FSU Football: Five Defensive Storylines to Start Fall Camp

The waiting is over as Florida State kicked off fall camp Tuesday. The Seminoles have big hopes for 2016 as they return 17 starters from a team that won 10 games and reached a New Year’s Six bowl last season.

Six of those 17 starters for Florida State return on the defensive side of the ball. Despite losing a player in Jalen Ramsey, who went fifth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft and leading tackler Reggie Northrup, most expect FSU to be even better defensively in 2016.

Here are five storylines to pay attention to on that side of the ball:

1. Can DeMarcus Walker Build on a Breakout 2015?
The turnaround from 2014 to 2015 for defensive end DeMarcus Walker was nothing short of remarkable. Walker went from one sack in each of his first two seasons to 10.5 in 2015 to go along with 15.5 total tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. Entering 2016, Walker has much more of a national spotlight on him and will be a bigger focal point for opposing offenses. It’ll be interesting to see how he responds.

2. Finding Depth Up Front
Florida State’s starting defensive front of Walker, Demarcus Christmas, Derrick Nnadi and Josh Sweat might be one of the best units in the country, but with the exception of linebacker/end hybrid Jacob Pugh, the guys listed second and third on the depth chart are largely unproven. For the Seminoles to have a truly dominant defensive line, guys like Keith Bryant, Fred Jones, Arthur Williams or newcomers like Brian Burns and Wally Aime will need to step up in reserve roles.

3. Can Matthew Thomas Finally Put it All Together?
A 5-star recruit out of high school in Miami, Matthew Thomas hasn’t been able to stay on the field since arriving in Tallahassee. Injuries, suspensions, personal issues and academics have all stood in the way, but Thomas is a phenomenal athlete with a world of ability. Thomas enters the year with just 30 total tackles for his career, but has quickness, is a big hitter and an excellent blitzer. If Thomas can keep his focus on football and get his schoolwork in order, he could be an All-ACC performer and get the attention of NFL scouts.

4. The Mystery of the Linebacker Position
Entering the year, FSU’s corps of scholarship linebackers have just a combined 130 tackles for their careers, which includes Jacob Pugh’s production and he was used mostly as a pass-rusher last season. Thomas and Ro’Derrick Hoskins are expected to start, but Sh’Mar Kilby-Lane, Delvin Purifoy and incoming freshmen Josh Brown, Dontavious Jackson and Emmett Rice are all without meaningful snaps at the college level. Opponents will likely try to exploit FSU’s lack of experience at the position. How the unit responds could be the difference between the Seminoles having a good defense and a great defense.

5. Can the Secondary Be as Good as Advertised?
Despite losing Jalen Ramsey, FSU’s secondary could be one of the best in the country. Sophomore safety Derwin James and senior cornerback Marquez White are each All-American candidates while safeties Nate Andrews and Trey Marshall have a lot of experience in defensive coordinator Charles Kelly’s system. Sophomore Tarvarus McFadden and freshman Levonta Taylor are each former 5-star recruits while sophomores Marcus Lewis, Calvin Brewton and A.J. Westbrook have a world of talent. As far as defensive backs go, FSU has great depth, experience and talent. Now, we’ll just wait and see if it can all come together on the field.