FSU football: 5 most valuable defensive players in 2023
By Kelvin Hunt
Braden Fiske
FSU football coaches knew they needed more depth at the defensive tackle position going into 2023. Fabien Lovett's injury exposed that problem last season, and teams had too much success running the ball. Enter Western Michigan transfer Braden Fiske. Not only was Fiske excellent against the run, but he was solid at getting to the quarterback when he wasn't getting held by opposing offensive linemen. Fiske had 43 tackles(led all FSU defensive linemen), seven tackles for a loss, six sacks, and five QB hurries in 2023.
The combination of Fiske and Joshua Farmer was formidable and allowed FSU to rotate guys at defensive tackle to keep everyone fresh in games, plus throughout the season. Fiske indicated he had never felt so fresh towards the end of a season, and it showed in the ACC Championship game, where he went banannas for nine tackles and 4.5 tackles for a loss to help clinch the ACC Championship.