FSU Football: Could a True Freshman Start at Running Back in Opener?

Cam Akers and Khalan Laborn were two of the top recruits this year for FSU football – so how likely is it that one starts in the backfield against Alabama?

He was one of the top recruits not just at the running back position – but in the entire country. When Mississippi native and top five prospect Cam Akers announced he was heading east and joining FSU football, the Seminoles instantly saw their stock improve for the 2017 season.

Akers’ decision to join the ‘Noles and enroll early to take part in spring football become even more important when last year’s starter at the position, Dalvin Cook, announced he was going to forgo his senior season and head to the NFL.

Of course, he’s not the only stud newbie in the backfield for FSU football in 2017. The position got even richer when Khalan Laborn, another five star back ranked as the top player in the state of Virginia and the top all-purpose back in the country, also signed with the Seminoles.

Now, not only will Akers and Laborn get a chance to contribute as true freshmen (something that was likely in the plans from the second they signed with FSU football), but now there is a pretty good chance we could see one of them taking the first snaps at running back when the Seminoles open the season against the Alabama Crimson Tide on September 2nd in Atlanta.

Akers’ ability is seen by those across the country. FOX Sports’ Aaron Torres even when so far as to say he’s one of the top 10 true freshman who could make an instant impact in 2017:

"“Akers broke the hearts of home-state Ole Miss fans when he ended up at Florida State. And the Rebels’ loss is the Seminoles’ gain, as Akers should spent a large part of his freshman year filling the void left by Dalvin Cook.”"

Florida State Seminoles Football

Right now, both are two of the eight players listed at the position entering spring football. It’s almost a certainty that Jacques Patrick, a rising junior from Orlando who spent last season as the backup to Cook, will enter spring camp as the starter while rising sophomore Amir Rasul, a four star recruit from Coral Gables who saw limited action, will be his backup in the spring.

However, neither one of them at this point as done enough to distance themselves from the competition to the point where you could say they have those top two positions on lock down – which allows players like Akers and Laborn the chance to get into the starting lineup for the opener.

Head coach Jimbo Fisher during his time in Tallahassee has not been shy about playing youngsters early on and even putting them in the starting lineup. That fact alone makes it extremely possible that we could be seeing a player not far removed from high school ball being in the backfield for arguably the biggest game of the year.