Florida State Seminoles release depth chart for Louisville game
Entering week four winless for the first time in 45 years, Florida State made a few interesting depth chart changes as it prepares for the Louisville Cardinals. Head coach Mike Norvell spoke after the loss to Wake Forest about his disappointment to see the same recurring issues beating this team.
First off, let's note something that stayed the same. McKenzie Milton is still listed as the sole starter at quarterback with Jordan Travis as the backup. On Saturday, we continued to see the revolving door at the position and neither signal-caller could get into a rhythm until the fifth drive when Travis led the Seminoles to a touchdown. Unfortunately, he got banged up and it forced Milton to take back over. Some fans were wondering when we might see Chubba Purdy get into the action, it doesn't look like it'll be against Louisville.
The youth movement is slowly starting to begin at wide receiver. True freshman Malik McClain is now listed as a co-starter with Andrew Parchment. McClain saw more playing time than the Kansas grad-transfer against the Demon Deacons, recording one catch for six yards. He's shown potential to be a threat to help the offense spread the field.
Along the offensive line, Baveon Johnson and Maurice Smith continue to be listed as co-starters. Smith hasn't been healthy enough to play since week one against Notre Dame. It'll also be important to monitor starting left tackle Robert Scott's status over the next few days. He participated in warmups but couldn't go on Saturday against Wake Forest.
Like we mentioned last week, it's clearly time for a shakeup in the defensive backfield to try and find some consistency within the unit. Senior cornerback Meiko Dotson has been elevated to a starting role with Travis Jay as his primary backup. On the other side, Jarvis Brownlee and Jarrian Jones are co-starters. Previously, Jay and Jones were co-starters with one another at one spot while Brownlee was ahead of Dotson at the other.
The transfer out of Florida Atlantic had a solid showing against the Demon Deacons and has earned the opportunity to see more snaps. It'll be intriguing to see if the coaching staff starts to include the young guys into the rotation.
Sticking with the defensive backfield, Renardo Green is listed as the primary starter at free safety. Last week, he was a co-starter with Akeem Dent.
The only other change of note is on special teams. Travis Jay opened the season as the starting punt returner. However, he's shown a lack of confidence when it comes to returning the ball in a facet of the game where it's vital for the Seminoles to find extra yards. Jay is no longer listed in the rotation at punt returner with Keyshawn Helton taking over as the starter and Ontaria Wilson as his backup.
Check out the full depth chart below:
