One running back is starting to emerge in Florida State’s crowded backfield.
Florida State held its initial spring scrimmage at the indoor practice facility this past weekend. The event gave head coach Mike Norvell a chance to evaluate his team further, with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and defensive coordinator Tony White overseeing their respective sides of the ball.
On offense, FSU focused on establishing the run and highlighting the talent in the backfield. With a strong pool of running backs, one player in particular stood out to Norvell.
Following Tuesday’s practice, Norvell praised redshirt sophomore running back Samuel Singleton Jr. for his work in the scrimmage. It’s clear that there is some real excitement building behind the athletic underclassman.
“Sam Singleton ran really, really hard,” Norvell said. “Had some good runs, a couple of really nice cuts. He’s a guy that I’m excited about just what he’s doing and the capabilities that are ahead.”
Singleton Jr.’s workload has increased this spring with veteran running back Roydell Williams being limited at certain points. He’s taking every opportunity he can to continue ascending.
“He’s a guy that has a lot of talent, ability. Roydell was able to get even more today in the work, Roydell’s a guy that has great experience, great wisdom,” Norvell said. “I think that Sam is embracing the opportunity that he’s getting to get better and with Roydell being limited we’re really putting a lot more on him, Kam [Davis], Jaylin Lucas, and all those guys had really bright spots.”
While his speed is certainly the selling point, Singleton Jr. is also running with plenty of toughness and patience. He’s starting to unlock a new part of his game that could help him become a more complete player in 2025.
“Sam has great speed, we’ve seen that put on display but I thought one of the things was just his interior running throughout the course of the scrimmage,” Norvell said. “He had a couple patient runs where he put himself right where he needed to be and showed toughness. He’s just got to continue to get the reps, continue to trust what he says, continue to push himself to what he’s capable of.”
Singleton Jr. appeared in nine games last season and served as the primary kick returner during the final seven contests of the year. He rushed 21 times for 99 yards and caught three passes for three yards. Singleton Jr. impressed on special teams, earning a selection as a freshman All-American kick returner by FWAA.
The 5-foot-11, 201-pound running back was named the ACC Specialist of the Week after returning a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in the loss to Duke. He returned 15 kickoffs for 373 yards and a score over the course of the season.
