If FSU wants respect from the ACC media, the Seminoles will have to earn it on the field. A day after being selected to finish seventh in the conference, FSU has just one player on the preseason All-ACC team - defensive lineman Darrell Jackson.
Congratulations to Jackson, who had 32 tackles, four TFLs and three sacks in 12 starts last season. The 6-foot-5, 337-pounder from Havana, Florida, could have easily decided to try his luck in the NFL Draft, but decided to come back for his senior year.
Jackson will have a key role up front in Tony White's 3-3-5 defense. He'll probably line up as the nose guard on most occasions, but White loves to move his linemen around and Jackson is strong enough against the run and the pass to give White some options.
New #FSU DC Tony White spoke highly about DL Darrell Jackson Jr. at tonight’s Tallahassee Seminole Boosters event
— Warchant.com (@Warchant) April 15, 2025
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Jackson is the only projected returning starter on the front seven (six?). He previously played for Maryland and Miami before transferring to FSU in 2023. Jackson sat out the regular season while requesting a hardship from the NCAA. He was allowed to play in the Orange Bowl before becoming a full-time starter in 2024.
His return will prove to be a major boost for the Seminoles' defense in White's first year as a coordinator. Jackson spoke at ACC Media Days and said he returned to handle some unfinished business.
"I feel like I left a lot on the table," Jackson said. "I had room to grow, so I just wanted to come back and developed and leave this program in the best position that I know it's capable of."
Of the 28 players on the All-ACC preseason team, 11 of them are from Clemson. Pitt had three players on the team, while Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami and SMU each had two. Florida State, NC State and Syracuse each placed one.