True freshman wide receiver Jasen Lopez has been one of the stars in Tallahassee through the first half of fall camp. However, with Jayvan Boggs returning from injury this week to compete for the WR3 role and head coach Mike Norvell intent on using 12-, 13-, and 21-personnel at one of the higher rates in the country, Lopez’s standout preseason may not translate to many snaps once the regular season gets underway.
So, Lopez, a multi-talented two-sport athlete who is also a member of the Florida State basketball team, has, perhaps unsurprisingly, showcased his versatility and found an alternative path to playing time.
On Thursday, Florida State special teams coordinator Adam Scheier spoke with the media and told reporters that Lopez has “moxie” for a freshman punt returner.
Boggs, fellow freshmen Devin Carter and Gemari Sands, and All-ACC receiver Duce Robinson have all gotten work there, but it would seem that if there isn’t much space for Lopez on offense, special teams is the perfect place to get the ball into his hands.
Punt return can give Jasen Lopez a chance to impact games
Sure, he’s a true freshman who didn’t even dedicate his entire offseason to football because of his two-sport responsibilities. Yet, Lopez has proven through fall camp that he’s simply too dynamic not to have a chance to impact games. That just may not happen much at wide receiver.
Lopez is a slot-only player at wide receiver, at least early in his career. At 6-foot, 182 pounds, he may be able to eventually move outside, but even then he’ll still be a primary slot player. And this season, there just may not be much work for a slot receiver on FSU’s offense.
Norvell is expecting to call a very run-heavy offense in his return to the headset this season, and his unit has plenty of tight ends and running backs to get onto the field. Then, at wide receiver, Robinson and Micahi Danzy are too hard to take off the field. So, barring injury, there won’t be many available touches for Lopez in the offense. But he can’t just waste away on the sidelines.
Lopez is the type of player who can take just about any touch to the house. He’s not physical enough to run through arm tackles or bounce off defenders, but he simply doesn’t let them get their arms on him. He’s light on his feet, shifty, and accelerates in a blink. That’s a perfect skill set for a slot receiver, and exactly what he needs to succeed as a punt returner.
Florida State needs a special-teams upgrade in Adam Scheier’s first year
Last season, Squirrel White and Jaylin Lucas split the punt returner opportunities for the Seminoles. On his seven returns, White averaged 6.6 yards per attempt, which was No. 22 among the 30 players in the ACC with at least two return attempts. Lucas ranked No. 23 at 5.0 yards per return (per PFF).
Florida State finished No. 17 in the country by adjusted EPA/play last season. That’s not a team that should finish 5-7. The defense was an issue, as was late-game execution, but the third phase of the game was also a major problem, which is why Scheier was brought in from UNLV last season after John Papuchis took a role at Missouri.
Scheier needs to fix FSU’s special teams issues, and giving Lopez a chance to return punts would be a good start.
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