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FSU Football: Projecting Brian Burns sack total in 2018

By Kelvin Hunt

TALLAHASSEE, FL - OCTOBER 15: Punter Dom Maggio #48 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons fumbles the ball in front of defensive end Brian Burns #99 of the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - OCTOBER 15: Punter Dom Maggio #48 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons fumbles the ball in front of defensive end Brian Burns #99 of the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /
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FSU football junior defensive end Brian Burns could have a breakout year after a stellar spring and fall camp.

FSU football has a lot of talented players on its roster. However, none of them have gotten as much praise as junior defensive end Brian Burns.

He burst on the scene as a true freshman with 8.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in just eight games. In fact, almost half of his tackles occurred behind the line of scrimmage.

Burns had lower sack totals his sophomore season but saw overall growth as a player and played in all 13 games for the Noles. He more than doubled his number of tackles and increased his tackles for loss to 13.5 on the season.

The biggest thing Burns needs to work on is gaining weight and being solid against the run. He’s gotten the most praise from teammates and coaches in both spring and fall camp and is expected to be an impact player in 2018.

Florida State Seminoles Football
Florida State Seminoles Football /

Florida State Seminoles Football

The question is how many sacks could we see from Burns this season?

Here are three factors that could influence that number:

  • How many snaps will he play in 2018?
  • Several opposing offenses will feature mediocre quarterbacks
  • Will teams focus on stopping him due to the impact he had last season?

Thoughts

The ‘Noles defense saw five percent increase in snaps in 2017 compared to the previous year. More importantly, last year’s defense saw a near nine percent increase in passing attempts.

The FSU offense will be looking to have more possessions which means the FSU defense will likely see an increase in snaps played too. That’s more potential snaps for Brian Burns to make plays.

A number of opponents will be starting QB’s that are good but not special. Not to mention FSU’s defense will be more attacking compared to years past.

One thing to consider is Burns is a known commodity to opposing teams. Will they double team and/or chip him with tight ends and running backs to slow him down?

Next. Previews and Predictions For FSU September Games. dark

I think Burns will have opportunities to feast in a number of games. If the over/under for sack is 9.5, I’m taking the over in 2018.

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