Florida State's wide receiver room took a significant loss after the 2023 season, with their top two receivers, Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman, moving to the next level and being selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, head coach Mike Norvell and wide receivers coach Ron Dugans have not only revamped the unit with talented transfers like Malik Benson but have been successful in high school recruiting and development to help sustain one of the most explosive offenses in the country.
Size was an exclamation point of last year's group, with Wilson at 6'6'' having a 35 3/8'' inch wingspan alongside Coleman at 6'3'' with a 32 1/8'' wingspan. The 'Noles will need another big-bodied receiver to help transition into what is shaping up to be one of the fastest units FSU has had in years.
Freshman Elijah Moore, a former four-star out of Olney, MD, could be the answer to accompany sophomore Hykeem Williams, and redshirt seniors Kentron Poitier and Ja'Khi Douglas. Listed at 6'4.'' and 200 pounds, Moore has added speed and size, bringing another weapon to take the top off opposing defenses.
Moore chose the Seminoles over Ohio State, Florida, Texas A&M, Michigan, and USC, and one of the major reasons for that decision was seeing the success of Coleman, who went in the second round to the Buffalo Bills, and Wilson, who now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles.
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"That was a big part of my reasoning for picking FSU as far as offense and seeing how their receiver style play," Moore said to the media on Wednesday. "With me being a bigger receiver, having two guys on Florida State that are thriving, who are my size and above, it kind of helped inspire me and opened up a galley way for me. You know what I'm saying? So, with them going to the draft, I'm another big receiver coming in, and probably one of the biggest we have right now. So, I've got a big role to fill. I can take that spot and make it mine. They were a big inspiration for me, seeing them be successful, thriving in the offense with the running game and the passing game. That's exciting for me to see. For coach Norvell to be able to do that with big receivers, he's changing the game."
While Coleman and Wilson haven't cut their teeth in the NFL yet, Moore said that he likes to watch and mold his game after Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Las Vegas Raiders star Davante Adams, and Houston Texans wideout Stefon Diggs.
"I like to watch big receivers too, but I also like to watch route runners. Somebody from my area is like Stefon Diggs; I like to watch Justin Jefferson," Moore said. "I like to watch Davante Adams and even Keenan Allen. I like route running a lot, so I try to incorporate that into my game. Being a big receiver, everybody expects you to just be tall, lanky, and a jump-ball guy. So, I have to throw something into my game that makes me different from everybody else."
Still, carving a role into an offense on such a deep and talented roster will prove to be difficult, although there is potential for Moore to work himself into the rotation early on. The competition, Moore said, is exactly where he wants to be.
"It sounds crazy, but that's exactly where I want to be. I want to be able to be pushed. I want to be able to have to work to get somewhere. I don't want anything to be handed to me," Moore said. "I feel like I'll be my best self if I have to work for my spot and pay attention to every rep. Mental reps, outside of just being on the field. Playbook when I go home, outside of meetings. It helps me be my better self for real, pushing the edge in that room."
"I feel like I can help the offense very much because I feel like I'm bringing that big receiver back with us losing Johnny and Keon. We've got a couple of guys but as far as height-wise goes I'm one of the tallest so I want to make that known to college football, that I'm another big receiver that's coming in to take over the game with Mike Norvell's offense," Moore continued. "We can run, throw, pass. We've got Malik, we've got Ja'Khi, we've got Weezy [Lawayne McCoy], we've got these fast guys. We've got speed, that's one thing we don't have to question. If I can hop in there with the speed and the height, the catching ability and the route-running, I feel like we can go for a championship."
With fall camp quickly approaching, there will be plenty of opportunities for the freshman out of Good Counsel High School to make a name for himself. He was listed as the No. 55 wide receiver prospect in the country and the No. 15 player out of Maryland. He should pair well with other Class of 2024 receivers, Camdon Frier, BJ Gibson, and Lawayne McCoy.
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TOMMY MIRE
Tommy Mire joined NoleGameday in 2023 as a writer and editor. He initially worked as lead voice at SBNation's Tomahawk Nation and contributes to football, NFL and recruiting coverage. Connect with Tommy on Twitter at @TommyM3III
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