The second availability report for Florida State has officially been released ahead of the Week 1 clash against No. 19 SMU. Florida State had a few key names on the first availability report, while SMU did not have any shocking additions. The Mustangs did not need to make any changes for the second report, but the Seminoles are expected to head into the game with greater injury concerns following the release of the second report.
Defensive back K.J. Kirkland was downgraded from questionable to doubtful for Florida State. Losing Kirkland would be another massive hit to the depth of the secondary for the Seminoles after Karson Hobbs, Chuck Kennon, and Jordan Crutchfield were ruled out. Defensive backs Ashlynd Barker and Quindarrius Jones were also listed as probable for the Week 1 contest.
The current situation in the secondary is far from ideal for Florida State, as the team already entered the week with concerns. Coach Mike Norvell previously stated at the start of the week that Kennon had been evaluated for a minor injury, and Norvell also revealed that Crutchfield was still under evaluation. Florida State will be forced to face SMU with a heavily injured secondary, and the Mustangs might be able to expose the glaring issues on Monday night.
Six injured defensive backs could spell disaster for Florida State in Week 1 against SMU
The Seminoles now enter Week 1 with a difficult challenge against a worthy ACC opponent in SMU. Norvell needed his secondary to spend the week working on becoming a more cohesive unit before facing the Mustangs, but now Florida State faces a different challenge with a handful of important injuries. Norvell was already expecting a tough battle in Tallahassee, and now the fight will likely become far more difficult without a healthy unit.
No Hobbs, Kennon, or Crutchfield is a major blow to the depth of the secondary for Florida State after all three were injured in Week 0. Crutchfield is a key part of the Seminoles' youth movement, and the defensive back missing an important early-season challenge is far from ideal. Florida State may also be without a growing contributor in Kirkland, but the bigger problem involves the players actually set to hit the field.
Barker and Jones are important parts of the secondary who appeared on the availability report, and the duo is now tasked with facing one of the top offenses in the ACC with lingering injuries. Norvell has been reliant on Barker and Jones thus far into the season, but new options may need to present themselves quickly to avoid any larger issues from forming.
Florida State is becoming limited due to the number of injuries in the secondary, and many of the injured players were in line to be backups to prevent injuries to the starters from truly hurting the team. Norvell needs to find new players to give extra snaps to in the secondary, and finding solutions as fast as possible is going to be key for the coach.
Tony White may lean on Nehemiah Chandler and Ricky Knight III for secondary snaps
Two potential players who could secure more meaningful roles in the secondary for Week 1 could be Nehemiah Chandler and Ricky Knight III. Norvell gave Chandler 33 snaps against New Mexico State in the sixth-man role in the secondary, and Chandler could make a serious impact with his experience at both corner and safety. Knight has primarily been a reserve player for Norvell in his career, but injuries across the secondary could give the junior a more serious look on the field.
Week 0 resulted in a win for Florida State, but the path the Seminoles took to victory was not impressive enough to instill confidence in the team. The offensive line was in disarray at times when blocking for Ashton Daniels, and the miscommunications in the secondary allowed New Mexico State to find success through the air. The mistakes will need to be fixed significantly before Monday night to prevent a disastrous loss.
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