The Florida State Seminoles have wrapped up spring practices and are heading into summer workouts, continuing to push for a bounce-back 2025 season. With a revamped coaching staff in tow, head coach Mike Norvell has seemingly put everything he has into what he and FSU fans feel Florida State football should feel like, especially on defense.
Norvell brought in defensive coordinator Tony White from Nebraska in December to pair with defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr., to help build what is currently shaping up to be a daunting secondary.
It is normal for the defense to be ahead of the offense during spring, but the talent on the back end of FSU’s defense is undeniable. Young players mixed in with veterans have been stepping up to the task, redshirt sophomore Ja’Bril Rawls in particular has started to evolve into what the coaching staff thought he would be as a three-star recruit out of Pensacola Catholic.
Florida State recently released a snippet from spring camp showing the 6’1”, 185-pound defensive back leaping into the air and making a skyrocketing interception as he high-pointed the football.
Rawls made the play over wide receiver Jordan Scott, who transferred to Maryland last month after just signing with Florida State in December.
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Lock down 👑 🔒 @RawlsJabril #NoleFamily | #KeepCLIMBing pic.twitter.com/UIviLKAsPT
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) May 8, 2025
Rawls will be entering his third season at Florida State after redshirting in 2023. In 2024, he played in 11 games, finishing with 14 tackles. He recorded a team-high and career-best seven tackles in the victory over Charleston Southern, including six solo stops. He added three tackles at SMU and two tackles each against North Carolina and Notre Dame.
While it’s just one moment in a long offseason, Rawls’ athleticism is the kind of flash that suggests he could play a larger role in a deep and hungry Florida State secondary this fall.
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