be a good player if he continues to play with consistency. He steps up. He’s been doing it on the other field, but that’s what I’m saying. Don’t be Wally Pipp, don’t take a break, get replaced and never get your job back. That’s how part of it goes when you get on good teams and guys take advantage of opportunities. Even when [the injured guys] were out there, he’s been starting to play pretty good.”
Murray played in four games a year ago, including a four-catch, 59-yard effort against Chattanooga.
Senior cornerback Marquez White, who started all 13 games last year, saw action at safety during practice with preseason All-American Derwin James still not fully back from a foot injury and senior safety Nate Andrews missing part of practice with a calf injury. With White back at safety, sophomores Marcus Lewis and Tarvarus McFadden both saw increased reps at cornerback. The pair is battling to replace Jalen Ramsey at boundary cornerback opposite White, who is slated to start at field cornerback again.
“Marquez has great ball skills,” Fisher said. “When you have those other two young corners and get those big guys back you take the experienced guy with ball skills in the back and can cover some slot guys…we mix-and-match those guys all over. We may say we want to double a guy – who’s got enough experience to always make that call and be over the top of a guy.”
The Seminoles will return to the Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility on Monday for the first two-a-daypractice of fall camp. FSU will hold a typical practice again on Tuesday before returning to Doak Campbell Stadium for a closed scrimmage on Wednesday.
