FSU football: Top 15 important defensive players for 2023 season

DJ Lundy

I had to go with my guy DJ Lundy at linebacker to start things off. Lundy slimmed down last season and appeared to show improvement, although he was in a lesser role than the previous season with the arrival of transfer Tatum Bethune.

FSU returns starters Bethune and Kalen DeLoach, but both played a large portion of last season with injuries that limited their time on the field. If healthy, those two will likely dominate playing time while the outcome of games is still in question.

However, should one suffer an injury, Lundy’s play would see a significant uptick and be vital to the defense’s success. Lundy finished sixth on the team with 48 tackles and five tackles for a loss last season.

His biggest weakness was in pass coverage before losing weight and getting into better shape. We saw some improvement in that area last year, and hopefully, we’ll see continued progression there.