Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman Planning To Terrorize Defenses At FSU: 'It's Going To Be Scary'

By the time the 2022 season wrapped up, Florida State knew it had hit a home run with the acquisition of wide receiver Johnny Wilson through the transfer portal. Entering Tallahassee with less than 250 yards to his name, Wilson more than tripled that total during his first season with the Seminoles as he caught 43 passes for 895 yards and five touchdowns.

The California native averaged 20.9 yards per catch while saving his best performance for last. Wilson recorded a career-high while breaking the Cheez-It Bowl record, and an FSU Bowl record with eight catches for 202 yards in the 35-32 victory against Oklahoma.

After leaving a few big plays on the table, Wilson decided to return to Tallahassee to become a more complete wide receiver alongside star quarterback Jordan Travis. Little did he know, Florida State would go on to add another significant weapon to the wide receiver corps through the transfer portal for the second consecutive year.

Michigan State wide receiver transfer Keon Coleman joined the program in May shortly after an official visit to FSU. It was clear out of the gate that he's hoping to parlay his year with the Seminoles into a breakout season that he can use to make the jump to the NFL. 

That's led to a high level of focus as Coleman tries to fit his talent into Florida State's system. There's a little bit of a learning curve but head coach Mike Norvell has been impressed with his attention to detail.

"He's done really well. The work he's putting in understanding what to do and now we're continuing to grow in how we want it done, he's an absolute sponge," Norvell said about Coleman earlier this preseason. "He's so much fun to coach because even though the experience that he has, he's coming to get better, he's coming to learn, to grow. After every play, he's trying to get to the smallest details of what he can do. When you're in different systems, you're asked to do different things. I think he's enjoying how we operate and he's made some big plays, really a fun player to be around."

The addition of another elite wide receiver might be a detractor to some players, worried they may get fewer targets or be less of a focal point. Wilson has the exact opposite mentality, realizing that the combination of him and Coleman on the field together will make defenses have to choose who to double-team.

That will open up opportunities for both players to shine in the process on an offense that is expected to be one of the very best in the country. Wilson is looking forward to the fact that the two playmakers will be able to rely on each other, noting the potential of a 'scary' duo that is planning to terrorize defenses at Florida State.

"Keon coming in, he was excited to learn the offense, just hurry up and dive in and really get the grasp of things. That helps other guys like me in the offense, someone that wants to come in and really know the whole offense and want to be productive, want to be a factor for the wideouts," Wilson said last week. "It's fun having that bond, I got this dude with me, I can count on him to make plays, he can count on me to make plays. It makes it more fun to play out there when you know you've got another dude on the other side that's going to fight, that's going to battle, just like you are. Having that dude out there, it's going to be scary, it's going to be scary. That's all I'm going to say; it's going to be scary."

Coleman was arguably the most coveted wide receiver on the transfer market during the fall and spring windows. A relationship with Florida State's coaching staff dating back to his high school recruitment was one of the factors that helped him feel comfortable in Tallahassee. However, it certainly didn't help that Coleman would have elite talent around him.

The Louisiana native turned into a force for the Spartans during his second year with the program, catching 58 passes for 798 yards and seven touchdowns. Coleman was named Third-Team All-Big Ten and recorded a career-high five catches for 155 yards against No. 4 Michigan, the third-highest receiving total by a Michigan State player in the history of the rivalry.

Wilson had a very simple message for Coleman when the two spent time together during his official visit.

"You got me out there with you, I know how it is coming in as a transfer so I'm going to tell you how it is," Wilson said. "It's going to be hard but shoot, you've got dudes around you who are used to it now, dudes that are going to try and bring you along with them. Come in here, just work, do your job, and everything else will take care of itself."

The two were able to get in a little bit of work together over the summer but that has increased this fall. More often than not, Wilson and Coleman are paired up on the outside during 11-on-11 work which has led to some exciting big plays. The blend of size, athleticism, and unreal catch radius gives Florida State an unguardable combination when everything is clicking.

Coleman has noticed some of the traits that Wilson excels in during their practices together. Both of them helping one another will just get each rising star even better in the chase to reach their immense ceilings.

"Consistently using his size, pad level because he's a bigger guy, staying lower, still getting in and out of places," Coleman said last week. "Helping each other film-wise, critiquing the small, little things in our technique, just become a well-rounded receiver."

As even more evidence of the talent that Wilson and Coleman bring to Florida State, the pair were each named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List last week. Only 50 total wide receivers garnered the honor during the preseason for the award that is given to the FBS's top wide receiver annually (it's also named after the former FSU wide receiver, Fred Biletnikoff, whose receiving bowl record Wilson broke in the program's second-ever victory against the Sooners).

The early impressions of the duo have brought some eye-opening impressions to Florida State's practices. It's very possible that the Seminoles are fielding two of the very best wide receivers in the country this fall.

Wilson and Coleman will get their first chance to shine on a national stage when Florida State opens its 2023 campaign against LSU on Sunday, September 3.