FSU football: Top 5 dark horse players going into 2022 season

Derrick McLendon

I’ve been on record that Derrick McLendon has been my sleeper going into 2022 for the longest time. He developed an entirely different attitude in the spring and seemed to have confidence that he was going to be a difference-maker at the defensive end position in 2022.

The departures of Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas opened up sizable voids in FSU’s pass rush and he seems to have put in the work to capitalize on the opportunity.

McLendon appeared in all 12 games last year, totaling 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for a loss. McLendon checks in at 6’4″ and up to 245 pounds, capable of getting after the quarterback and setting the edge against the run.

I think everyone expects FSU’s pass rush to take a step back in 2022, but someone like McLendon could help offset some of the production lost.

He’s the most experienced and productive defensive end, despite not playing a ton of snaps in 2021. If he could give FSU something like 40 tackles and 7-8 sacks?

I think I’d take that all day long.