'Bigger and Faster': Leonard Hamilton impressed by growth of Florida State football
Count Leonard Hamilton among those impressed by the growth of Florida State football.
The FSU men's basketball coach watched Monday morning's practice and remarked the players were "bigger and faster" than in previous years.
The Seminoles held their fourth fall camp practice and the first one in the morning after three afternoon practices last week.
To Hamilton's point about more speed and size: Johnny Wilson is listed at 6-foot-7 and Keon Coleman is 6-foot-4.
FSU head coach Mike Norvell and his staff found a hidden gem in Wilson through the transfer portal from Arizona State last offseason, while Coleman transferred from Michigan State this offseason.
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Wilson led FSU with 43 catches, 897 yards and five touchdowns last season, while Coleman caught 58 passes for 798 yards and seven touchdowns last season for the Spartans.
Coleman is projected to start opposite Wilson at an outside receiver spot.
"It's fun having that bond," Wilson said of the connection he and Coleman have built. "I got this dude with me, I know I can count on him to make plays and he can count on me to make plays. It makes it more fun to play when you got a dude on the other side that's going to fight and battle, just like you are.
"Having that dude [Coleman] out there, it's going to be scary."
Hamilton made those comments on a day that was dominated by the receiver room making highlight reel plays.
Wilson had the highlight of the day, catching a deep ball from quarterback Jordan Travis. Wilson tracked the ball on the sidelines and adjusted to catch the ball while cornerbacks Azareye’h Thomas and Renardo Green covered him well.
Another highlight of practice was when Coleman caught a 63-yard touchdown pass from Travis with Jarrian Jones in coverage during 7-on-7 drills. Coleman gained a couple of steps on Jones and was able to get open for the pass.
"It's intense how he goes up there and grabs the ball," Wilson said of his impression of Coleman in fall camp. "Crisp routes. ... He's going to go full speed every play, every rep. He's a very intense and locked-in dude. ... We both just learn from each other."
Along with the returners in Travis, Wilson and running back Trey Benson, FSU added firepower on offense through the transfer portal in Coleman, as well as tight ends Jaheim Bell (South Carolina) and Kyle Morlock (Shorter).
Both Wilson and Coleman were included on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List, which was announced Monday. The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the college football season’s outstanding FBS receiver, regardless of position.
"I am so excited to go out there and see everybody just put the best version of themselves out there," Wilson said. "We have so many weapons. I’ve never been on a team this loaded. I am excited to see what everyone can do.
"You're going to have to matchup on the field. You can't double one person. If you double one person, you got Keon, you have Jahiem, you got Trey and you have to worry about Trav. There's a lot of dudes out here that are going to make plays."
After a slow first two days, the offense is starting to show flashes of its potential in the last two practices.
The first day of practice was particularly dominated by the secondary.
"It was really just getting our timing back," Wilson said. "The first couple of days, dudes get fatigued. We're still trying to get all the concepts. We've been doing a way better job of these last two practices of grasping the concepts and getting our timing down.
"I feel like we're making progress."
An adjustment period for Keon Coleman
While Coleman has already shown his big play ability in short order with the Seminoles, there have also been coaching moments.
During an 11-on-11 drill, Coleman got wide open and had a chance for a big gainer. However, due to a miscommunication with Travis, the ball fell incomplete.
Each of Travis and Norvell has pulled Coleman aside following a miscommunication during a play to talk about what happened. Each has been happy to coach up the newcomer and get on the same page.
"It helps tremendously," Coleman said. "If you mess up, you want to knock that out of the way. You want to get it to work and understand how to make it work right then and there, so it doesn't happen another time."
Coleman entered the transfer portal on April 30. He committed to the Seminoles 18 days later on May 17.
Since his arrival, he has been working with Travis to make sure he has a good connection with the Heisman Trophy candidate.
"I don't think there is really a time limit on that," Coleman said. "That happens over the course of time with consistent reps. The more reps you can get and the good thing is it's camp, so every chance you're out there getting catches in and talking. ...
"You learn to see what they see, understand their drops and things like that. It helps you understand how you're supposed to get open and angles."
Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football: The duo of Johnny Wilson, Keon Coleman making plays
