FSU Commitment Analysis: Anthony Lytton and Christian Armstrong

Florida State head coach Willie Taggart continues to make strides for the Seminoles on the recruiting trail. After a nice Sunday, the Seminoles now find themselves in the top 20 as a team, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

As of now, FSU has 14 total commitments. We’ve been examining what each will bring or could bring to the table when they arrive in Tallahassee.

Our newest edition will feature one member of the secondary and one member of the offensive line. In our newest piece, we’ll be looking at cornerback Anthony Lytton and tackle Christian Armstrong.

Anthony Lytton, CB

Since committing to Florida State in April, 4-star cornerback Anthony Lytton never wavered on his commitment. As a 5-foot-10, 175-pound prospect and the 50th best player for 2018, according to the 247Sports Composite, Lytton is one of three blue-chip cornerbacks to have signed with the Seminoles and the highest rated at that position.

What he brings: What sticks out about Anthony Lytton on film is his phenomenal ball skills. Lytton possesses a great awareness, locates the football in the air with ease and for a defensive back, has really good hands. Despite being slight at less than 175 pounds, Lytton is a tough player, but needs to use his arms more when making tackles.

Although he is a defensive player, Lytton looks like a natural with the football in his hands, which could make him a danger on turnovers and a potential option to return kicks or punts. Lytton has excellent speed, but is so fluid and smooth in his movement that it’s hard to pick up how fast he’s really going. As is the case with most high school cornerbacks, an additional five or 10 pounds of weight would probably serve as a benefit.

How he fits: Lytton will be joining a loaded secondary that includes Levonta Taylor, Stanford Samuels III, Carlos Becker and Kyle Meyers at cornerback. Florida State however, will likely utilize that strength and play a number of defensive backs. The biggest competition that Lytton will face for reps will likely come from fellow incoming freshmen in Asante Samuel, Jr. and Isaiah Bolden.

It’s possible — probably likely — that both Lytton and Samuel see extended time in the defensive backfield. Most see Taylor and Samuels as the projected starters for 2018. If Lytton picks things up quickly, expect him to be able to potentially cut into the playing time of Becker and Meyers. After an outstanding sophomore season in 2017, Taylor will be eligible for the NFL Draft following 2018. If that happens, it’s conceivable that Lytton could start as early as 2019.

Christian Armstrong, T

A 3-star tackle from Warner Robbins, Georgia, Christian Armstrong is a big prospect at 6-5 and 335 pounds. Armstrong committed to FSU on June 25 and is one of three early enrollees. Armstrong is listed by the 247Sports Composite rankings as the No. 402 overall prospect for 2018 and the 29th best offensive tackle. He’s also the 44th best player from the state of Georgia.

What he brings: Christian Armstrong is a strong young man, who knows how to use his lower body strength to finish blocks. Armstrong is also a decent athlete given his size as he’s able to get to the next level and seal off linebackers. One area where a lot of big, strong, young offensive lineman struggle is getting leverage, which Armstrong does a decent job of more often than not.

With that said, Armstrong still has a lot of work to do, especially when pass-protecting against speed rushers. Armstrong isn’t real fast out of his stance and sometimes tries to overcompensate and gets beat inside — a cardinal sin for offensive linemen. Armstrong could also do a better job using his hands and arms instead of just relying on his brute strength to mow defenders over.

How he fits: Barring an absolute breakdown along the offensive line, Armstrong stands to be redshirted in 2018. At the tackle position, the Seminoles have a deep group and are fairly young with Josh Ball, Jauan Williams, Derrick Kelly, Brady Scott and Ethan Frith. The Seminoles also have another committed tackle in Jalen Goss. Ball, who is set to be a redshirt sophomore, and redshirt senior-to-be Derrick Kelly will likely be the starters for 2018.

Williams has a lot of upside and has battled injury, but he seems the most likely candidate to fill in come 2019. If Armstrong is willing to stick around and put in the work, the earliest he’s likely to compete for a starting job is as a redshirt sophomore in 2020. In his two years of eligibility after that however, he could become a mainstay, but that depends on his development.

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