Highly-touted FSU freshman drawing early praise from coaching staff

Florida State is just a day away from taking the field to begin fall camp. Obviously, there's a lot of excitement and anticipation building amongst the Seminoles as they focus on bouncing back.

Throughout the offseason, FSU's coaching staff rebuilt the roster, utilizing the NCAA Transfer Portal and high school ranks to add talent. With plenty of new faces in garnet and gold, there's a ton of hype surrounding the addition of true freshman running back Ousmane Kromah.

The crown jewel of Florida State's #Tribe25 class, Kromah flipped to the Seminoles from Georgia during the Early Signing Period. Though he didn't enroll until the summer, the youngest running back on the roster has already made a name for himself during summer workouts.

Kromah is a prospect that Norvell dedicated plenty of time to over the last four years. The head coach believes he's watched Kromah more than any other recruit in his coaching career.

"Absolutely. He's one of those freshmen that I'm excited to see. I'm excited to see his transition. In my coaching career, I don't think I've ever watched a prospect more in person than what I've watched him," Norvell said on Tuesday. "I think every year I was able to see him play in a game throughout his high school career. Basketball, I know the competitor he is, I know the versatility that he can bring, and just the overall level of talent."

"He definitely has not disappointed through the course of summer workouts," Norvell added. "It's a lot to be able to make that jump but I think he's built for it. Very excited to get him out there on the field and see what he can do."

Running backs coach David "YAC" Johnson echoed Norvell's sentiments, referring to Kromah as "different."

It's safe to say Florida State's coaching staff doesn't believe this is your typical true freshman running back.

At the same time, the Seminoles don't want to overwhelm Kromah out of the gate just because he brings immense talent to the table.

"Ousmane, he's different. This guy is really different," Johnson said. "You know, at his size, speed, can catch the ball out of the backfield, he's really athletic. One thing about him, he's smart. He's a really smart football player. I thought his high school did a really good with him preparing him for this."

"My biggest thing is making sure you do the things that you need to do to be successful," Johnson continued, "You don't have to be in a rush, you're not here to save us, just do the things you need to do to help you be successful, to help us be successful."

Florida State is returning a couple of veterans in the room such as redshirt senior Roydell Williams, redshirt senior Caziah Holmes, and redshirt junior Gavin Sawcuk. Redshirt sophomore Samuel Singleton Jr. and sophomore Kam Davis are also back along with the addition of Oklahoma transfer Gavin Sawchuk.

Kromah will have to compete to earn playing time. With that being said, he might be too skilled to keep off of the field despite the experience in front of him.

"My biggest thing is making sure I put things on his plate that he can handle," Johnson said. "Not to try to give him too much just because he's really athletic or he's really talented. I have to make sure I'm being smart with him and I think he's going to do a good job with that."

During his senior season at Lee County High School, Kromah was named the 2024 Mr. Georgia Football. He ended his prep career with three consecutive seasons of 1,000+ yards. In 2024, Kromah rushed 168 times for 1,356 yards and 15 touchdowns while catching 34 passes for 741 yards and eight more scores.

Florida State opens its 2025 season against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, August 30. The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. and will be nationally televised on ABC.