FSU Football: Website Calls Jacques Patrick ‘Overhyped’ Heading Into 2017

FSU football is going to have plenty of players at running back this season – but one website is not too high on the player with the most experience.

As spring camp continues for FSU football, one of the positions that is in the spotlight even more than most others has to be running back. After all, the Seminoles are looking to replace Dalvin Cook, who arguably was one of the best at that position over the past two seasons in all of college football.

The race to start in that position come this fall has several worthy candidates – including returning player Jacques Patrick. The rising junior from Orlando is listed as the starter on the early depth charts and could very well be the first running back to take the field against Alabama on September 2nd.

Patrick is also finding himself on another preseason list – only this time, it’s from the website Bleacher Report with columnist Brad Shepard listing the FSU football players as one of the most overhyped in the entire country:

"Patrick is a solid running back who is going to wind up with a nice, complementary career for the Seminoles. But he isn’t a primary back, not with the kind of talent FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher hauls in every year.Those who think Patrick is a lock to start the first game could be in for a rude awakening…the best runner will get most of the carries against the Crimson Tide. The prediction here is that won’t be Patrick."

Florida State Seminoles Football

Shepard’s argument centers around the fact that Cam Akers, the reigning player of the year in Mississippi and one of the top players in the country, could be more talented at this point and overtake Patrick for the top spot.

It’s not exactly the worst argument, since Akers is considered by many to be a beast and has gotten praise early on from head coach Jimbo Fisher – who has never been shy about playing his stars early and often in their career. At the same time, with Alabama opening the season, Fisher may be more inclined to go with the name who knows more about the program and how things run.

So far, Patrick has run for 664 yards (over five yards a carry) and nine touchdowns in his two seasons in Tallahassee. Whether he starts the year at running back or ends up backing up yet again, you have to think Jacques will see the field plenty come the 2017 season.