The Most Overlooked FSU Player at Every Position Heading Into 2017

As the start of the 2017 season approaches, there are a number of players for Florida State who have become household names, either because of prior accomplishments or preseason hype.

Quarterback Deondre Francois and safety Derwin James are two names that immediately come to mind, but the same could probably be said for cornerback Tarvarus McFadden and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi. Throughout the roster however, there are a number of players expected to make a big impact that aren’t getting much offseason love.

Here’s a look at the most under-the-radar player for the Seminoles at each position heading into 2017:

Quarterback: James Blackman
When it comes to the starting quarterback position, reigning ACC Rookie of the Year, Deondre Francois has things wrapped up. The debate about the No. 2 however, has seemed to revolve around maligned redshirt junior J.J. Cosentino and true freshman Bailey Hockman.

Though he was the only of the two to enroll early, Hockman isn’t the only freshman looking to move up the depth chart. James Blackman came on late as a prospect, but at 6-5, Blackman has a big arm and is still growing into his body. Hockman probably has the upper-hand for now, but Blackman has the potential to make the quarterback position an interesting one to watch in the yers to come.

Running Back: Amir Rasul
While the offseason focus at the running back position has revolved around replacing Dalvin Cook, Jacques Patrick and the two incoming 5-star freshmen in Cam Akers and Khalan Laborn, sophomore Amir Rasul is a player that the FSU coaches are very high on. At 5-10 and nearly 200 pounds, Rasul has an FBS body and blazing speed.

Wide Receiver: Da’Vante Phillips
The two big names for FSU out wide are Nyqwan Murray and Auden Tate, but many seem to be getting caught up in the potential of sophomores George Campbell and Keith Gavin. With only five scholarship receivers returning, the fifth one, Da’Vante Phillips, seems to be flying under the radar. At 6-1 and 205 pounds, Phillips is a big target who seemed to get open with relative ease during the spring and could be a solid possession receiver.

Tight End: Mavin Saunders
While Ryan Izzo, FSU’s starter and most complete tight end, has received some preseason hype, redshirt junior Mavin Saunders has more upside and is a better athlete. With the Seminoles returning just five scholarship receivers, expect FSU to use the tight end more and expect the 6-6 Saunders to be targeted more frequently in 2017.

Offensive Line: Cole Minshew
While there are huge question marks as to how Florida State will line up along the offensive front, redshirt sophomore Cole Minshew is looking more and more like a lock to start at one of the guard positions — probably left. Minshew did an admirable job late last season in place of an injured Kareem Are and Wilson Bell. He’s also got a mean streak that the coaches like, which is necessary given all the talented defensive fronts that FSU will see early on.

Defensive Line: Janarius Robinson
Depth, returning talented and incoming talent leave a lot to rave about for FSU along the defensive line. Derrick Nnadi, Demarcus Christmas, Josh Sweat and Brian Burns all return while the Seminoles bring in a pair of 5-stars in end Joshua Kaindoh and defensive tackle Marvin Wilson. Another one of FSU’s promising young talents however, has seemed to fly under the radar and that’s redshirt freshman Janarius Robinson.

Robinson is expected to see significant time at the strongside defensive end position. At 6-5 and nearly 250 pounds, Robinson has a world of potential and showed some of that in the spring game. Robinson should be able to help set the edge and be a big contributor on a very deep defensive front. Some have speculated that Robinson has the talent to be a first round pick in the future.

Linebackers: Ro’Derrick Hoskins
With fellow seniors Matthew Thomas and Jacob Pugh each being named to the preseason Butkus Award watch list coupled with the speculation on which youngsters will make strides, Ro’Derrick Hoskins seems to be a forgotten man at linebacker. Though Hoskins hasn’t been the most consistent of players, he’s the only player on the current roster to record at least 50 total tackles in each of the last two seasons.

Secondary: Trey Marshall
With two potential All-Americans in Derwin James and Tarvarus McFadden, the FSU secondary is getting a lot of offseason love. On top of that, FSU gets Nate Andrews back from injury and is loaded with talented young cornerbacks. Lost in the mix however, might be safety Trey Marshall.

Marshall will be suspended for the first half of the opener against Alabama for a targeting ejection in last year’s Orange Bowl, but has quietly been solid in run support and has improved in pass coverage. With all the talent in the secondary, it’s not a surprise that Marshall’s name hasn’t been mentioned a lot, but expect him to be a big part of a defense that has the chance to be one of the nation’s best.

Special Teams: Stephen Gabbard
While long snappers don’t tend to get a lot of attention, FSU’s Stephen Gabbbard is entering his fourth year in that role. People don’t always notice when a long snapper is doing his job well, but when he isn’t, they sure do.

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