Update on Tate Rodemaker’s injury: Florida State quarterback’s condition is unknown before the 2023 ACC Championship Game
When the Seminoles play Louisville in the ACC title game, their starting quarterback might be the third option.
Already down its starting quarterback, No. 4 Florida State may be faced with another change behind center ahead of the ACC Championship Game vs. No. 14 Louisville. Tate Rodemaker Jr. has not been a full participant in practice and is a game-day decision, coach Mike Norvell told reporters Friday.
Norvell said Rodemaker began to feel “symptoms” Sunday from a hit he absorbed during the team’s Week 13 win at Florida. He exited in the fourth quarter following a hit to the head but returned just a couple of plays later to complete a go-ahead touchdown drive after passing initial concussion tests, according to Norvell. It was Rodemaker’s first start after Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending injury in a Week 12 win against North Alabama.
As FSU gets ready to decide on Rodemaker’s status, he traveled Friday ahead of the team to Charlotte, North Carolina, home of the ACC Championship Game, according to 247Sports.
After already losing Travis for the season, FSU may have to go even further down its depth chart due to the uncertainty surrounding Rodemaker. If Rodemaker is unavailable, Brock Glenn, a rookie, is expected to start against the Cardinals. With only two of his four pass attempts completed for 35 yards this season, Glenn has only appeared in a few games in 2023. Conversely, Rodemaker has completed 510 passes for 510 yards and five touchdowns this season. In his lone start against Florida, he completed 12 of 25 passes for 134 yards without a touchdown.
The possible quarterback turnover occurs at a bad time for FSU, which is trying to win the ACC title and qualify for the College Football Playoffs for the first time since 2014. As they head into the league title game, the Seminoles are undefeated at 12-0. If they win their conference, they would have a strong case for a postseason trip at 13-0. Since the format was introduced in 2014, when FSU qualified as the conference’s undefeated champion, an undefeated Power Five champion has never been left out.
