Florida State Player Profile: Taylor Doan
By Jack Crosby
April 14, 2012; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Chief Osceola during the first half of the Florida State Seminoles spring game at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
Name: Taylor Doan
Eligibility: Freshman
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 224
Position: Running Back
Twitter Handle: TDoaner51
2012 Season Stats: N/A (DNP)
Prognostication: Taylor Doan is an old-school type fullback, so to speak. He’s gritty, tough and seems to absolutely love contact wherever he can find it. However, with Chad Abram fully expected to step in and fill the void left by the great Lonnie Pryor this season, and successfully, I wouldn’t expect Doan would see much time on the field, unless it’s in some sort of special teams aspect. Aside from that possibility, I’d expect Doan to redshirt this season and compete for the fullback slot after Abram departs.
Strengths: As I stated before, Doan is addicted to contact. When you watch him on film, he’s the ultimate headhunter on special teams and has a tremendous burst out of the backfield when lead-blocking for his tailback. No matter how quick and versatile offensive systems are getting these days, you would still want a guy with the attributes of Doan leading you into the end zone when you’re inside the 5-yard-line.
Weaknesses: Versatility is a concern for me. Aside from his power and toughness, I haven’t seen Doan do much of anything else. Pryor was so successful at his position not just because of his blocking ability, but because of everything else that he did. He was exceptional catching the ball out of the backfield and he could transition into the tailback slot if needed. If Doan does want to compete next year at fullback, he’s going to have to work on the overall aspects of his game. While toughness is an admirable trait, that can only get you so far.
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Jack is the Lead Florida State Football Columnist for Chop Chat. Follow Jack on Twitter @JackJ14CFB