The 2017 FSU Preseason All-Opponent Team

With less than a month to go until the start of college football season, All-conference, All-American and All-Freshman teams have been released and Florida State has had its fair share of recognition.

Conversely, so have many of the opponents that FSU will line up against. We’ve been ranking the top five players that the Seminoles will face at every position group. Here is a look at a full team comprised of the teams that FSU will face this season:

Offense

QB: Lamar Jackson, Louisville
2016 Stats: 56% completions, 3,543 yards passing, 30 touchdown passes, 9 interceptions, 1,571 yards rushing, 21 rushing touchdowns
While two first-round quarterbacks are off FSU’s slate for 2017, the Seminoles still have to face the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in Louisville’s Lamar Jackson. Jackson has played well against FSU in each of the last two seasons and accounted for five total touchdowns last season as the Cardinals scored more points against Florida State than any team ever with 63.

RB: Bo Scarbrough, Alabama
2016 Stats: 125 carries, 812 yards rushing, 11 touchdowns, 22 yards receiving
Bo Scarbrough came on late as a sophomore in 2016. Over his final four games, Scarbrough rushed for 454 yards and six touchdowns. At 6-2 and nearly 230 pounds, Scarbrough is a big back, but isn’t lacking on big play ability.

RB: Damien Harris, Alabama
2016 Stats: 145 carries, 1,040 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns, 99 yards receiving, 2 touchdown catches
Replacing Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry wasn’t easy, but Damien Harris made it look that way at times for Alabama last season. Although he slowed down late in the year, Harris finished with more than 1,000 yards rushing while averaging better than seven yards per carry.

WR: Calvin Ridley, Alabama
2016 Stats: 72 catches, 769 yards receiving, 7 touchdown catches
With ArDarius Stewart and O.J. Howard off to the NFL, Calvin Ridley will be the go-to guy for Alabama in the passing game. Ridley has averaged better than 80 catches per season in each of his first two years in Tuscaloosa and is never not open, especially on third down.

WR: Ahmmon Richards, Miami
2016 Stats: 49 catches, 934 yards receiving, 3 touchdown catches
Just a sophomore, Miami’s Ahmmon Richards is a burner and is expected to touch the ball in a number of ways in 2017. Richards led the Hurricanes in receiving as a freshman and came on strong late in the year with three 100-yard receiving games in his final four contests of the regular season.

TE: Jaylen Samuels, N.C. State
2016 Stats: 55 catches, 565 yards receiving, 7 touchdown catches, 189 yards rushing, 6 rushing touchdowns
Players like North Carolina State’s Jaylen Samuels don’t come around very often. Despite being listed at tight end, Samuels regularly takes hand-offs from the backfield and lines up out wide. Last season, Samuels scored 13 total touchdowns. As a rusher, he averaged nearly six yards per carry.

T: Mitch Hyatt, Clemson
From the moment he stepped on campus, Clemson’s Mitch Hyatt has been a strong performer for the Tigers. After being named a Freshman All-America in 2015, Hyatt was a first-team All-ACC selection as a sophomore. At 6-5 and 295 pounds, Hyatt is quick off the snap and very physical.

G: Tyrone Crowder, Clemson
At 6-2 and 340 pounds, Tyrone Crowder is a mountain of a man and extremely physical. Despite his large 340-pound frame, Crowder moves well getting to the second level.

C: Austin Davis, Duke
After starting all 12 games last season, Duke center Austin Davis looks to anchor an offensive line that needs to make strides. At 6-4 and 295 pounds, Davis is a big body, but a good athlete when it comes to getting to the second level.

G: Martez Ivey, Florida
Though he might not get the attention that Jordan Scarlett or Antonio Callaway do, Martez Ivey may have been Florida’s offensive MVP in 2016. At 6-5 and 305 pounds, Ivey is the anchor for a Florida offensive line that has had its struggles.

T: Jonah Williams, Alabama
Like Clemson’s Mitch Hyatt, Alabama’s Jonah Williams is big, mean and physical. Williams has excelled both as a run-blocker and in pass protection and was a big reason why the Crimson Tide yielded just 24 sacks in 15 games last season while averaging 5.8 yards per rush, which ranked eighth nationally.

Defense

DE: Harold Landry, Boston College
2016 Stats: 51 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 1 interception, 7 forced fumbles
Boston College’s Harold Landry returns for a senior season after leading the nation in sacks a season ago. A 6-3, 250-pound defensive end, Landry is virtually unblockable off the edge.

DT: Dexter Lawrence, Clemson
2016 Stats: 78 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks
Clemson’s Dexter Lawrence had an unbelievable freshman year. At 340 pounds, Lawrence is ridiculously athletic for his size and is a big part of a Clemson defensive front that may be the best in the country.

DT: Christian Wilkins, Clemson
2016 Stats: 82 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks
At 6-4 and 310 pounds, Wilkins has shown tremendous versatility with the ability to line up either at end or tackle. Wilkins ranked fourth on the team with 82 total tackles — a ridiculous amount for a defensive lineman — last season while leading the team in sacks and tackles for loss.

DE: Bradley Chubb, N.C. State
2016 Stats: 58 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles
With all the defensive line talent in the ACC, N.C. State’s Bradley Chubb has quietly flown under the radar, but has been a dependable player for the Wolfpack since the first day. At 6-4 and 260 pounds, Chubb is capable of beating opposing offensive lineman with both speed and power.

LB: Kendall Joseph, Clemson
2016 Stats: 124 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 interception
After a monster 2016 campaign, Clemson’s Kendall Joseph doesn’t seem to be getting the recognition that he deserves. Though an extremely talented defensive line played a big part of Clemson’s defensive success, Joseph was all over the field last season, finishing second on the team in total tackles and leading the team in tackles for loss.

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LB: Stacy Thomas, Louisville
2016 Stats: 85 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception
With Keith Kelsey and Devonte Fields off to the NFL, Stacy Thomas will be the player to watch for Louisville at linebacker in 2017. Thomas appeared in all 13 games for the Cardinals a year ago and ranked second on the team in total tackles. Thomas is a player who flies to the football while doing an admirable job in pass coverage.

LB: Shaun Dion Hamilton, Alabama
2016 Stats: 64 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble
An interior linebacker at 230 pounds and a big hitter, Shaun Dion Hamilton was largely overshadowed by Butkus Award winner Reuben Foster last season, but should be the guy to watch for a very talented group of Alabama linebackers. Hamilton is returning from a season-ending ACL injury suffered in the SEC Championship against Florida, but big things are expected nonetheless.

CB: Jaire Alexander, Louisville
2016 Stats: 39 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 5 interceptions, forced fumble
Jaire Alexander burst onto the scene last season after being used mostly as a reserve as a freshman. Alexander showed sprinter speed that helped him excel both as a cornerback and a punt returner.

S: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama
2016 Stats: 66 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 6 interceptions, 1 forced fumble
When it comes to defensive backs, Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick is about as good as it gets. Fitzpatrick filled up the box score last season for an Alabama defense that was among the nation’s best. Fitzpatrick was a first-team All-American as a sophomore in 2016, leading the Crimson Tide in interceptions with six. His four career interception returns for touchdowns is a school-record.

S: Ronnie Harrison, Alabama
2016 Stats: 86 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions
Now a junior, Tallahassee native Ronnie Harrison is Alabama’s leading returning tackler. Harrison finished behind only Butkus Award winner Reuben Foster in that statistic last season and tied Fitzpatrick for second on the team in pass break-ups. At 6-3 and 215 pounds, Harrison is fast, physical and instinctive.

CB: Duke Dawson, Florida
2016 Stats: 24 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1 interception
A physical cornerback at nearly 210 pounds, Duke Dawson emerged for a deep and talented Florida secondary a season ago. The Gators again boasted one of the nation’s best defenses and Dawson’s emergence was a big reason for that.

Special Teams

K: Eddy Pineiro, Florida
2016 Stats: 21-for-25 field goals, long 54, 32-for-32 PATs
Florida kicker Eddy Pineiro was outstanding as a freshman a season ago, showing off his big leg, which also turned out to be pretty accurate. Pineiro made 84 percent of his field goals as a freshman and all of his extra points. Pineiro was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals of at least 50 yards.

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P: Johnny Townsend, Florida
2016 Stats: 64 punts, 47.9 yards per punt
Johnny Townsend will again give Florida a big advantage when it comes to field position. Townsend averaged nearly 48 yards a boot last season with 29 of his 64 punts traveling at least 50.

KR: Nyheim Hines, N.C. State
2016 Stats: 24.4 yards per return, 1 kickoff return touchdown
Nyheim Hines will be shifting from wide receiver to running back this season, but won’t be new to returning kicks. Hines has averaged better than 25 yards per return for his career and has two kickoff returns for scores.

PR: Braxton Berrios, Miami
2016 Stats: 11.3 yards per punt return, 1 punt return touchdown
Miami’s Braxton Berrios proved not only dangerous in the slot last season, but in the punt return game. His 11.3 yards per return average ranked eighth nationally among qualified players.

Count by School

Alabama: 7
Clemson: 5
Florida: 4
N.C. State/Louisville: 3
Miami: 2
Boston College/Duke: 1

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson