FSU football: Top 15 most important defensive players for 2024 season

No. 15 Grady Kelly-DT

I had to start with Colorado State transfer defensive tackle Grady Kelly. FSU will have two guys up front at the defensive tackle position we'll talk about later. However, FSU uses a rotation of guys in the trenches to keep players fresh, which means someone like Grady Kelly will likely play significant snaps in 2024 as a reserve. Will FSU rotate as much as they did last year? I'm not sure, but FSU can't afford to have a significant drop-off at the position once Kelly's in the game. The Noles were solid against the traditional run game most of the time but allowed a few too many explosive runs last year.

If Kelly can play to the level of or better than Malcolm Ray last year, it would be a huge boost to the defensive depth. It would help keep the two starters fresh deeper into the game, which is why we saw players like Braden Fiske wreak havoc late in the fourth quarter against Louisville in the ACC Championship game.