FSU football: Projecting the 2020 wide receiver depth chart

Slot (H and Y)

The spot with the most depth for Florida State’s receiving core is the slot position. Not only does longtime starter DJ Matthews return for his senior season, but so does Keyshawn Helton off an injury, and sophomore Jordan Young, who has flashed talent in practice. Here, it seems with the lack of a reliable tight end after the departure of Tre’ McKitty, expect FSU to run a lot of ‘doubles’ with two receivers in the slot on each side. The responsibilities of H and Y will shift depending on the formation, but when in the slot, expect to see one of these faces (and maybe Camren McDonald, who you can read about here).

The obvious candidate to receive the most touches here is Matthews, who has flashed brilliance throughout his career, and then suddenly disappeared as a part of the offense. Last season, Matthews caught 36 balls for three touchdowns and 355 yards, much of which came out of the slot. At 5’10 with a great catch radius and great acceleration, Matthews is a dynamic player in open space, as he showed in his game-clinching run against Boston College last year.

Matthews is the type of player who can change the game on just one play, as he’s demonstrated multiple times. The issue is consistency; if Matthews can consistently get open and run the correct routes, he’s due for a breakout season.

Behind Matthews sits Helton, heading into his junior season at FSU. Helton started off last season on fire, scoring three touchdowns on 17 receptions, while also providing a spark in the return game. However, his knee injury does raise concerns about the likelihood of a proper return to form; as we saw with Derwin James two years ago, it can take a while

If he does return at full strength, Helton is due for a big year. He has great acceleration and hands, along with keen route running. Expect Helton to be a force this season in the slot.

Jordan Young is the last contender to receive significant snaps at slot receiver, although expect him to get playing time on the outside as well. Young has impressive size at 6’3, and in limited playing time last season reeled in four catches. Young has freaky athleticism and excellent speed, so fans should be excited to see him get more playing time this year with the departure of Keith Gavin. Young needs to prove himself a reliable blocker, but his athleticism speaks for himself, and he might be the most talented receiver of the roster if he puts everything together.

Finally, at slot, we have Ja’Khi Douglas, the three-star freshman who has the build of a running back but will play receiver for the ‘Noles. At 5’9, Douglas is a bit small but is roughly the same size as Helton. Douglas is talented, but do not expect him to receive a ton of playing time as a freshman on offense; however, his speed does warrant playing time on special teams.