Offensive lineman Jaylen Early gets his opportunity to shine in his home state

Florida State football accomplished success on Saturday night versus California by a score of 14-9. The fan base has to breathe a sigh of relief as the program finally got a win.

The program accomplished an undefeated regular season and a conference championship in 2023. Head football coach Mike Norvell and his staff were very excited to see how his team would perform in 2024. However, Norvell even noticed through four games that there were issues.

The coaching staff has even decided to play some of the younger players on the roster, giving the squad the best opportunity to win. As a head football coach, Mike Norvell does not want to tank the 2024 campaign. He gets paid to win football games.

One younger player that has seen an appearance this season is offensive tackle Jaylen Early. It has not been pretty on the offensive line where pieces such as Darius Washington, Jeremiah Byers, and Robert Scott Jr. has struggled with injuries and inconsistencies.

Fans thought that Washington would be a piece that could be an All-American for the Seminoles at left tackle. However, the veteran has severely underperformed and has not been himself. He even injured himself in warm-ups where he was listed out for the Memphis game.

The depth of the offensive tackle position group has been tested with the injuries. As a result, a piece such as Jaylen Early has been thrust into the starting lineup at right tackle. It has not been ideal but Early is the PFF grade leader in the offensive line.

One concern for Alex Atkins during his tenure at Florida State is that he doesn't play younger players in the rotation of his offensive line. However, with the injuries, Atkins had no choice but to play Early. There are flashes that have been encouraging.

Early was a former four-star prospect from the 2022 recruiting cycle from Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas. Ironically enough, Duncanville is only 15 minutes from Dallas, Texas where the Seminoles will play SMU on Saturday night. I imagine that Early will have a ton of friends and family watching him play.

I want to see the youngster get more opportunities and experience on the offensive line.