FSU Football: Ideal scenario for quarterback situation with Noles

FSU football has a situation that many college football programs wish they had, and we’ve figured out the best way for everything to work out.

In less than two weeks, the FSU football team will take the field to open the 2018 season when they host the Virginia Tech Hokies – meaning that some point between now and gameday, head coach Willie Taggart will make an actual decision about who the starting quarterback will be for the first game he coaches with the Seminoles.

On Sunday, Taggart caused a minor chaotic moment when speaking with reporters in which he at first made it sound that the starting quarterback from the 2016 team – Deondre Francois – might be destined for the scout team at this point.

"I think you can see where Bailey Hockman and James Blackman from a great understanding of what we’re doing, they are probably a little ahead of Francois from that standpoint."

Within seconds of those 30 words being said, the social media world went crazy with FSU football fans wondering what this meant for the quarterback situation in Tallahassee. Several questions later, Taggart threw a wet towel on any possible controversy.

"Those guys probably have a better understanding of certain things because they have more reps doing it, you know, but like I said, it’s been really good to see Deondre — it’s not like he’s that far back."

Just like that, order was restored for those who want Francois to be leading the FSU football offense this season as he bounces back from a knee injury in last year’s opener against Alabama. Many people seemed to forget that he was not medically cleared as 100 percent until just before the start of fall practices.

Now that it’s back to being a three horse race, the Seminoles are in a position that almost all colleges don’t have – the Noles have three players on their QB roster that could play at almost nay other FBS program in the country. So what does FSU football do in this situation?

Well, for starters, let us all get the notion out of our head that – baring a major change in eligibility or an injury to the other two quarterbacks – that Hockman has a chance to be the starter this season. It’s nothing personal against the Georgia native, but this is a two horse race for the starter spot.

In a perfect world, this is the way the FSU football quarterback situation should play out:

• Francois takes over as the starter for this season and enhances the numbers he had from 2016 (over 3300 yards with 20 touchdowns and just seven picks) while leading the Seminoles to a double digit win season and becomes a high round pick in the NFL Draft.
• Blackman gets the starter nod in 2020 and shows that he has grown with a season on the bench, increasing his size and strength in leading the Seminoles to an ACC crown and playoff appearance before becoming the next quarterback to go from Tallahassee to the pro game.
• Hockman, after spending three seasons looking up on the depth chart, gets to spend his last two seasons starting like FSU football quarterbacks were known to do during the dynasty era of the Seminoles.

I know not everyone is going to be all in on a plan like this – and who knows how things will actually play out – but two things are for certain: not everyone will be happy with the decision on who starts (and someone may end up transferring for playing time) and Taggart is in a position plenty of other coaches would love when it comes to having this much talent.