Explaining Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis’ preparation, improvement as a passer

EJ Manuel messaged Jordan Travis on Instagram in the spring.

Manuel, the former Florida State quarterback and current ACC Network analyst, leaned into both of those titles when contacting Travis. He had seen enough to feel confident about how Travis would fare in his first season as the Seminoles’ entrenched starting quarterback.

And he wanted Travis to know.

“I instantly messaged him and said, ‘You are going to have a big year, bro,’” Manuel said on the NoleSports podcast earlier this week. “I wanted to encourage him, but I also meant it.

“I felt like I saw the flashes enough last season to where I was like, ‘OK, he is starting to get it. He is starting to turn the curve a little bit.’”

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Those flashes came in Travis’ final seven games last season. While FSU went 5-2 during that span, Travis recorded 17 total touchdowns with just two interceptions while completing 65.1% of his passes. He also averaged 71.1 rushing yards per game.

Still, the question remained whether Travis could sustain that success over a larger sample size.

Travis quickly identified how he needed to develop, though. It started with him often pounding mixed-berry protein shakes after offseason workouts and eating more snacks each day. Listed at 6-foot-1, 201 pounds last season, Travis now comes in at a more durable 212.

But before Travis could truly validate Manuel, he had to shake some of the mental demons that previously plagued him. How Travis prepared for this season explains how he finally built the necessary confidence as a passer and leader for the Seminoles.

“I came up here a lot at 10, 11 o’clock at night to watch film with my dog,” said Travis about his approach throughout the offseason. “It was just me and my dog sitting up there in the film room. I feel like that’s the most important thing.

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“It’s like a test. You study for a test, and you are going to be comfortable going in and ready to go. So that is where I feel like I am at right now.

“And obviously, the offensive line is doing a great job. The receivers have been making great plays. So it is easy to be confident and comfortable.”

Confident and comfortable enough to have the seventh-best passing grade (91.3) and eighth-best overall grade (91.1) among FBS quarterbacks, per Pro Football Focus. Travis also has completed 31 of 48 passes (64.6%) for 467 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, along with 12 carries for 42 yards and a score.

FSU (2-0) hopes Travis will continue to shine when he plays his former team, Louisville (1-1, 0-1 ACC), on the road at Cardinal Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Friday (ESPN).

“Even in times where maybe it’s not the right decision, or maybe it’s something that he can clean up, he is starting to know it before I even have to tell him,” Seminole head coach Mike Norvell said.

“And that is a really good thing. It shows his understanding, but also his desire to be the best that he can be.”

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Jordan Travis processing the game faster

Simply thinking about the play gave Tony Tokarz chills.

The first-year quarterbacks coach raved about how Travis looked when he connected with wide receiver Ontaria Wilson for a 27-yard touchdown pass against LSU.

Travis faced a five-man rush on third-and-3 and almost immediately took a significant hit to the head from Ali Gaye, which resulted in the Tiger defensive end receiving a targeting penalty and ejection. Yet Travis managed to release the ball and perfectly place it over cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse and into Wilson’s outreached right hand.

“To see him stand in there and throw a strike, it was awesome. I was fired up for him,” Tokarz told the Democrat. “It speaks volumes to him as a player, as a competitor, his toughness and his growth.”

In previous seasons, Travis sometimes abandoned passing plays prematurely and unsuccessfully used his legs. But not so much this season. He often looks confident against pressure, stays in the pocket and decisively makes the correct decision.

On that touchdown pass to Wilson, Travis had an understandable excuse to evade Gaye and improvise. Instead, Travis quickly recognized that Wilson had a favorable one-on-one matchup without safety help, and he exploited it.

“Jordan proved that he’s a real quarterback,” said Wilson after the LSU game. “I saw him stay in the pocket for the whole game. He didn’t scramble too much. He was staying in the pocket, making good throws.”

So far this season, Travis has shown considerable improvement on multiple types of high-pressure plays.

The Seminole offense previously struggled on third down, ranking No. 100 or worse nationally in conversion percentage in each of their last six seasons. They currently come in at No. 20, going 16 of 27 (59.3%) in such opportunities.

Pressure and blitzes from opposing defenses also used to give Travis trouble. Per PFF’s grades, Travis came in at No. 159 when pressured (53.4) and in a three-way tie for No. 46 (80.1) when blitzed last season.

Through two games, Travis ranks No. 2 when blitzed (93.2) and No. 19 (75.4) when facing pressure. He completed 9 of 11 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns when LSU blitzed.

“Confidence comes from the work,” Travis said. “So watching film, staying after, studying the playbook – little things like that. Seeing where the blitz is coming from, it’s important.

“Because if you don’t really know what is going on, you aren’t really going to be calm out there.”

With Tokarz, Travis is constantly simulating game reps. Even the simple-looking cone drills that Tokarz has Travis complete in practice, he explains, are designed to emulate specific plays and situations.

“I try to keep it simple for the quarterbacks,” Tokarz said. “On this play, we are thinking A, B, C – whatever it is. By giving them a process for each play, it can slow their mind down.

“And when they go through that process over, and over, and over again, eventually they don’t have to think about it. Or at least think about it as much in depth when the lights are on and the lights are bright. They can just go out and play now.

“And he does a really nice job of doing that and just going out, operating and playing quarterback.”

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Returning to Louisville

The first and only time FSU started Travis against Louisville did not exactly end well.

The Cardinals pummeled the Seminoles 48-16 in that 2020 game. Travis had an underwhelming performance, finishing 14 of 32 (43.8%) for 141 yards and a touchdown with an interception, along with 12 rushes for 47 yards and a score.

This time, Travis is in a much better position to have revenge on his former team. FSU comes into Friday’s game as a 2.5-point favorite, per gambling site BetOnline. Travis somewhat acknowledged what the game will mean for him in a post-practice interview earlier this week before turning on coach-speak mode.

“I’m not going to sit here and say that it is not on my mind. It is definitely on my mind a little bit,” said Travis on if this game will have a special meaning. “But it is another game for me. It’s another game for this football team.

“We are just going to go out there and get a win, give everything we have, give 100 percent and keep getting better every single day.”

Facing his former team. Playing in a raucous road environment. Potentially being rusty after having an off week. Those are all challenges that Travis will have to overcome against the Cardinals.

And if the Seminoles improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2015, the expectations and pressure should only continue to grow with a long season still ahead.

With what Tokarz knows about Travis, though, he is not too worried about how his quarterback would handle that pressure.

“Something that people don’t see or know about Jordan is, that kid doesn’t quit,” Tokarz said. “The things that have been put on him throughout his college career, the experiences he has had, the highs and the lows, he is somebody who has been knocked down and gotten up every single time.

“So I don’t care if it’s football or whatever in life. Name it. He is always going to have a chance to go out and put himself in a position to be successful. Because he gets up every single time.

“And that is something that I think more people are going to see, whether it is good or bad, the response that Jordan has. That is in his blood. That is in his heart. That is who he is. That is special.

“And I think that is a big reason, too, why his teammates can look at him as the leader of our team.”

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GAME INFORMATION

Who: FSU (2-0) at Louisville (1-1, 0-1 ACC)

When/where: Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Cardinal Stadium

TV/Radio: ESPN/94.9 FM

Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football: Seminole QB Jordan Travis looks improved before Louisville game