Three Up, Three Down: FSU Players’ Rising and Falling Stocks

Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Trending Up: Ryan Hoefeld

When he was thrust into last week’s game unexpectedly after Austin Barron broke his hand, the redshirt-freshman Hoefeld seemed to struggle with the speed of the contest. Defenders regularly ran past him unabated and into the Seminole backfield. It’s beyond understandable, a it’s difficult to prepare, mentally, for such an abrupt shift.

He also had distinct issues with his shotgun snaps, which were routinely delivered at and above Jameis Winston’s head (one sailed well over Winston’s head and removed the ‘Noles from the red zone).

I talked to Hoefeld after the game and he told me that he’d had a chance to snap to Winston frequently during preparation for Clemson, since Winston practiced with the second team that week. While that’s great exposure with the starting QB, Hoefeld was nonetheless working with the rest of the twos on the line.

A week of practice with the ones — and knowing you’re the starter — looked to help Hoefeld immensely. He played a very solid game, as the interior line was nowhere near as caved in as it often was against Wake Forest. Hoefeld was a big part of that, and he’s an extremely important cog for the FSU offense moving forward. If he continues to produce like he did Saturday, the Seminoles will be in good shape at center for years to come.