FSU Football: Depth Chart Battles to Watch for 2017

Few teams have recruited at the level that Florida State has in the past few years. While other teams might “rebuild”, FSU has entered the area of “reloading” when it comes to NFL departures or senior graduations. Luckily for the team, it isn’t losing all that many players this offseason. Some of the losses are impact players, especially defensive end DeMarcus Walker and running back Dalvin Cook, but the talent FSU keeps bringing in and developing will remain apparent.

The discussion is already centering around how the camp battles for 2017 will progress. Multiple starting positions are up in the air; some have clear leaders, some don’t. Below are an assortment of camp battles to keep an eye on for the upcoming season. These will likely be close contests, and the team that trots out first onto the field against Alabama might not be known until that very moment.

Wide Receiver: Keith Gavin vs. Da’Vante Phillips vs. George Campbell

The opinion on whether or not Travis Rudolph was coming back was sharply divided, but the question was answered Thursday when Rudolph declared for the NFL Draft. Wide receiver beyond Auden Tate and Nyqwan Murray is one of two spots where there is no clear leader at the moment. Going purely by potential, Keith Gavin would be the favorite, considering his physical build and how he came on strong at the end of the year. If head coach Jimbo Fisher wants to go with someone that might be more “veteran”, Da’Vante Phillips has an interesting mix of athleticism that might be needed in replacing Rudolph.

Fisher praised Phillips a lot coming into last season, but he wasn’t able to play much due to his position at wide receiver being a bit of a log jam. For the third prospect: some have put in George Campbell as a potential replacement. He will likely get rotated in a lot next year, but it likely won’t be at Rudolph’s position. He’s not there yet as a receiver and the injuries have set back some of his development.

Cornerback: Levonta Taylor vs Kyle Meyers vs Carlos Becker

Soon-to-be junior Tarvarus McFadden already has the boundary cornerback position locked down. He’s an exciting player whose growth was evident throughout the season, complete with ball-hawking abilities that the FSU secondary has not seen in years. Whoever starts opposite him will need to replace senior Marquez White, who has quietly been a lockdown corner for most of his time at FSU. The Seminoles have recruited very well in the secondary, meaning they have a few options to look at. Listed above are the three main contenders.

Levonta Taylor was the No. 1 cornerback in his class and found his way on the field as a true freshman. He had some rough spots (against Miami most noticeably) but the staff seemed confident in his abilities. At one point in an Oct. 29 loss to Clemson, he got put on Mike Williams during a third down near the goal line. He’s the presumed “favorite” but it’s not by much. That’s mainly because his fellow classmates Kyle Meyers and Carlos Becker also showed their abilities in 2016. Meyers got moved around a fair amount, and cornerback was an area where he did seem to excel.

Becker is another interesting option, because many assumed he would operate at safety once on campus. He has done that at various points in 2016, though the Orange Bowl especially saw him get extended reps at cornerback. He has the most athleticism of the three and might just steal the job if the staff decides to put him there.

Right Tackle: Brock Ruble vs. Rick Leonard

The battle for right tackle will be one of the most interesting of the offseason. Leonard started out 2016, but was a noticeable weak link on a struggling line. He was replaced by Brock Ruble, who played markedly better. But by the end of the season, Leonard had regained his starting spot and seemed greatly improved. He capped it off with a strong performance in the Orange Bowl against a very talented Michigan front line. Leonard has the higher ceiling of the two players by far, but the consistency will need to be there if he wants to continue as the starter.

Left Tackle: Derrick Kelly vs. Jauan Williams vs. Josh Ball vs. Abdul Bello vs. Wilson Bell

Left tackle Roderick Johnson announced Tuesday afternoon that he would forego his senior season and enter the upcoming NFL Draft. It was probably the right decision for Johnson, and for now the focus turns to the wide open left tackle spot with no clear leader in sight. Derrick Kelly played well at right tackle back in 2015, but he suffered a knee injury and has not been the same player since. Another offseason could help in his recovery and potentially get him back to the promising player he once was. Behind him, the next three potential tackles don’t have a single start in their careers.

Jauan Williams is an athletic prospect who probably has the highest ceiling of any lineman on the team, but he still needs to fill out his frame and perform well enough to beat out other contender. Josh Ball is in a similar boat with loads of potential, but not much proven at this point in his career. Abdul Bello was once the No. 4 tackle prospect in the country due to his athleticism. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury his freshman season, but now he appears healthy and ready to seriously battle for the job. Some have floated Wilson Bell (the current guard) as a potential left tackle, though his hype has not matched his production so far.

Potential wild cards for this one? If Rick Leonard progresses well enough, he could get shifted to the left side of the line. Also, if guard Landon Dickerson can come back from a knee injury, he’s a tackle by trade and could be the best answer at that position.

No. 2 Running Back: Amir Rasul vs. Cam Akers vs Khalan Laborn vs Zaquandre White

Jacques Patrick is presumably the starter at the beginning of 2017. He’s more of a power runner than Florida State has typically given the nod to, but past years have shown that Fisher likes to have multiple options in the backfield. Whether it be “Wild and Free” in 2012 and 2013 with the combination of Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. or the Cook/Karlos Williams split in 2014, he likes to mix in different styles of running.

Hence why it’s almost assured that one of Rasul, Akers, Laborn, or White will get reps early on. Rasul looked decent in limited time, but a shoulder surgery in the offseason might affect his standing in the depth chart and his progression. Akers is the most talented of the three, and it’s very possible that he could be the main starter by the end of the season. But Laborn and White each have their own skill set that could find its way on to the field in certain roles. Laborn has drawn Chris Thompson comparisons, and White has fantastic cutting ability for his size. How exactly the race will sort itself out will be one of the most intriguing stories of the offseason.

Defensive End: Which Route Does FSU Take?

Admittedly, there is not a clear idea of which players will be competing for this spot. That’s not the lack for a lack of options, but because any potential camp competition depends on how FSU chooses to address the need. There are two prevailing opinions as of now. The first is that the Seminoles will continue to get Josh Sweat’s weight up and simply slide him over. Such a decision would then put Brian Burns into Sweat’s spot at “BUCK”. It would then become a battle of backups and newcomers to see who would rotate in.

If the staff decides to keep Sweat where he is however, then the strongside defensive end would have to come from a new group of players, because Burns would simply not be big enough for that. This group would likely consist of players like Janarius Robinson and Jalen Wilkerson. Wally Aime has been another name mentioned, but that would be a surprise, considering that he’s already a very talented defensive tackle who could make serious impact from that position. FSU also hopes to get Keith Bryant back from injury.