Florida State’s second bye week gave its banged-up roster time to recover, but as the Seminoles prepare to host Clemson on Saturday, several questions about roster health and depth remain

Head coach Mike Norvell spoke with the media on Monday and gave some encouraging updates about possible reinforcements at wide receiver and in the secondary. The Seminoles are still navigating depth at linebacker, where injuries have tested an already thin group.

Norvell expressed cautious optimism when evaluating the group heading into FSU's Halloween matchup against the Tigers, stopping short of confirming any availability.

Crutchfield and Carter Could Return Against Clemson

Florida State could see two true freshmen return this week on both sides of the ball: defensive back Jordan Crutchfield and wide receiver Devin Carter, as the team preps for Clemson.

Norvell said Crutchfield has dealt with minor injuries that have hindered his ability to contribute consistently. He expects him to “get some good work here this week and hopefully be available.”

“I think Jordan Crutchfield is trending well to be able to get back in the secondary. We’ve had some guys that have been banged up there as well. Jordan’s a guy that has shown some flashes here," Norvell said. "We're expecting him to get some good work here this week and hopefully be available.”

Crutchfield exited the season opener against New Mexico State with an injury and returned in a limited capacity against Central Arkansas and Virginia before missing both Louisville and Miami.

Carter also has a chance to return, although Norvell emphasized that his progress will depend on avoiding any setbacks. He described the freshman receiver as “another explosive player” who could give the offense an additional option.

“Devin Carter, I think, is coming into having an opportunity this week. You know, once again, barring, any setbacks. We’ll see where that goes."

Carter was injured in the offseason and has yet to see a snap in Garnet and Gold. The former four-star legacy player was a highly anticipated prospect and impressed all throughout the offseason.

Linebacker Depth Remains a Concern

Linebacker Blake Nichelson is progressing but is unlikely to be available against Clemson, according to Norvell.

#FSU HC Mike Norvell on injuries: “Blake [Nichelson] is progressing. We’ll have an injury report at the end of the week. He probably won’t be available this week.” He said barring setbacks, a lot of players that went down against Miami will be back. He said he expects Jordan…

— Tommy Mire (@TommyM3III) October 26, 2026

Nichelson has appeared in only one game this season, recording three tackles in the opener against New Mexico State. He has missed all six of Florida State’s games since then.

Linebacker Omar Graham Jr. left Florida State's last game against Miami. He left the matchup early on after a scary collision and couldn't return. Norvell said that he hoped most of the injured linebackers would be available this week, barring setbacks. However, the position remains thin, and he stopped short of confirming individual returns.

“We had a couple guys that did go down last week. I think they are progressing. Barring any setbacks, I do feel that we’ll be able to have most of those guys [in] the linebacker room back," Norvell continued. "It’s thin. Guys are dealing with a lot, but I’m hopeful that we’ll have that group intact, like I said, barring setbacks.”

The official injury reports are submitted to the ACC three nights before conference matchups and are updated two hours before kickoff.

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