FSU Football: Breaking down QB position with Deondre Francois out
By Jason Parker
FSU football is now trying to figure out the position and who will back up now that their starter will be out for the season following an knee injury.
Entering their 2017 season opener against Alabama, there were a handful of players that FSU football could not afford to lose in the game – no matter whether the team won or lost the contest. On offense, the player who was most important was quarterback Deondre Francois – a player that people across the country were raving about when it came to toughness.
With the clock ticking down in Saturday’s 24-7 loss, the sight of Francois being taken to the sideline after a ugly looking sack was only made worse by watching him being taken back to the locker room on a cart with a giant brace on his left leg and his hands clenched together in prayer like the rest of Seminole nation.
FSU football found out Sunday they will be without D12 for a long time after the patellar tendon injury in his left knee, which will require surgery. Following Saturday’s game, head coach Jimbo Fisher announced that true freshman James Blackman would be the starting quarterback should Francois be out for that extended period of time.
A three star recruit from Belle Glade – located in the football rich area of South Florida – Blackman is a tall 6’5″ signal caller who is listed at 185 pounds…which some might say is only possible if you include all his equipment. Nonetheless, Blackman has a strong right arm and should be able to handle with Fisher and company will do to simplify the offense at the start considering the new quarterback will be someone who was in high school about four months ago.
After that, the question remains about who will become the backup quarterback. The two options couldn’t be mire opposite: on one side, you have another true freshman in Bailey Hockman – a lefty from the state of Georgia who graduated high school early and took part in spring camp.
The other option is one that might make the skin of FSU football fans crawl. Redshirt junior J.J. Cosentino is still on the roster and has fans hoping that anything will happen but him taking snaps under center. We all remember that disastrous Peach Bowl performance after Sean Maguire got hurt and it would be nice if the former Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School product never played again.
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In all honesty, it’s really a no win situation with the Seminoles – you either have two true freshmen at the quarterback position or you have one starting and another player who wasn’t good enough to beat out either one at the start of the year behind him. At this point, all FSU football fans probably have their hands together in prayer that things work out the rest of the way.