As Tomahawk Nation’s Curt Weiler wrote on Sunday, the time for talk is over; game week is finally here.
With Alabama just days away and the final scouting reports being put into place, it’s time to take stock of the Seminoles heading into Saturday. After the release of FSU’s first depth chart, what position groups do the coaching staff sound confident in heading into the season, and who needs to step up before the Tide comes to town?
In relationships, they call the first six months of dating the honeymoon phase, where neither party can do anything wrong. So far, the Seminoles and QB Tommy Castellanos appear to be in the honeymoon phase and the perfect match for what each other needed. Saturday is when real life begins, but for now, Castellanos’s leadership, dual-threat ability, and willingness to learn give the Noles a launching off point heading into the season. The only surprise on the depth chart here was true freshman Kevin Sperry listed as an OR next to veteran Brock Glenn, but as seen last season, there can never be too many capable quarterbacks on the roster.
When Chase Loftin, one of FSU’s prized high school recruiting targets, gets moved to wide receiver, the coaching staff showed their hand about how they feel about the tight end room. The TE position should be one of the deepest on the roster and the most versatile. Randy Pittman Jr. was listed as the starter, but Amaree Williams and Landen Thomas will receive their fair share of playing time. All three, along with Markeston Douglas, present different options for OC Gus Malzahn and challenges for a defense to cover. I expect to see a heavy dose of 12 personnel this fall.
Along with the tight end room, the linebacking corps is as deep as it is versatile while blending a nice mix of returning players with veteran transfers. Omar Graham Jr. raised eyebrows being listed as the starting JACK, and I was also surprised to see AJ Contrill listed in the two deep, but their inclusion displays depth on the roster. The most significant question mark from the room revolves around how well the unit understands the defense, not a question of ability.
The secondary room boasts tons of talent, and from a recruitment perspective, has the most blue chips on the roster. However, the way the coaching staff discussed it this August, and what the depth chart read on Monday, gives me cause for concern. At safety, the fact that Shyheim Brown is not a starter is a problem. The Noles were counting on him to get back to his 2023 form and lead the backend of the defense, but clearly, he is not where the staff needs him to be. That leaves Ashlynd Barker and KJ Kirkland as the starting safeties. While both are physically capable, it is unknown what they will be as bulk starters. Shifting gears to the CB spot, Ja’Bril Rawls was listed as the corner next to Jerry Wilson. Considering it did not sound like that position was locked down for most of fall camp, it should be a revolving door early on in the season. Wilson might be the biggest sure thing on the roster, but the rest of the room is a bunch of ‘who knows?’
The fact that Squirrel White was listed as a starter and head coach Mike Norvell confirmed he would play this weekend gives me more confidence in this group than I did last week, but like the cornerbacks, outside of a couple of veterans, there are mostly unproven commodities. The Noles are relying on true freshman Jayvan Boggs and Loftin to be significant factors in the slot, while hoping Elijah Moore and some of the second-year receivers take the next step. Will they do it? I don’t know if the coaches know that answer.
Darrell Jackson Jr. and James Williams might be the two best players on the roster, but the depth around them makes the position group a concern. The loss of Kevin Wynn in week one and Deamontae Diggs and KJ Sampson not being listed on the two-deep leaves a gaping hole in the middle of who steps up when Williams and Jackson Jr. are off the field. Norvell wants to roll multiple D-linemen and believes in keeping that group around 50%-60% of the snaps to keep them fresh for the game and the season. He might not have a choice but to play his top guys more than he wants.
The offensive line was the worst unit on the team a season ago, and Norvell smartly hit the portal to address it and bring in a whole new group to patch up the boat. While each veteran has extensive experience, the outside public does not know what the group will look like together. Moreover, someone is bound to get hurt up front, and the lack of proven depth behind the top-six players could be a straw that breaks the camel’s back if the year starts sideways for FSU.
Like the offensive line, the room boasts plenty of talent, but only Norvell, Malzahn, and David Johnson know the running back rotation. The key to this unit being successful revolves around true freshman Ousmane Kromah taking over the bulk of the workload early on in the year. The veterans are mostly complimentary pieces, and FSU needs Kromah to be the back they believe he can be early in his career.
It will be almost impossible for the Seminoles to roll out the same quality of special teams as last year in 2025 after the departures of Ryan Fitzgerald and Alex Mastromanno. The two All-Americans were top-three specialists in their position in the country and became the only bright spot in a season tossed into the abyss. Last season, they helped groom their replacements in K Jake Weinberg and P Mac Chiumento, but until those two take the field, the unit is a toss-up.
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