FSU football: Hamsah Nasirildeen among best safeties returning in 2020

FSU football got a boost when senior safety Hamsah Nasirildeen announced he was returning in 2020. He’s rated as one of the best in the nation.

FSU football is in the conversation for “DBU” because of its history for great players and those players doing great things at the next level.

We all know the names like Deion Sanders, Terrell Buckley, and more recently Lamarcus Joyner, Jalen Ramsey, and Derwin James.

One of the latest players that are making noise is senior safety Hamsah Nasirildeen. He’s led the Noles in tackles from the safety position the last two seasons.

The 2019 season saw him become the first FSU player since Reggie Northrup to surpass the 100 tackle mark. He did that only roughly 11 games as he missed the bowl game and parts of another game due to injury.

It’s one of the primary reasons he’s rated as one of the returning safeties in the nation by Pro Football Focus:

Nasirildeen has great size at 6’4′ and 220 pounds and plays with physicality as he led the team with 3 fumbles forced last year. He also had three pass breakups as he has gotten better in coverage since his freshman season.

I wrote as the season was drawing to a close his stock was rising as scouts were noticing he was standing out on a mediocre defense. He had five games with at least 10 tackles and a career-high 22 tackles against Boston College in an inspired effort in the first game after Willie Taggart was fired.

Nasirildeen’s ability to play closer to the line of scrimmage and help in the run game is a bonus. Reports are he’s recovering well from the injury that ended his season against Florida and should be ready to play if there’s a season in 2020.

He’s the standout player at the third level of the defense that compliments Marvin Wilson and Emmett Rice in the front seven.

I think he’ll be drafted early in the next NFL Draft whether there’s a season or not.