FSU Football: Which early enrollees will see playing time

[caption id="attachment_52133" align="aligncenter" width="590"] (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)[/caption]rn FSU Football signed 15 recruits during the early signing period in December. Six of those recruits decided to enroll early. Will any of them start in 2019? rnWhen Willie Taggart took over FSU Football at the end of 2017, most fans felt that the biggest reason for that year’s disappointing season was that Coach Jimbo Fisher had quit on the team before leaving for Texas A&amp;M. After years of high-ranking recruiting classes, it appeared the Seminoles had stockpiled plenty of talent.rnrnTaggart was hired right before the early signing period and was able to salvage the 2018 class with several quality prospects. Taggart’s infectious love for Florida State generated a lot of optimism heading into 2018, but after a dismal 5-7 season, it was obvious that FSU needed upgrades at a number of positions, namely offensive line, linebacker and defensive back.rnrnTaggart and his staff have been working to address the team's deficiencies on the recruiting trail and through the NCAA transfer portal. FSU football has six early enrollees from the recruits who signed during the early signing period in December and the Noles recently added a graduate transfer.rnrnWhich of these players could see early and significant playing time in the upcoming season?rnrn[nextslide teaser="Offensive%20Line" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_52374" align="aligncenter" width="590"] (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Dontae Lucas, Offensive Guard rnIt's been well-documented that FSU Football offensive line was dreadful in 2018. Willie Taggart’s offense needs a line that can open holes for the running backs to get going, and that was missing last season. Could Lucas help turn the team's line play around?rnrnCole Minshew will be back for another season and if he can finally stay healthy, he will likely lock up one of the guard positions. Arthur Williams has graduated. Mike Arnold returns and Christian Meadows will likely get snaps after redshirting last season.rnrnLucas is one of the few blue-chip offensive lineman FSU football has signed in the last few years, so expect him to see playing time, potentially significant time as he learns the offense.rnrn[apply_now site_url="75" /]rn Ryan Roberts, Offensive Tackle rnNot technically an early enrollee, but Roberts is a graduate transfer. Obviously, Roberts would not have transferred and given up his final year of eligibility if he didn’t think he would get an opportunity to start. Of course, the Seminole offensive line could use someone with his experience.rnrnMost, if not all, FSU fans only saw Roberts play once, and that was against the Noles in 2018. He played pretty well in that game, usually working opposite Brian Burns. If he can play that way during the spring and into the fall, he should be the Seminoles starting right tackle in 2019, which would be a blessing for likely starting quarterback Deondre Francois.rnrnIt will be interesting to see if any other recruits from the 2019 class will see significant playing time. If the Noles can sign commits Nick Cross, Travis Jay and Quashon Fuller (which looks good at this point), they are the most likely to play but others are talented enough to see the field. But who knows? Maybe Willie Taggart has a trick or two up his sleeve and will pull a surprise recruit who will come in and dominate. That’s the fun of Signing Day!rn Jay Williams, Offensive Tackle rnObviously, FSU Football’s tackle play was subpar last year. Williams should provide an immediate upgrade. He was the 8th ranked JUCO tackle by 247Sports. With Derrick Kelly graduating, the left tackle position should be an open competition. Jauan Williams struggled at times when he played. Christian Armstrong redshirted and will compete for playing time. Williams signed with FSU and enrolled early, expecting to compete for a starting role. If he learns the offense and improves his technique with good coaching, he could possibly start when the season opens. Start or not, he will see plenty of snaps.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Defensive%20Front%20Seven" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_48057" align="aligncenter" width="590"] (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Tru Thompson, Defensive Tackle rnGoing into 2018, the defensive line was expected to be a unit of strength for the Seminoles. The squad played fairly well, but returning senior Demarcus Christmas was expected to replace the production of Derrick Nnadi, but he didn't live up to that hype.rnrnFredrick Jones also graduates. Marvin Wilson will be a star this year and the Seminoles have four other interior lineman who could get reps in Cory Durden, Ja’len Parks, Cedric Wood and Robert Cooper. Taggart would probably like to Redshirt Thompson, but if there are injuries or poor play, he may play this year.rn Jaleel McRae, Outside Linebacker rnAnother position where FSU Football struggled in 2018 was at linebacker. Seminole fans know that due to injuries, a lack of blue chip athletes and minimal depth, it has been a position of disappointment for several seasons.rnrnDontavious Jackson appears to have the middle linebacker spot nailed down, but McRae could play the position if needed because of his size (230 pounds), but he is more comfortable outside. McRae may be an upgrade over DeCalon Brooks, Adonis Thomas and Leonard Warner. This class also includes Kalen DeLoach, who is a stud.rnrnPlus, McRae will also face competition from last year's signees, Amari Gainer and Xavier Peters. He will likely be given a chance to battle for playing time on the outside, and because he can also play in the middle, he should see some snaps.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Secondary" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_53121" align="aligncenter" width="590"] (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Akeem Dent, Cornerback rnDent was one of the top-ranked recruits to sign with the Seminoles. I'm sure Willie Taggart was thrilled when Dent decided to enroll early. The secondary had a rough season and needs an infusion of talent, which Dent certainly brings. So how much will Dent play?rnrnLevonta Taylor returns for his senior season, and after battling injuries last year, should return to the quality play he showed in 2017. Kyle Meyers started at the other cornerback position but was replaced at the end of the season.rnrnAsante Samuel Jr. and Stanford Samuels III saw a lot of playing time in 2018 as well. Don't expect Dent to start from day one, but he is too talented not to see the field. He will get in nickel packages early in the season and will battle for playing time.rn Raymond Woodie III, Defensive Back rnAs stated earlier, the FSU secondary was one of the worst in the nation last year, and the shortage of bodies at the safety position was one of the reasons. That depth is slowly being replenished, thanks to good recruiting by Willie Taggart and his staff.rnrnThe Noles lose senior AJ Westbrook, who started many games during his career. Hamsah Nasirildeen looks like he has a hold on the free safety position. Cyrus Fagan backed up both Nasirildeen and Westbrook last year and may get the start at strong safety.rnrnFSU only had one safety signee in 2018, and that guy, Jaiden Woodbey, is excelling at the Star position. Stud Nick Cross, the 50th ranked recruit in the country by 247Sports, and four star Brendan Gant are safety prospects who are currently committed, but Taggart has a battle on his hands to keep them.rnrn[story_link_next description="5%20reasons%20for%20excitement%20around%20%E2%80%98Noles%20offseason" url="https://chopchat.com/2019/01/29/fsu-football-5-reasons-excitement-around-noles-offseason/" /]rnrnIf they do sign with FSU, Raymond Woodie will be in a difficult competition for playing time. However, if they sign elsewhere, Woodie will likely see a decent number of snaps this fall.rnrn

Chop Chat

FSU Football: Which early enrollees will see playing time

FSU Football signed 15 recruits during the early signing period in December. Six of those recruits decided to enroll early. Will any of them start in 2019?

Newsletter

Your Florida State Seminoles.
Your Inbox. Every Day.