FSU football: Which 2022 signees will contribute as freshmen?
By Kelvin Hunt
The 2022 Early Signing Period didn’t go exactly as planned for FSU football. There were some recruiting misses the coaching staff will need to address through the transfer portal, and they’ve already begun to do that with commitments from Mycah Pittman and Johnny Wilson at the wide receiver position.
They have two offensive linemen committed from the transfer portal, which should allow the five offensive linemen who signed early time to develop in their first year. I’ve spoken about the lack of impact from most true freshmen across the board on the Built For Playmakers Podcast.
I think fans have unrealistic expectations for most freshmen based on their recruiting ranking. Don’t get me wrong, because there are some sure-fire can’t miss prospects like Jalen Ramsey and Derwin James who can be impact players as freshmen, especially if they are early enrollees. Defensive back is where most highly-rated players can see significant snaps as freshmen.
I’d say running back is an offensive position where players can contribute as freshmen as long as they are physically ready.
The Noles had 16 players to sign early in the 2021 recruiting class, and only three players played significant snaps: Malik McClain, Omarion Cooper, and Kevin Knowles. Cooper was the only one of the three that wasn’t an early enrollee.
The 2022 signees will see the majority enrolling early, which will be beneficial in accelerating their development. Let’s look at which 2022 signees we can expect to see as contributors next season.