FSU football: Darius Washington the x-factor on the Noles’ OL in 2023?
FSU football is loaded at the offensive line position group, where they have 17 scholarship players at the position on their roster.
Florida State’s offensive unit is considered a top-ten unit in all of college football. Redshirt senior quarterback Jordan Travis leads the offense, who completed 226 passes on 353 attempts (64%) for 3,214 yards with 24 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
Travis would probably be the first to tell you that his elevated play from last season would not have been possible without his offensive line.
FSU football fans begin to name contributors at the position who will be making an impact this season. Some names include Bless Harris, Casey Roddick, D’Mitri Emmanuel, Jeremiah Byers, Robert Scott Jr., and Maurice Smith.
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However, there seems to always be a player lost in the mix of possible contributors. That particular player is redshirt junior Darius Washington.
Washington was a Class of 2019 three-star (composite ranking) prospect from West Florida Tech in Pensacola, Florida. He has been a mainstay for the Seminoles, where he has started 22 games in his career.
As we have seen before, injuries on the offensive line happen. During the 2022 season, FSU lost interior offensive lineman Kayden Lyles for the season in the preseason. To make matters worse, the Seminoles had offensive tackle Bless Harris go down with a season-ending injury during the season-opening victory over Duquesne.
The coaching staff had to also adjust to the fact that offensive tackle Robert Scott Jr. and interior offensive lineman Maurice Smith suffered minor injuries during the season as well.
This is where Washington’s experience as an offensive lineman comes into play. The Pensacola native has played all over the offensive line at positions such as tackle, guard, and even center.
FSU coaches cross-train as much as they can, but having an experienced player like Washington helps alleviate a lot of concerns, especially when some guys FSU will count on are transfer players who are still learning the offense.
Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins has his safety blanket at the position in Washington if/when an injury occurs.
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