FSU Football: Linebackers Must Step Up In 2016
By Brad Johnson
What is it going to take for the FSU football’s defense to reach that elite level? How do the linebackers factor in to this equation?
For the 2016 college football recruiting class, Scout.com named FSU football as the fourth-best class in the country. No other ACC school even made the top 15. However, much of that talent will be dispersed to positions outside of the linebacker corps.
Linebacker is an area to focus on for the Seminoles this season, with its heights likely deciding the ceiling of the defense.
Last year, inside backer Reggie Northrup led the unit and the team with 94 tackles. He graduated, as did Terrance Smith, who finished fourth on the team in tackles and fifth in tackles for loss. Losing those two guys leaves the remaining linebackers in catch-up mode.
This hasn’t been a strength of the team for a little while now and should be similarly underutilized this year.
While there is a lot of potential on the roster, as well as some intriguing pieces who should step into much larger roles this season, the overall group lacks stability and elite contributors.
However, Jimbo Fisher isn’t fazed in his appraisal of FSU football. Fisher said back in the spring, “Everybody’s worried about linebacker. I’m not. I like our linebacker crew.”
There are certainly reasons to like the potential. Ro’Derrick Hoskins returns as the most experienced player at the position. The redshirt junior was sixth on team in tackles and was a disrupting force for opposing backfields. He should be a leader of this 2016 unit after getting valuable starting experience last year.
Starting next to him could be another redshirt junior, Matthew Thomas. Thomas is a super talented kid who has dealt with injuries and, more importantly, suspensions.
He missed all of 2015 because of NCAA rules violations. Coach Fisher still believes in him and he may serve as the biggest upgrade if he is able to stay on the field.
The depth is more of a question. Can FSU football really count on these guys? Jacob Pugh is interesting as a returning junior.
He was third on the team in sacks but is more of an outside linebacker who plays with his hand down. Pugh will not have the impact the rest of these guys will outside of rushing the passer.
Delvin Purifoy and Sh’Mar Kilby are a pair of sophomores (the former a redshirt) and former 4-star recruits. Neither has seen much in the way of playing time to this point in their careers, but that may change out of necessity in 2016.
It will be up to them to prove their worth getting snaps over newcomers like Josh Brown and Dontavious Jackson.
Brown was an early enrollee who has already impressed the coaching staff. According to linebackers coach Bill Miller, Brown can play both inside and outside, adding to his usefulness. As for Jackson, he joins the Seminoles as the eleventh ranked LB in his class.
A lot will depend on this batch of freshmen and sophomores because added depth went out the door with two important departures. Tyrell Lyons, a hybrid linebacker, transferred. He was expected to be a heavy contributor so it hurts.
Four-star recruit Keion Joyner is also out of the mix as he’ll be heading to a junior college after being kicked off his high school team back in 2015. Florida State has the bodies to overcome these losses, but it remains to be seen if it will get the production.
must read: Why The 'Noles Defense Will Be Challenged In 2016
FSU football is good enough and flexible enough elsewhere on defense to win with this set of linebackers, but a playoff berth could come down to how well the aforementioned group develops in action.