Veteran offensive lineman returning to Florida State in 2022
Florida State's offensive line has taken clear steps forward over the past two seasons under the watchful eyes of coach Alex Atkins. The resurgence should only continue in 2022 as the Seminoles are projected to return a ton of experience and talent up front. The team received welcome news on Monday night as it was confirmed that four of the unit's five starters from a season ago will all return for another year.
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According to his social media, veteran offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons will be back in Tallahassee for his final season of college eligibility. Gibbons transferred to Florida State last offseason after beginning his career at Notre Dame.
The Florida native made an instant impact upon joining the Seminoles. Gibbons started 11 games at left guard and was named an All-ACC honorable-mention in 2021. Despite being banged up, Gibbons was a stalwart in a lineup that had eight different starting combinations in 12 games. During Florida State's victory over North Carolina, he was honored as the ACC Offensive Linemen of the Week after not allowing a sack. All in all, the team produced seven 100+ yard rushers and had six games of 200+ yards on the ground.
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Gibbons will be the most experienced offensive lineman on the roster in 2022. Adding in his time at Notre Dame, he has appeared in 40 games with 12 starts since 2017. Florida State will look to him as one of the leaders of the group alongside Darius Washington, Maurice Smith, Robert Scott Jr., and others. It's also expected that Wisconsin transfer Kayden Lyles and Lamar transfer Bless Harris will factor into the equation.
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As of now, Florida State is slated to have 16 scholarship offensive linemen next season. The Seminoles have done a solid job of retooling a room that is now filled with more potential than it has had in years.
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