Brock's Battle: Getting To Know The True Freshman Who Will Start For The Seminoles In The Orange Bowl

A frantic and eyebrow-raising December got even wilder on Christmas Day when Florida State lost its starting quarterback on the eve of the Orange Bowl. Redshirt junior Tate Rodemaker decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and didn't travel with the team to South Florida just days before the game against Georgia.

That puts the spotlight firmly on true freshman signal-caller Brock Glenn - the lone scholarship quarterback remaining on the roster with the departures of Rodemaker and redshirt freshman AJ Duffy (transfer). Head coach Mike Norvell confirmed that Glenn will start for the Seminoles for the second consecutive game after leading the team to a victory over Louisville in the ACC Championship.

Norvell had a lot of praise for Glenn following his performance in the win against the Cardinals earlier in December. He stepped in on short notice after Rodemaker suffered a concussion during the regular season finale victory in Gainesville.

"You know, it was remarkable. To be able to go in there -- that's the thing, he's a true freshman, but he missed the better part of the middle of the season due to injury," Norvell said after the conference championship. "He's got great confidence. He's going to be a special player. I've got a lot of confidence in where his career is going." 

"But he does have poise, and he's able to go out there and execute. We put a lot on our quarterbacks, and he embraces that, as well," Norvell continued. "For a true freshman just to get his first start in the ACC Championship game, I don't think that's happened in, what was it, 20-something years for a first-time starting quarterback? Two times in the last 20 years that's had to show up, and we got it done."

Only in his first season in Tallahassee, Glenn has a ton of talent and a certain moxie about him. What do Seminole fans need to know about the quarterback who is going to be guiding the offense during the final game of the season?

— Taking A Chance: FSU Offers Glenn Despite Having A QB commit In The Fold

It wasn't that long ago when Florida State was on track to sign a different quarterback in its 2023 class as the program held a pledge from three-star prospect Chris Parson for nearly a year. At the time, Parson was a bell cow and vocally recruiting for the Seminoles but the coaching staff continued to keep their options open elsewhere.

Glenn dropped by campus for an unofficial visit in March and continued to build a relationship with quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz. A short time later, he outperformed Parson at a regional combine to earn an invitation to the prestigious Elite 11 Finals. On the heels of that event, the Seminoles made their interest clear and extended Glenn a scholarship in May.

It didn't take long before he was in Tallahassee for an official visit where Glenn raved about his experience watching film with Tokarz and his fit in Florida State's offense. The Seminoles did a good job of establishing a connection and making an impression on Glenn despite getting involved later in the process.

— Flip Season: Glenn Flips To The Seminoles Late In The Recruiting Cycle

Despite Florida State's push, Glenn chose to verbally commit to Ohio State ahead of his senior season in July. While he was firmly committed to the Buckeyes, the Seminoles continued to stay in contact with him and also put together a ten-win campaign in 2022. The team fielded one of the top offenses in the country as Jordan Travis turned into a breakout star.

The performance caught Glenn's eye and that factor combined with his relationship with the staff was too much to pass up as he ultimately flipped to Florida State just a couple of weeks prior to the Early Signing Period. The four-star quarterback was ranked as the No. 481 overall prospect, the No. 21 QB, and the No. 9 recruit in the state of Tennessee in the 2024 class according to 247Sports.

Glenn led Lausanne High School to an 8-2 record during his final season at the prep level, completing 74/126 passes for 1,413 yards with 18 passing touchdowns to three interceptions. He also rushed 45 times for 443 yards and seven more scores on the ground.

— A Promising Start: Glenn Impresses During Spring Camp And The Offseason

The Tennessee native hit the ground running after enrolling early at Florida State. He didn't waste any time earning the respect of the coaching staff after his work during the Tour of Duty. That continued into spring practice as Glenn didn't look out of place despite taking reps behind one of the best quarterbacks in college football - Jordan Travis - and a dependable backup who had been in the system for years - Tate Rodemaker.

In itself, those were promising developments but it was clear that Norvell thought he had something in Glenn. He even called the young signal-caller "mature beyond his age" while talking about his ability to process the field and go through his progressions.

While he was expected to learn and grow behind Travis, Glenn appeared to be setting himself up for a bright future with the Seminoles leading into the 2023 season.

— Overcoming Adversity: Glenn Shakes Off Early Injury And Steps In For ACC Championship

Glenn made his debut at Florida State during the home opening win against Southern Miss in September. He entered the game in the fourth quarter for a total of three snaps, rushing two times for 32 yards on a drive that ended in a touchdown. At some point during the contest, Glenn suffered an injury to his non-throwing hand that required surgery and sidelined him for the middle of the year.

Around the middle of October, Glenn had made enough progress to begin slowly ramping up in practice. By the time the Seminoles traveled to Wake Forest, Norvell noted that the true freshman was healthy to play if needed. That ended up happening during the home finale as he got in for relief duty against North Alabama. Glenn rushed four times for five yards, scoring the first touchdown of his college career, while also completing 2/3 passes for 35 yards.

Already without Travis, the Seminoles were forced to rely on Glenn briefly in the regular season finale after Rodemaker went down late in the win. He ended up having to step into the starting role for the first time at Florida State less than a year after arriving on campus due to Rodemaker dealing with concussion symptoms. To make matters even worse, it came in the ACC Championship against a stout Louisville defense.

The performance was anything but pretty as Glenn was the first true freshman quarterback to make his first career start in a conference championship game. He completed 8/21 passes for 55 yards while rushing nine times for -6 yards as the Seminoles relied on their defense en route to a 16-6 victory. FSU ended up punting nine times in the contest but still was able to hoist the trophy for the first time since 2014.

— A True Exhibition: FSU's Losses Might Make It Hard To Evaluate Glenn

Florida State's roster is going to look a lot different when the team takes the field against Georgia than it did in Charlotte. The Seminoles have had a large chunk of their roster decide to opt out to prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft or enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. The notable names on offense include running back Trey Benson, running back Rodney Hill, wide receiver Keon Coleman, wide receiver Johnny Wilson, tight end Jaheim Bell, tight end Markeston Douglas, and offensive tackle Bless Harris.

That means it'll probably be hard to properly evaluate Glenn in his second start as he gears up to face the Bulldogs with an entirely different array of starting skill players. One silver lining is that the offensive line is relatively the same and has had nearly a month to heal which should benefit a unit that was battered and bruised down the stretch.

Regardless, Glenn is the type of player who is going to trust his teammates and leave it all out on the field. This will be a showcase to display growth against one of the top teams in the country. The odds may be slim in Brock's battle but there won't be any sign of quit from the promising quarterback.