FSU football: Best explanation on why youth movement took so long

Offensive Linemen and Tight Ends

Most offensive linemen are not physically ready to play in college after transitioning from high school. It's one of the most difficult positions to project because guys often need to add 25+ pounds and get strong before they're ready to contribute. Offensive linemen playing too early got FSU in the predicament Mike Norvell inherited.

When those guys play too early, they often get injured, which slows their development and decreases their potential(because they rarely get back to 100 percent after getting hurt). It's why FSU has slowly integrated guys like Jaylen Early and Andre Otto. However, I mentioned that the position is hard to project, and there's a high bust rate. It's why sometimes high-ranking guys out of high school never develop enough to see the field. See Julian Armella. When it comes to defensive linemen, it's mostly about reshaping their bodies or getting bigger and stronger to get on the field early.

The tight end position is similar to offensive linemen because the physicality needed at the position often prevents freshmen from getting on the field. The other aspect is they must learn their routes in the passing game, and most high school programs don't spend a lot of time developing tight ends in that regard. They mostly play receiver and Amaree Williams is a prime example.

Landen Thomas and Williams are two talented freshmen who needed to get bigger and stronger since the tight end plays a big part in the blocking game for FSU running backs. Kyle Morlock wasn't a great blocker and has had issues with drops(he didn't have the latter issue last year), but he at least knew what to do and where to be. Thomas and Williams likely couldn't consistently do that early in the season but have developed as they got reps in practice to put them out there. Just because their name isn't listed at the top of the depth chart doesn't mean much. They both have seen increased reps lately.