Fall Camp Preview: Five FSU Camp Battles to Watch

Nov 9, 2013; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Christian Green (89) gets tackled by Wake Forest Demon Deacons cornerback Merrill Noel (7) during the second quarter at BB&T Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receiver

Two-thirds of FSU’s starting receiving corps has moved on after last year. Kelvin Benjamin was the first round pick of the Carolina Panthers and Kenny Shaw is now with his second NFL team after catching on with the Jacksonville Jaguars this week. The pair accounted for nearly 2,000 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns last season. This season FSU will need to replace that production, so the competition at wide receiver will be one of the most focused-upon camp battles this August.

Rashad Greene is back and — provided he stays healthy — should break just about every FSU career receiving record by the end of the year. Beyond that, FSU has two redshirt seniors, a few sophomores and a trio of very talented freshmen vying for playing time.

Jarred “Scooter” Haggins and Christian Green should have the early edge. Both are fifth-year players and have had plenty of experience in Jimbo Fisher’s offense. Behind them, Isaiah Jones, Jesus “Bobo” Wilson and Levonte “Kermit” Whitfield are all sophomores looking to make it into the rotation. Wilson is still likely to see some form of discipline after getting into some off-the-field trouble over the Summer, so he may not be available early on this season. Whitfield’s biggest impact this year is likely to come as a return-man. But Jones — who had four receptions for 81 yards in the Spring game — could surprise this Fall.

Freshmen Javon Harrison, Ermon Lane and Travis Rudolph could also push for playing time. Lane and Rudolph were both five-star recruits and many fans will want to see them make an early impact, but Fisher’s offensive system is more complex than anything the trio has been exposed to thus far and depending on the learning curve — asking them to start early might be asking too much.