Mike Norvell Provides Injury Updates On Akeem Dent, Robert Scott, And Other Seminoles

Florida State is coming out of its only BYE week of the season with a conference matchup against Virginia Tech on the docket. The Seminoles are hoping to get multiple players back in the lineup on Saturday who have missed games over the past couple of weeks.

On Monday morning, head coach Mike Norvell kicked off the game week by meeting with the media for a press conference. During the course of his availability, Norvell expressed confidence that Florida State is trending in the right direction health-wise. The Seminoles were able to enjoy a couple of days of rest during the time off which could be a big benefit moving into the final eight games of the regular season.

Starting left tackle Robert Scott and starting safety Akeem Dent have each been sidelined since early in the season. Scott hasn't played since the first quarter of the game against LSU while Dent went down during the first half in the home opener against Southern Miss.

Both players have been making progress as of late and will have a chance to suit up when the Hokies travel to Tallahassee this weekend.

"We think we're going to have a chance to get a couple guys back here this week," Norvell said on Monday. "I know Akeem Dent did more last night, I feel very confident in where that could go as the week progresses. Obviously, we got to see how that plays out."

"Rob Scott, I think is getting close. We'll see ultimately what that's going to be this week," Norvell continued. "I feel more confident than when I have the past few weeks in what that is looking like coming back."

Norvell is also hopeful that Florida State's wide receivers will get a boost in the near future with the return of redshirt junior Ja'Khi Douglas and redshirt junior Kentron Poitier. 

Douglas went down during the preseason and was slated to miss a few weeks. He appeared on the most recent depth chart that was released by the Seminoles earlier today. That's a positive sign that he's getting closer to returning to action.

Poitier has only played one snap on special teams for Florida State through four games. He was expected to play a big role on offense after a breakout performance during spring practice. Poitier's impact has been limited due to an injury.

"Ja'Khi, he practiced last night. I think I know what that workload is going to look like but we're definitely excited about getting him as he's getting back," Norvell said. "Kentron is one that we've missed too. He's been out for the better part of this season so far. Having two guys that were pushing to be starters. You know, Ja'Khi's started a lot of games here, Kentron's made a lot of big plays here." 

"We've been down a few guys and now others have stepped up and I think played at a good level there but man, I'm excited to see those guys get out on the field," Norvell continued. "I think they're going to continue to build to our depth and to the play-making ability that we have. Definitely excited for what they're going to bring here as we continue on into the year."

Norvell revealed that players across Florida State's roster have been dealing with illnesses over the last couple of weeks. That could've been the cause of unexpected absences during wins against Boston College and Clemson.

"Deuce Spann missed the last game. The last few weeks of game weeks here we dealt with some sicknesses going around the community," Norvell said. "We had a couple of guys miss games just due to that but I think everybody is in a good spot as we head into this game week. Excited to see our guys continue to work, I thought last night was good like I said. There's a sense of urgency for us to get back on the field and go play our best game."

NoleGameday will continue to monitor the status of the players mentioned above throughout the upcoming week.

Florida State will return to action on Saturday, October 7, against Virginia Tech. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and the contest will be televised on ABC.