Florida State brought in experienced offensive line coach Herb Hand the previous offseason. It was thought that Coach Hand would be a package deal with former offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, but once he retired, Hand stayed with the program.
The offensive line was surprisingly solid last season, but the Seminoles had to rely on a variety of transfers, including Micah Pettus, Luke Petitbon, Gunnar Hansen, and Adrian Medley.
The downside to that is that all of them, including another transfer, Richie Leonard IV, had one year of eligibility remaining. There cannot be an over-reliance on guys in the portal. At some point, they have to prioritize playing the homegrown talent.
Herb Hand has a decision to make at the center position during camp
Florida State is in the middle of its spring practices, and the offensive line still has to be sorted out. There is no need to worry, but it looks like Xavier Chaplin, Nate Pabst (being that he can play multiple positions), and Andre Otto will be part of the rotation.
One of the more intriguing position battles will be at center. The candidates could come down to Chavez Thompson, Bradyn Joiner, and Paul Bowling. While I believe that it will be more of a battle between Thompson and Joiner, Bowling can play both center and guard.
Thompson continues to have glowing remarks from the coaching staff. The former three-star prospect from Cocoa High School was a player that the fan base didn't expect much after stealing him away from FIU. Meanwhile, Bradyn Joiner is someone who played at both Auburn and Purdue and has started in 17 games over the past two seasons.
The former Wake Forest center Luke Petitbon is an offensive lineman who will find it difficult to replicate his success. That said, I believe the coaching staff will ultimately favor Bradyn Joiner's experience.
The Seminoles have won seven games over the past two seasons and do not need to worry about a narrative of playing transfers over recruits. They need to let the best player win the job at center.