FSU football will have a whole new look on defense with the number of starters who need to be replaced – and here are three players to look for Saturday.
While the offense for FSU football is getting all the love this offseason because of the promises that come with new head coach Willie Taggart’s scheme, the area of concern is on the defensive side of the ball – mostly because of the amount of talent and experience on that side that has graduated on from the program.
When the 2018 season rolls around, names like Derwin James and Derrick Nnadi won’t be around to save the day for the Seminoles. Don’t get me wrong, there is still PLENTY of talent left on the roster for the Noles – some of it, though, has yet to live up to its potential or get a full chance to show what it can do.
Those players will get their chance on Saturday as new defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett and his assistants will want to see what everyone can do in the annual Garnet and Gold game – and here are the top three (or so) players to pay attention to when the Seminoles face off against each other.
Josh Kaindoh, Defensive End
Over the past few seasons, the FSU football team has been able to get some of the top defensive ends in the country to come to Tallahassee and play for the Seminoles. While DeMarcus Walker is in the NFL, Josh Sweat is about to be and Brian Burns is well on his way, it’s this Maryland native who might have the most potential.
In his freshman season, he was able to show his talent with several tackles for a loss and a four sack game against Delaware State. With Sweat gone to the pro game, Kaindoh is going to get his chance to be a starter opposite Burns and be a tall, talented combo for the Seminoles.
Levonta Taylor, Cornerback
It wasn’t that long ago when Taylor was the top recruit at his position coming out of the state of Virginia and the hype machine had him being Deion Sanders, Terrell Buckley and Lamarcus Joyner all in one from the first snap. The unrealistic hype may have contributed to some of the disappointment regarding his play, but all of that is about to change.
With names like James, Marshall and McFadden no longer in the secondary, Taylor is going to be one of the leaders – if not THE leader – of that segment for FSU football this season. We know what he can do on the field (just ask the Gators) but the spring game is going to be more about what kind of leader he can be from this point on.
Josh Brown and Emmett Rice, Linebacker
Okay, I couldn’t stick with just three players on the defense because the linebacker position may be the most vulnerable for FSU football on this side of the ball. While the line and secondary have plenty of players who can fill rolls, the linebacker spot will be filling out three new starters with guys who haven’t gotten a lot of chance to show what they can do.
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Brown, a junior from North Carolina, and Rice, a junior from Miami, were both players recruited with plenty of potential out of high school. With all three spots pretty much up for grabs, the spring game is going to be theirs for the taking when it comes to letting coaches know if they want to be in the starting lineup come Labor Day against Virginia Tech.