FSU football: 5 players who improved the most in 2023 spring camp
By Kelvin Hunt
Omar Graham Jr.
I know some folks want the coaching staff to hit the transfer portal for another linebacker with the departures of Brendan Gant and Stephan Dix Jr.
However, I think a big part of those guys transferring was the development of redshirt freshman Omar Graham Jr.
He played in three games before redshirting last season but got plenty of reps at spring practice with incumbent starters Tatum Bethune and Kalen DeLoach having so many college experiences.
The coaching staff knew they needed to build depth with both players likely departing after the 2023 season and thrust Graham Jr. in there with the starters quite a bit. It paid off as Graham Jr. looked good in the spring game, particularly in coverage. The latter is an area FSU struggled in recent years.
However, Graham Jr. is extremely smart and seems to have picked up the defense relatively quickly. He lists at 6’2″ and 226 pounds, which is already bigger than DeLoach and near the same size as Bethune.
I’m sure he’s still learning the defense and will need to get more familiar with little nuances like how to time blitzes up and which gaps to fill at certain times.
However, I think his improvement prevents FSU from having to hit the portal for a linebacker.