FSU Football: Top 5 unsung players who are standing out in fall camp

James Blackman 

All of the quarterbacks have had confidence issues, and it’s good to see James Blackman finding his during fall camp. Blackman left the Taggart era in tears after throwing four interceptions in the Sun Bowl.

He looked broken, but his ability to take a holistic approach, fix his fundamentals, and think of the team has allowed him to come back better. He has taken a mentor role, which makes a quarterback competition look like a bunch of friends going to work.

The biggest issue for him has been consistency. Three years ago, as a true freshman, he was brought in the fourth quarter of a loss against Alabama and since then has had three head coaching changes, four different offensive coordinators, and was not supported in the least throughout this arduous process.

I understand craving a new face behind center, and it is easy to blame losses on the quarterback, but in camp thus far, he has emerged as QB1. The quarterback competition looked relatively even in summer, with Blackman having the slightest edge due to his experience. He has taken that separation and has widened it throughout camp.

He has made smart plays, recovered from turnovers, and has been the on-field leader on the offensive side of the ball. If he does those things consistently this year, the Noles will be fine on offense.