FSU Spring Position Preview: Offensive Line
We've officially reached a strange tier in Florida State's climb back to the top of college football. Following countless struggles along the offensive line over the past five years through three different head coaches, the position group has slowly been taking incremental steps in the right direction.
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It might not be absolutely insane to call this unit a potential strength on the offense. After all, the Seminoles are bringing back five players who started at least one game in 2022 while adding in three quality transfers that will instantly compete for starting jobs. There's going to be a lot of competition in this room and that's got to excite offensive line coach Alex Atkins.
Even better, this is a group that is extremely versatile. There are multiple players who have the ability to play inside at guard or center or outside at offensive tackle. The combinations could truly be endless - which will be useful after Florida State dealt with some injury woes upfront at times last year.
Departures:
Dillan Gibbons, Jazston Turnetine, Kayden Lyles, Lloyd Willis (Marshall), Rod Orr (Toledo)
The loss of a two-year starter in Gibbons and a swing tackle like Jazston Turnetine are going to be a test for the offensive line. In particular, with Gibbons moving on from the unit, who is going to step up as a leader and hold players accountable? Lyles never really got a shot to make an impact after going down in fall camp while Willis and Orr were both reserves who were buried on the depth chart.
Returnees:
Redshirt senior D'Mitri Emmanuel, redshirt senior Bless Harris, redshirt junior Darius Washington, redshirt junior Maurice Smith, redshirt junior Robert Scott, redshirt junior Thomas Shrader, redshirt junior Zane Herring, redshirt sophomore Bryson Estes, redshirt freshman Daughtry Richardson, redshirt freshman Kanaya Charlton, redshirt freshman Jaylen Early, redshirt freshman Julian Armella, redshirt freshman Qae'Shon Sapp.
Florida State returns five offensive linemen who started a combined 44 games last season. That's only 67.7% of the starts from 2022 with Dillan Gibbons and Jazston Turnetine moving on. That number would fall to 31 (47.7%) if Emmanuel's waiver is declined.
New Additions:
Redshirt senior Casey Roddick (Colorado), redshirt senior Keiondre Jones (Auburn), redshirt junior Jeremiah Byers (UTEP), four-star Lucas Simmons, three-star Andre' Otto
Roddick appeared in 40 games, with 32, starts during his time at Colorado. Jones appeared in 36 games, with 22 starts, during his time at Auburn. Byers appeared in 33 games, with 33 starts during his time at UTEP. That includes a combined 26 starts from the trio in 2022.
Simmons is an intriguing newcomer from Sweden who is already the tallest player on the roster at a verified 6-foot-8. He's still relatively new to the game and will need to continue developing but is one of Florida State's potential tackles of the future. Otto won't be on campus until the summer but he's another prospect with a promising skillset that could be a contributor or starter in a couple of years.
Projected Depth Chart:
Left Tackle
1. Robert Scott
2. Julian Armella
Left Guard
1. Darius Washington
2. Keiondre Jones/Bryson Estes
Center
1. Maurice Smith
2. Casey Roddick
Right Guard
1. D'Mitri Emmanuel
2. Keiondre Jones/Bryson Estes
Right Tackle
1. Jeremiah Byers
2. Bless Harris/Jaylen Early
This is mainly just a shot in the dark as there's no telling who Florida State will roll out in the starting unit to begin spring practice. The way that I see it, three positions on the unit are relatively locked in at this with Robert Scott at left tackle, D'Mitri Emmanuel at right guard, and Maurice Smith at center. It's possible that Casey Roddick pushes Smith for the job but it'll take a strong and consistent effort to unseat him.
Outside of that, the Seminoles have to find a capable replacement at left guard for Gibbons while a position battle shakes out at right tackle. Regardless of the starting five, these competitions will be important as they'll allow the coaching staff to find eight or more players that can contribute throughout the season.
Younger players on the roster such as Bryson Estes, Julian Armella, and Jaylen Early will have an opportunity to throw their hats into the ring as well.
Spring Outlook:
Florida State has a solid nucleus of players that can contribute now along with prospects that could develop in the future. There are legitimately eight to 11 players who could realistically contribute in 2023 - Robert Scott, Darius Washington, Maurice Smith, D'Mitri Emmanuel, Jeremiah Byers, Casey Roddick, Keiondre Jones, Bless Harris, Bryson Estes, Julian Armella, and Jaylen Early.
Scott (second-team), Emmanuel (third-team), and Smith (honorable mention) were All-ACC selections a season ago. Washington has the versatility to flex between tackle, guard, and center. Harris was a starter for the Seminoles before going down against Duquesne. Byers was a first-team All-Conference-USA at right tackle. Roddick played over 700 snaps last season and brings a ton of experience. Jones is coming off a down year but started every game in 2021.
While the top eight in the list have essentially established themselves at the college level as starters or contributors, keep an eye on Estes, Armella, and Early. It wouldn't be a surprise to see any of the three begin to take the next step this spring. Armella was already on the cusp of breaking into the rotation last season but an ankle injury set him back. It's unknown at this time if he'll be fully available in March.
Early began to make strides during the second half of the season and put some promising film on tape. Estes is another versatile player who can flip between tackle, guard, and center.
Behind them are some interesting younger players such as Daughtry Richardson, Kanaya Charlton, Qae'Shon Sapp, Simmons, and Otto. There's hope that each of them will continue to make strides in the right direction over the next year. Offensive line coach Alex Atkins has stocked the cupboard with talent and has this room in as good as a position as it has been in recent memory.
There's not a ton expected out of two veterans returning to the group - Zane Herring and Thomas Schrader. They played a combined 90 snaps last season, with Schrader sidelined for the majority of it due to an injury.
Previous Spring Position Previews:
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