It’s Blackman’s season

True freshman QB has ‘worked hard’ to be ready to lead ’Noles

Keith Gavin, FSU receiver, on quarterback James Blackman.

TALLAHASSEE Florida State quarterbacks Deondre Francois and James Blackman had distinctly different conversations with significant figures in their lives Sept. 3, the day after the Seminoles’ loss to Alabama in the season opener.

Francois was dejected and disappointed upon learning he will be out for the remainder of the 2017 season because of a torn patellar tendon in his left knee.

“Hopefully, he’s better now, but he was really down,” said Barry White, Francois’ first youth football coach with the Orlando Outlaws youth program.

“He was more worried about this team than he was [about] his leg. He just kept saying, ‘I let my team down. I let my whole team down.’ ”

As Francois was coming to terms with his new reality, Blackman was acclimating to his new opportunity this season.

Blackman has been thrust into the starting lineup. With Hurricane Irma on track to hit Tallahassee, Florida State and Miami rescheduled their Sept. 17 game to Oct. 7. As a result, Blackman will have a bit more time to get adjusted before leading the Seminoles’ offense against NC State at home Sept. 23.

Blackman, who will become the first true freshman to start for the Seminoles since 1985, confided his thoughts to Rick Casko, his high school coach for three seasons at Belle Glade Glades Central High from