Micahi Danzy was a wild card coming into the fall.
Spending the majority of the spring focused on the track, where he became the top 400-meter sprinter in FSU and ACC history, took up plenty of time. Danzy made time to go to football meetings and took part in some practices. But he also told the Osceola in the spring that he and coach Mike Norvell agreed the running-back-turned-receiver would be able to wear a green jersey and wouldn’t be hit in practices so that his body would avoid extra bumps and bruises.
Danzy has been a pleasant surprise for FSU at the midpoint of the 2025 season, quickly evolving from a receiver who ran end arounds or jet sweeps into a consistent downfield pass-catcher in traffic.
“It’s definitely shocking to me,” Danzy said on “Inside Seminole Football” on Monday night. “But I've been doing it in practice. I just do what I do in practice — it’s no different to me.”
It might be no different but it’s quite impressive, especially considering he had been primarily a running back at Tallahassee’s Florida High and in his first year at FSU before shifting to receiver this spring. Running backs coach David Johnson had talked with him about a move and began to prepare him for being a wide receiver last fall.
FSU brought in three transfer receivers — Duce Robinson, Squirrel White and Gavin Blackwell — to add production and leadership to the room. Robinson has, of course, delivered as FSU’s leading receiver. White and Blackwell have mostly been injured.
But few could have expected Danzy to produce this in half of a football season: 16 catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns while also running eight times for 168 yards and three touchdowns.
“I love what I’ve seen from Micahi, just in every phase of it,” FSU receivers coach Tim Harris Jr. said. “You watch a guy, from week to week, he’s taking advantage of opportunities. He still has a lot of room to grow, too. He understands the areas that he has to get better in.”
Danzy initially impressed with his speed as a rusher as offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn mixed him in with misdirection plays, and the redshirt freshman had a 32-yard touchdown run against Alabama. He added a 33-yard touchdown reception and a 58-yard touchdown catch in the loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday.
“What everyone sees, the things that go in the stat sheet, the big plays and the explosive plays that he’s able to make,” Harris Jr. said. “But when you challenge him in perimeter blocking, you’re watching his physicality and his ability to strain to try to help his teammates create big plays. That’s when you know that there’s total buy in there.”
Danzy expressed how much he has enjoyed playing in Malzahn’s offense, where he has been used in creative ways.
“Coach Malzahn just wants to put you in the best position,” Danzy said on the “Inside Seminole Football” show. “He wants to use my speed, so he want to get me on the perimeter. He knows I'm going to get the ball (in) the post. I'm going to go get it. He just puts you in the best position, and that's why I'm grateful for him.”
Danzy’s also using his running back roots and mindset when the ball is in his hands. “When the ball is in the air, I'm a wide receiver,” Danzy said on the “Inside Seminole Football” show. “But when the ball is in my hand, I’m a running back. It's no different to me running between tackles. So that's all it is – me being a running back in that situation.”
When asked about Danzy’s upside, Harris Jr. smiled.
“He can be one of the best,” Harris Jr. said. “I really do believe that. It’s not just because of his skill set. He’s blessed. He has good length, he’s strong. He’s wiry but he’s strong at the point of contact. His ability to make contested catches.
“But his coachability, right now he holds on to everything that you have to say. And when you have a guy that has that kind of buy in with the abilities that he has, the sky is the limit for him. I’m just really excited to see what his future looks like.”
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