FSU football: Johnny Wilson and Trey Benson eyeing national title in 2023

FSU football had several prominent players to return for the 2023 season. It was like a domino effect. Jordan Travis, Jared Verse, Trey Benson, Johnny Wilson, Tatum Bethune, and Fabien Lovett were all huge contributors to FSU’s success in 2022.

Verse, Benson, and Wilson likely deferred getting picked in the 2023 NFL Draft to return to Tallahassee for one more season.

A season they felt a national championship was within their reach. After all, FSU only lost three games last season, all to ranked teams, and only by a combined 18 points. In fairness, FSU probably beat themselves more than their opponents in those three losses.

It was the failure to execute and injuries for the most part. However, that’s all it takes when playing good teams, and two or three plays on the field can be the difference between winning and losing.

I think that’s why the returning guys are so confident, coupled with the talent upgrades and depth they’ll have in 2023.

If you want to see what confidence looks like? Look no further than Johnny Wilson and Trey Benson in a recent interview, where they talk about what’s possible for FSU in 2023:

I know some non-FSU football fans may see this clip and think it’s hyperbole. However, FSU has six top 100 players on its roster. They have multiple guys on national watch lists, and 14 players named to the Senior Bowl Watch list, the most in the ACC.

All FSU has to do is win the ACC Championship, and they should be a lock to make the College Football Playoff. It’s a two-game season at that point, and these guys believe they can stack up with anyone in the country.

They have one of the top QBs, one of the top wide receiver duos, crazy depth at tight end, and the majority of the defense returning from last year, anchored by likely early first-round pick Jared Verse. It’s incredibly hard to win a national title.

It takes a great team, great injury luck, and a ball to bounce a team’s way a few times each season. However, it’s great these guys have these expectations because they’ve been absent since the 2017 preseason.