FSU football: Impact of Emmett Rice & Baveon Johnson returning

rnrn rnrnFSU football received some good but expected news this week when two seniors announced they would be returning for the 2021 season.rnrnSenior linebacker Emmett Rice and offensive lineman Baveon Johnson will be staying in Tallahassee for one more year.rnrnFSU head coach Mike Norvell announced Johnson would be returning while appearing on the 247Sports On The Bench podcast.rnrnEmmett Rice confirmed NoleGameDay's report he would be returning via this Twitter account:rn rn Gotta Double Back&#x1f98d; https://t.co/F98Wy3WSev

rn— 1&#xfe0f;&#x20e3; (@E_CRAZEE) January 18, 2021 rn rnrnThe news was expected as neither player had announced they would be putting their names in the transfer portal.rnrnThese two players join offensive lineman Devontay Love-Taylor and Leonard Warner as seniors who plan to return to the Noles.rnrnThe good news is all four players are at positions that require depth and experience to make an impact.rnrnLet's discuss how Rice and Johnson returning will be impactful for the Noles.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Emmett%20Rice" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_47687" align="aligncenter" width="4119"] (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Emmett Rice rnThe linebacker position was one that didn't make the strides we thought in the preseason. Emmett Rice teamed up with freshman Stephan Dix Jr. and flashed a few times this season.rnrnRice was second on the team in tackles with 72 in 13 games during the 2019 season. He was on pace to surpass that number in 2020 as he finished second on the team again with 62 tackles in only nine games.rnrn[story_link_related select_cta="related_story" description="Travis%20Hunter%20Jr.%20Spurning%20Clemson%20Is%20a%20Great%20Sign" url="https://chopchat.com/2021/01/15/fsu-football-travis-hunter-jr-spurning-clemson-great-sign/" /]rnrnOne area we saw noticeable improvement was tackles for loss. Rice finished with 4.5 tackles for loss in 2019 but saw that increase to 7.5 in four fewer games in 2020.rnrnHe also improved with two passes defended and two quarterback hurries.rnrnThere are reports the Noles will be running a 4-2-5 defense, which means two linebackers will be on the field similar to what the Noles ran when Jimbo Fisher was head coach.rnrnRice will be the WILL linebacker and have the ability to drop in coverage or play sideline to sideline.rnrnHe brings a ton of experience and that should be helpful to Stephen Dix Jr. while allowing other younger players time to develop.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Baveon%20Johnson" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_61448" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Mandatory Credit: Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]rn Baveon Johnson rnBaveon Johnson is a player a lot of FSU football fans have had a love-hate relationship with the past few years.rnrnJohnson came in at the No. 1 rated center in the country but struggled to lock down that position with bad snaps and not being able to anchor in the middle of the line.rnrnHowever, he made the move to the guard position and helped improve the offensive line. He's adept at run blocking and was one of the reasons the FSU running backs were all able to average 4.95 yards or more per carry in 2020.rnrnIf nothing else, Johnson brings experience and depth to a position that will always need the latter.rnrnThe 2020 season is a prime example because it seemed like FSU offensive linemen were injured at least once in every game.rnrnFreshmen Maurice Smith took over the center duties last year, but Johnson could serve as the emergency backup now that Andre Boselli is no longer with the team.rnrnThe offensive line showed improvement with no spring while under the guidance of Alex Atkins. Maybe Baveon Johnson can improve even more under Atkins once they can have a legitimate offseason.rn Parting Thoughts rnFSU football needs all the help it can get, and the staff gets a chance to have a real offseason should help these players gain some development they lost over the past few seasons.rnrnMike Norvell had exit interviews with all of the players, so these guys must have displayed the right mindset to be welcomed back.rnrnThat will be important for the development of the overall culture of the team, not to mention the competition it'll provide for the young players joining the program.rnrn[story_link_next description="Noles%20Make%20Top%204%20For%202022%20Blue-Chip%20QB%20Nicco%20Marchiol" url="https://chopchat.com/2021/01/16/fsu-football-noles-make-top-4-2022-blue-chip-qb-nicco-marchiol/" /]rnrnThe Tour of Duty began last week, so the countdown to the season opener against Notre Dame has started.

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FSU football: Impact of Emmett Rice & Baveon Johnson returning

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