Fall Camp Preview: Five FSU Newcomers to Watch

DeMarcus Christmas represents Manatee HS at midfield before the kickoff. Photo Credit- Travis Register

Demarcus Christmas– Defensive Tackle, #93
6-3, 302 lb. 

No area needs more reinforcing than FSU’s defensive front seven. Linebackers Telvin Smith and Christian Jones have gone to the NFL, as have lineman Demonte McAllister and Jacobbi McDaniel. But no loss is as big as the above-pictured DT Timmy Jernigan. Arguably the most-important player in FSU’s national title game win over Auburn, Jernigan will be a tough player to replace.

The freshman most likely to do so is Demarcus Christmas, who joins FSU from Manatee High School in Bradenton, where he registered 39 tackles, 20 QB hurries, eight TFL, three sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in his senior season. He was ranked the 138th best player in the country as a recruit– but Fisher thinks that could have been a lot higher, if not for a flawed system:

"If [DeMarcus] Christmas had gone to some Rivals camps he’d have been the number one or two player in the whole country. The guy committed to Florida State, said, “I don’t want to talk to any coaches, I don’t want to go to [any] Rivals camps, don’t want [to play in the] Under-Armour all-American game — I’m committed to Florida State.” And if he would have he’d have been ranked at the top of everyone’s board. Because everybody we asked? The first guy to come out of their mouth, “that’s the best football player we’ve played against in ten years” was Demarcus Christmas. Everybody. I mean I’ve never had as many coaches tell me that’s the best player — even all the coaches from Miami and the players from Miami, when I ask a Miami kid to give credit they don’t give nobody credit… But every school that ever played against that guy mentions him."