FSU football: 3 difference-makers emerging from 2022 fall camp

Johnny Wilson

Here’s an excerpt from what I wrote whenever Johnny Wilson committed to the Noles:

"FSU players struggled to win 1-on-1 matchups against man-to-man coverage. That shouldn’t be the case with Johnny Wilson. He’s too big to jam and has just enough speed that he’ll go by defensive backs that play with poor technique. He does an excellent job of high-pointing the ball and should be an immediate threat in the red zone. He could also serve as a great decoy. I’d also expect him to be someone the quarterback could look to find when they need a third-down conversion. Wilson does a good job of using his body to shield smaller defenders and usually catches the ball with his hands away from his body."

This is precisely what Johnny Wilson has been doing in fall camp. A lot of folks were not impressed with Wilson in the spring, but that narrative was premature considering he only played in eight games at Arizona State and had to learn a new offense at FSU. However, Wilson has proven to be a mismatch against capable FSU defensive backs. At 6’7″ and 230 pounds, he poses problems that defensive backs can’t prepare for in terms of length and size.

FSU scored touchdowns 73.81 percent of the time in 2021, that’s good for No. 7 nationally. The biggest issue was getting into the red zone for the Noles, and a more consistent offense with weapons like Pittman and Wilson likely means more red zone trips. If they converted at such a high rate last season? I can’t expect that to drop off much, if any at all, with additions like Wilson in the red zone.