Milton at QB highlights spring additions
As Florida State gets set to kick off its spring football camp March 9, here is an early look at some of the position battles to watch this offseason:
QUARTERBACK
McKenzie Milton, Jordan Travis, Chubba Purdy, Tate Rodemaker, Gino English
The Buzz: Injuries and ineffectiveness forced FSU to use four different players at quarterback last season, with Travis seeing most of the action in six starts.
The addition of Milton, a graduate transfer from UCF, gives the Seminoles not only much-needed experience but a huge boost in leadership and maturity. If Milton can return from a devastating knee injury that’s kept him out of the game since 2018, he has a good shot of earning the starting job.
Either way, his presence could pay off in the development of younger players such as Purdy and Rodemaker.
RUNNING BACK
Jashaun Corbin, Lawrance Toafili, Deonte Sheffield, D.J. Williams, Ja’Khi Douglas, DJ Daniels, Treshaun Ward, Keoki Abasial, Corey Wren
The Buzz: The Seminoles saw a resurgence in the running game in 2020 with the team averaging more yards per game (199) than in the previous three seasons. The backfield is deep and talented, led by Corbin (401 yards, five touchdowns), who started eight of the nine games.
Freshman Toafili grew into a larger role as the season progressed, finishing with 356 yards while averaging nearly 10 yards per attempt along the way. The addition of transfer Williams provides more experience at the position and replaces the production lost by La’Damian Webb.
WIDE RECEIVER
Keyshawn Helton, Ontaria Wilson, Jordan Young, Bryan Robinson, Malik McClain, Darion Williamson, Cedric Vincent, Bryson Hill, Fernando Padron, Anthony Weeden, Joshua Burrell, Jordan Young, Adarius Dent, Parker Self, Kentron Poitier, Andrew Parchment
The Buzz: Receiver is where this team needs to see the most growth this offseason.
Helton and Wilson have 24 career starts and 54 appearances combined, but the rest of the group is young and inexperienced with just three starts and 54 appearances combined.
The addition of graduate transfer Parchment (Kansas) should help provide some immediate relief. The Fort Lauderdale native had 1,028 receiving yards in 19 career starts for the Jayhawks.
Freshmen McClain and Burrell along with Hill, a four-star prospect who should be a mid-year arrival, will help build a core that could help solidify the position.
TIGHT END
Camren McDonald, Wyatt Rector, Preston Daniel, Jordan Wilson, Ben Ostaszewski, David Stickles, Carter Boatwright, Jackson West, Austin White, Markeston Douglas
The Buzz: McDonald finished third on the team in receiving yards (263) last season behind Ontaria Wilson (391) and Tamorrion Terry (289).
Tight end is a position where Norvell and his coaching staff have managed to build some depth, adding Jordan Wilson and Boatwright in 2020 and West and Koby Gross in 2021 recruiting classes.
LEFT TACKLE
Darius Washington, Lloyd Willis, Devontay Love-Taylor
The Buzz: FSU started four freshmen on the offensive line last season, including Washington, who started five games at left tackle. The Pensacola native played well before suffering an injury midseason, which opened the door for Love-Taylor to earn a few starts.
LEFT GUARD
Dontae Lucas, Thomas Shrader The Buzz: Lewis started seven of the nine games for the Seminoles at left guard and provided crucial protection for quarterback Jordan Travis.
Shrader earned some crucial playing time as a freshman last season, including a start against NC State.
CENTER
Maurice Smith, Baveon Johnson The Buzz: Smith was another freshman to quickly work himself into the starting lineup for the Seminoles. He appeared in eight
games, including starting seven at center where he was a key contributor throughout much of the season.
Johnson was the only offensive lineman to start all nine games, splitting time between right guard and center.
RIGHT GUARD
Baveon Johnson, Devontay Love-Taylor, Zane Herring
The Buzz: Johnson earned the most-improved honors on the team in 2020 after helping at both right guard and center. Love-Taylor also split time at both tackle spots and right guard before suffering an injury that cut his season short after seven games.
RIGHT TACKLE
Robert Scott Jr., Brady Scott, Devontay Love-Taylor
The Buzz: Robert Scott was the fourth freshman to start on the offensive line for the Seminoles last season. He’s another building block for a group that allowed 29 sacks and 66 tackles for a loss in 2020. Brady Scott should also provide some muchneeded depth at tackle along with Love-Taylor.
DEFENSIVE END
Jermaine Johnson, Dennis Briggs Jr., Derrick McLendon, Quashon Fuller, Josh Griffis
The Buzz: FSU leaned heavily on the transfer portal this offseason, adding as many as five defensive starters. Johnson, who arrived as a graduate transfer from Georgia, is an elite pass rusher who registered five sacks in seven games for the Bulldogs last season. Briggs started the final three games at defensive tackle for the Seminoles but could help bolster the position
along with McLendon, Fuller and Griffis.
NOSE GUARD
Robert Cooper, Fabien Lovett, Tru Thompson
The Buzz: Cooper anchored the defensive front last season but injuries limited him to five starts for the Seminoles. Lovett stepped up in games against Jacksonville State and Notre Dame.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Fabien Lovett, Tru Thompson, Dennis Briggs Jr., Malcolm Ray, Jarrett Jackson
The Buzz: It will be tough replacing All-American Marvin Wilson at tackle, but FSU could turn to Briggs, who started the final three games after Wilson went down with a season-ending injury. Lovett and Thompson have plenty of experience to fill out the position as well.
FOX
Keir Thomas, Dennis Briggs, Josh Griffis, Leonard Warner III
The Buzz: Thomas is another graduate transfer who provides a wealth of experience to the defensive front with 32 career starts under his belt. He adds pass-rushing skills that make him an asset at the Fox position. Warner III, who started four games at middle linebacker before moving over late last season, could also move to the spot to provide some muchneeded depth.
LINEBACKERS
Stephen Dix Jr., Emmett Rice, Amari Gainer, Leonard Warner III, DJ Lundy, Jaleel McRae, Kalen DeLoach
The Buzz: The linebacker position is one of the most-experienced groups with Rice, Dix and Gainer accounting for 37 starts during their careers.
The trio also made up the top three tacklers on the team last season with 171 combined tackles.
CORNERBACK
Jammie Robinson, Jarques McClellion, Brandon Moore, Jarvis Brownlee, Kevin Knowles, Jarrian Jones, Akeem Dent, Travis Jay
The Buzz: Robinson and McClellion are transfers expected to make immediate impacts in the secondary. Robinson can play multiple positions including corner, safety and nickel while McClellion has excelled at the corner spot.
FSU added another transfer in Moore, who hasn’t played football in two years after suffering an ACL injury in the 2019 opener while playing for UCF. Brownlee and Dent provide some muchneeded depth at the position.
SAFETY
Jammie Robinson, Renardo Green, Travis Jay, Brendan Gant, Sidney Williams
The Buzz: Green started the first five games for the Seminoles before suffering an unspecified injury that cut short his 2020 season. Jay, whom coaches have been high on since his arrival, could also help after spending last season in a backup role as could Williams.
BUCK
Brendan Gant, Travis Jay, Jammie Robinson
The Buzz: Gant moved from safety to the hybrid Buck position, where he started the final three games, totaling 12 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble during that stretch. With better depth on the roster, FSU coaches can decide to keep him at the spot or move him around, allowing Jay and Robinson some playing time on the outside.
KICKER
Parker Grothaus, Ryan Fitzgerald, Aidan Shahriari
The Buzz: The Seminoles struggled in the kicking game and ranked near the bottom of the ACC in field-goal percentage (57.1). Grothaus and Fitzgerald split duties last season, so identifying a legitimate option is crucial for the coaching staff this spring.
PUNTER
Alex Mastromanno
The Buzz: FSU showed marked improvements from 2019 to 2020 with Mastromanno averaging 43.51 yards per attempt last season.
RETURNER
Travis Jay, Ja’Khi Douglas, Jashaun Corbin, Keyshawn Helton
The Buzz: Helton assumed much of the punt return duties, averaging 5.2 yards per attempt. Jay, Douglas and Helton also shared the workload on kick returns as well.
Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com.