One of FSU's best defensive players will miss Stanford game, others questionable

One of the biggest weaknesses of this year’s FSU football team was its lack of proven depth at certain positions. We wrote that this team could compete with anyone when all of its key players were healthy, but they would need good injury luck along the way.

FSU has had solid injury luck for the most part, but that ugly injury bug has started to rear its head over the past few weeks. FSU played last week without its best offensive lineman, Micah Pettus, and he’s questionable for the Stanford game. FSU’s best wide receiver, Duce Robinson, is questionable, and we saw what the offense looked like without his presence in the second half of the Pittsburgh game.

FSU will be without one of its best defensive players this week. Defensive back Jabrill Rawls is out for the Stanford game with an injury. Rawls has been one of the few bright spots for the FSU defense, as he’s been one of a handful of defensive players who’ve played with the same physicality and intensity since the Alabama game.

FSU does have some good news on the injury front. The often-injured Squirrel White will return this week, which could help if Robinson is a no-go. Randy Pittman Jr. returning this week should also help the offense in a big way. Ashlynd Barker returning at safety should help the defense.

The good news is, Stanford isn’t a great team, but all these injuries and limitations help level the playing field a little bit. FSU remains a massive betting favorite at -18.5.