Gavin may be poised for breakout season
TALLAHASSEE — Former Florida State receiver Kermit Whitfield tried to stop true freshman Keith Gavin from coming out of the end zone.
After Gavin caught Michigan’s kickoff in the final two minutes of last season’s Orange Bowl, Whitfield tried his best to prevent Gavin from ruining FSU’s last chance to take the lead.
But the moment happened too fast for Gavin. It’s still a blur to recall for him, even after reliving it during the offseason before his sophomore campaign with the Seminoles.
Gavin caught the football and burst upfield. A Michigan special teams player tried to grab his right leg, but ricocheted off of his 6-3, 225-pound frame. Then Gavin ran by four Michigan players, two on each side, before one of the Wolverines brought him down after he pulled his hamstring.
In all, Gavin’s 66-yard return put Florida State in position for quarterback Deondre Francois to toss the 12-yard pass to receiver Nyqwan Murray to put the Seminoles ahead, leading to a 33-32 victory.
“I was thinking a million things,” Gavin said earlier this fall camp with a smile. “I was just thinking score, don’t fumble, score — that was the only two things going through my mind to be honest.
“It was a big play for me — the biggest play I’ve had in college football so far. Hopefully this upcoming season, I have a lot more.”
With one of the biggest plays in FSU bowl history under his belt, Gavin enters his second season hoping to make a bigger impact for the Seminoles.
Gavin has been working out with the firstteam offense during the first three weeks of fall camp. Despite not having a reception under his belt, he’ll be a starter at his relatively thin position alongside Murray and junior Auden Tate, expected to become a major target in the passing game for Francois this season.
“I’ve been tickled to death with Keith,” Fisher said after Thursday’s practice “There’s a warrior. No matter what hurts… he would run himself until his legs fell off. He would play until his shoulder fell out. He would play until his arms fell off.
“I’d take a zillion Keith Gavins. I’d take a zillion of them.”
Gavin will also continue to be a major part of FSU’s special teams play.
Fisher has paired Gavin with standout safety Derwin James as a kick return tandem during the first two weeks of camp. Cornerback Tarvarus McFadden is also a bigger option in the return game with smaller, shifty players like Murray, cornerback Levonta Taylor, and running backs Cam Akers and Amir Rasul have also been in the mix.
After all, Fisher has seen the result of having a bigger returner on special teams firsthand. The extra opportunities come as a reward for his effort in practice.
“I think he’s doing a really good job,” Fisher added on Gavin. “… He comes to work with a tremendous attitude and work ethic every day. All he says is ‘yes, sir’ and ‘no, sir.’ We can’t get enough of him.”
Gavin’s frame makes him an ideal target in the passing game for the Seminoles. He hopes to have a breakout season after the biggest play of his college career.
“This year, I just want to be a dominant receiver, and win every play,” Gavin said. “I just want to contribute to the team as a whole lot more than I did last year.
“I don’t want to just live off that one play I had. I want to keep going up.”