FIU Football: Five Early Breakout Candidates For 2024

As the offseason begins, it's time to look back at what went right and wrong for this FIU football team, we can look at certain players who may not have seen much action this past season, who with a new spot opening up due to graduation or transfer portal, they may have a chance to start and be one of the breakout players this upcoming season.

Marquez Tatum - Defensive Lineman

Marquez Tatum was one of the transfer portal acquisitions in the 2023 class, but in Week Zero, Tatum suffered an injury that landed him in the hospital and never saw the field after that.

The 6'2", 286-pound redshirt junior was on the FIU d even had a sack prior to his injury in the Panthers Week Zero matchup.

Although FIU head coach Mike MacIntyre brought in JUCO transfer Cole Gustafson to replace now Jack Daly, Tatum should still have an opportunity to start with the departure of Jordan Guerad.

Elijah Anderson-Taylor - Linebacker

One of the bigger acquisitions for MacIntyre in the transfer portal was Anderson-Taylor who saw action in all 12 games and had 46 total tackles.

With Donovan Manuel and Avery Huff now gone, the redshirt senior and former 2022 Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year should have a big chance to pair up with Reggie Peterson and try to have a second straight season where a linebacker duo has 100 total tackles each.

Khaya Wright, Outside Linebacker

After making the original depth chart on Week Zero, rising redshirt junior Khaya Wright saw action in seven games and only had three total tackles and two assisted tackles.

With Avery Huff, who saw a lot of action pressuring the quarterback, Wright can slot in as a possible starter if he performs during the spring/fall camps like he did this past season, which got him on the depth chart.

Mike Jackson, Wide Receiver

Maybe one of the quickest, if not the quickest wide receiver in the FIU wide receiver room is sophomore Mike Jackson. In 2023, the 5'9", 155-pound receiver saw action in six games where he didn't record a reception.

This past spring/fall camp, Jackson stood out with his speed as someone who can be in that slot position. Now that Jalen Bracey, who was the slot receiver declared for the NFL Draft, Jackson along with someone like Ross Fournet can compete for that slot receiver job.

Luby Maurice Jr., Wide Receiver

After making some nice 50/50 catches during camp season, Maurice made the Panthers first depth chart, but ended up redshirting the season with the production of that the trio of Kris Mitchell, Dean Patterson and Eric Rivers.

The 6'0", 1880-pound receiver out of Palm Beach Central High has the chance to be one of the starters in 2023 with the departure of Mitchell and Bracey.