The Florida State Seminoles are less than a month away from the start of spring practice. The Seminoles had their most successful season in a decade, going 12-0 in the regular season, defeating the Louisville Cardinals in the ACC Championship, and making it to the Orange Bowl (albeit highly controversial). FSU will undergo a major roster overhaul with the departure of more than 20 players listed in the two-deep. In this series, we will review departing players, additions, and spring pick candidates for each position.
linebacker
Main starting point:
Karen DeLoach (Graduation/Draft)
Tatum Bethune (graduation/draft)
Main additions:
Sean Murphy (Alabama Crimson Tide)
Timir Hickman Collins (recruit)
Jaden Parrish (Recruit)
Spring depth:
DJ Randy, red shirt senior
Sean Murphy, redshirt sophomore
Omar Graham, redshirt sophomore
Blake Nichelson, sophomore
Justin Cryer, sophomore
DeMarco Ward, redshirt freshman
Timil Hickman-Collins, freshman
Jaden Parrish, freshman
Spring depth chart forecast:
Tim: If the defensive end room is the defensive equivalent of a wide receiver room with depth and exciting options, then the linebacker room is the tight end room of the defense. One of the established players with younger options who should step up during the spring session. I think one of the linebacker spots will be DJ Lundy on the inside track and the other will be Sean Murphy. From there, Florida State would like to either take a step forward with Blake Nichelson and Omar Graham, or sign one of its younger players ahead of schedule. If neither happens, the Seminoles will struggle with depth issues all season.
Nor through and through: Spring ball hasn't even started yet, but looking at the LB corps makes me nervous. We've been adamant in the recruiting thread that we feel FSU needs to bring in two transfer LBs, and at least one of them needs to be an immediate starter. So far, FSU has brought in one transfer and he certainly looks like he could fill that role, but I'm not sure if Murphy is a plug-and-play starter (not ready) Although he may need to do so regardless of whether or not he is). Randy Shannon has lagged in recruiting the last few cycles, but he's also a strong developer. Randy and Graham are known to have athletic limitations, and Murphy is a wild card, so Nichelson and Cryer taking big steps forward will be important if this unit wants to avoid areas of responsibility. right. FSU is still looking to bring in another shock transfer after the spring or in the summer.
Frank Dunor: Mike Norvell and Adam Fuller dodged a bullet when DJ Lundy realized his mistake in transferring to Colorado and withdrew his name from the transfer portal. With the loss of DeLoach and Bethune, the linebacker room would have been in serious trouble had Lundy stuck with his departure, and the coaches should be grateful to have him back on track. .
Lundy is almost certain to be the starter at one of the two linebacker positions, most likely on the outside. He'll probably be backed up by Justin Cryer, who will develop over the course of the season and get even better as he gains more experience. The coaches believe he will do well.
The midfield is going to get interesting, with a battle over who will be the starter between Alabama transfers Sean Murphy, Blake Nichelson, and Omar Graham. I believe Murphy will go first, followed by Nichelson. Although he didn't make much of a splash at Alabama, Murphy will attract attention due to his size and athleticism, and his role as a starter will finally allow him to realize the potential that was expected of him as a recruit. We were able to. I expect Graham to fully recover from his injury as the season progresses and be a factor in giving Nichelson competition for playing time.
As for the rest of the guys, I hope Randy Shannon can develop them enough to give them more playing time as the season progresses and in garbage time and give them the experience they need ( All I can do is pray. Preparing for the playoffs.
Perry Kostidakis: For what feels like the last 10 years, there has been some uncertainty at the linebacker position. There have been deep concerns for at least the past two years, but the main concern now is who will be able to fully step up. We were lucky that DJ Lundy was hard to find once the spring semester started in Boulder, but could he make the leap to replace the outgoing Tatum Bethune and Karen DeLoach? He's had a solid few years in Tallahassee, especially after being forced out early, but now is his chance to make his mark on the position for good now that the room is wide open. Bringing in Sean Murphy would at least help close the gap for some of the younger players to prove themselves or take a big leap – my money based on my gut feeling. Blake Nichelson is starting to live up to expectations with his four-star billing.
Jordan Silversmith: Much like the defensive tackle room, this position group isn't exactly a strength, but it may not be as big of a weakness as previously thought. Losing leaders like Tatum Bethune and Karen DeLoach has an impact off the field as well as on it. However, this room also has its advantages. Sean Murphy should do well if his maturity on the podium and effort on duty translates to the field. DJ Lundy's return to the team changed everything, with Mike Norvell mentioning his name when discussing players who stood out during offseason workouts. FSU typically runs a 4-2-5 base, and this position doesn't play as well as other defenses, especially with the looks of Earl Little Jr. and how Shyheim Brown contributes in room support. not important. Besides these two, one of the children needs to get out. Blake Nichelson seems most likely to be the third linebacker on the depth chart, but Omar Graham Jr. had an aggressive stretch in run support last season. I don't expect either freshman to make a huge impact, but Timir Hickman-Collins is as college-ready as any freshman on the team. After all, linebacker will be the weakest position group on defense and could be where the Seminoles look for help in the spring portal. But Randy and his Shannon have improved Bethune and Derrow over the years, and the same improvement could happen with this group.
