FSU football: Marvin Wilson named 2020 preseason All-American

FSU football got a major shot in the arm when junior defensive tackle Marvin Wilson decided to come back for his senior season with the Noles.

Junior defensive tackle Marvin Wilson was one of the biggest question marks going into 2020. The question was how would the defense look without him in the trenches after he was gone to the NFL?

Thankfully, he decided to return for his senior season after missing the last four games with a hand injury.

He was one of the best defensive tackles in the country when healthy, and the Noles should be much better than previously thought with him returning in 2020.

How much better? Well, anytime you can get a guy that’s a preseason All-American on the field that’s a good thing.

Wilson was named ESPN preseason All-American Thursday:

"One of the biggest wins for first-year FSU coach Mike Norvell this offseason was Wilson’s decision to return for his senior season. The Seminoles hope it works out as well as Derrick Brown’s decision to come back this past season at Auburn. The 6-5, 311-pound Wilson would have been a first-round pick had he gone pro, but he said he had unfinished business at FSU. He returns as the top interior defensive lineman in college football and will be hungry after undergoing hand surgery and missing the final four games of 2019."

Thoughts

I’m curious to see how much better Marvin Wilson can be in 2020. He’ll have Odell Haggins working specifically with defensive tackles and not the entire defensive line for one.

Adam Fuller plays an aggressive style 4-3 defense Wilson was recruited to play in when he first arrived at FSU. This should benefit Wilson since he’s great at causing havoc in the middle of the defense.

The other thing I’m most excited about is his development in terms of strength and conditioning under Coach Josh Storms.

Wilson’s always been a hard worker and leads by example. However, we’ve talked about how Coach Storms designs workouts to simulate strain and exertion experienced on the football field.

The workouts are designed to go all-out for short bursts, just as Wilson would do every snap he’s on the field.

Wilson has improved his stats each year he’s worn the garnet and gold. He improved all of his numbers while playing in three fewer games last year compared to 2018.

I expect Marvin Wilson to have a great year and go on to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft next season.