Seven Seminoles who will make or break FSU football's 2025 season

There are seven days remaining until the Florida State Seminoles kick off their 2025 season against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Doak Campbell Stadium. In just one week, fans will finally get a look at their favorite team in action following an offseason where head coach Mike Norvell made plenty of changes to his coaching staff and roster.

With plenty of fresh faces, the Seminoles are a bit of an unknown coming into the fall. Regardless, this is a critical season in Tallahassee with the program needing a big response.

Fittingly enough, here are the seven players NoleGameday believes will make or break Florida State's campaign, just seven days from the season opener.

Tommy Castellanos, Quarterback

FSU brought in Tommy Castellanos from Boston College, in large part due to his familiarity with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and previous highlight performances against the Seminoles.

Things didn't go as planned for Castellanos in 2024 as he was banged up and lost his starting job. Regardless, he improved his passing efficiency, tossing 18 touchdowns to five interceptions. A season before that, he dazzled the entire conference with his legs.

The Seminoles believe that Castellanos will get back on track in a system that fits his strengths. Florida State has tailored the system around the dual-threat quarterback and the team will go as far as he takes them.

It will be essential for Castellanos to be effective with his legs. His passing can get a little erratic but he's done a good job of taking care of the ball during fall camp.

Squirrel White, Wide Receiver

White is the most productive wide receiver on Florida State's roster and ranks in the top-10 in Tennessee Volunteers program history in career receptions. However, he dealt with injuries last season and that has continued since his arrival in Tallahassee.

After going down with an injury in the spring, White entered the preseason fully healthy. With that being said, he was banged up during Florida State's second scrimmage and is effectively questionable going into the matchup against Alabama.

Norvell remains confident White will take the field. However, if he's limited, it's fair to wonder how much his speed and burst will be affected.

Florida State is counting on White and junior Duce Robinson to stabilize the wide receiver room. Outside of them, there isn't much proven production.

Darrell Jackson Jr., Defensive Lineman

Jackson Jr. has the build and athletic traits that NFL scouts salivate over. He's got so much potential but just hasn't quite been able to put it all together on the field so far.

The name of the game for Jackson Jr. is consistency. Far too often, he makes a few dominant plays and then goes missing for multiple drives or the rest of the game. The Seminoles are leaning on him to wreak havoc in the trenches on every snap.

If Jackson Jr. realizes his ceiling, there's a chance he works himself into first-team all-conference conversation. But, if he doesn't, it'll be one of those scenarios that Florida State fans debate for years to come.

It's slightly worrying that Jackson Jr. hasn't been mentioned more by the coaching staff this preseason. The light has to finally come on, or else.

James Williams, Defensive End

Williams was one of two defenders to follow defensive coordinator Tony White from Nebraska to Florida State. During his time with the Cornhuskers, he was primarily a pass-rushing specialist off the bench.

The Seminoles and defensive line coach Terrance Knighton have challenged Williams to take the next step into an every-down defensive end. He's run with the opportunity so far, bulking up and drawing consistent praise from the coaching staff.

Williams needs to provide stability in a defensive end room that remains a question mark.

Earl Little Jr., Safety

Florida State believed that Little Jr. would begin to show signs of why he was a five-star prospect coming out of high school when the program brought him in out of the transfer portal. Instead, that didn't happen.

Little Jr. struggled to begin the season with the Seminoles, lacking confidence at nickel cornerback and becoming one of the lowest-graded defenders in the FBS. He switched positions to safety in the middle of the season and started to bounce back.

This offseason, Little Jr. has continued his rise in White's 3-3-5 defensive scheme. He's also developed into a leader for the Seminoles, hence why he was one of four player representatives for the team at the ACC Kickoff.

Little Jr. projects to be on the field a ton and if he truly finds his footing, it'll provide a spark for FSU in the back end.

Jerry Wilson, Cornerback

Wilson is one of the few members of Florida State's roster with game experience in a 3-3-5 defense, playing under White at Syracuse and spending the 2024 season at Houston. He's one of the most talented players on the entire team and brings a special work ethic that sets him apart.

Since transferring to FSU in the spring, Wilson has become an example for younger defenders on the roster. He also provides plenty of challenges for the wide receiver room in practice. Castellanos previously noted that Wilson is one of the only defenders to pick him off in camp.

Florida State will lean on Wilson to lock down one side of the field while junior Quindarrius Jones, redshirt sophomore Ja'Bril Rawls, and true freshman Shamar Arnoux battle it out for the other starting spot.

The Entire Offensive Line

Sep 9, 2023; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons offensive lineman Luke Petitbon (74) during the second quarter at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

This is pretty much cheating but it's hard to argue that one member of Florida State's projected starting offensive line is more important than anyone else. The Seminoles need this group, in its entirety, to stay healthy throughout the season to give the offense and quarterback Tommy Castellanos a chance.

Unfortunately, the unit hasn't come without injury woes as redshirt senior left tackle Gunnar Hansen and redshirt senior right tackle Micah Pettus missed most of the spring while recovering. Redshirt senior offensive guard Richie Leonard IV was also limited during the period following an injury that knocked him out for the majority of the 2024 season.

To add to that, redshirt senior offensive guard Adrian Medley dealt with a season-ending injury earlier in his career. Plus, redshirt senior Jacob Rizy recently returned to the field after being held out for most of the offseason.

The combination of limitations meant that the last few weeks were really the first time Florida State's projected starters were able to practice together. Chemistry and continuity are obviously so important, especially at this position.

Despite boatloads of experience, it's worth wondering if the Seminoles will have trouble getting on the same page early in the season.

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