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Florida State has released its first depth chart of the 2024 season ahead of the week zero match-up against Georgia Tech. As the Noles transitioned out of fall camp, there were multiple spots that we thought had starters penciled in, meanwhile, others had position battles we were waiting to see play out. When the depth chart came out, there were several surprises.
It is worth mentioning that FSU rotates heavily and 13 “ORs” are listed. They also typically don’t follow these that strictly, so there could be a lot of personnel switching until they become more firmly settled on the starting rotation. Let’s look at the depth chart and list a few notable takeaways.
FSU’s receiver room has probably been the biggest question mark for the offense this offseason. Malk Benson came in from Alabama and almost immediately locked down a starting spot. He has been the best receiver throughout camp, and we are excited about what he brings to the table. Benson is a speedy receiver who can take the top off the defense and work the entire field. He projects to not only be one of the best on the team but in the conference, too. We also assumed that with Destyn Hill out for the season, speedy veteran Ja’Khi Douglas was a lock in the slot receiver position, which appears to be the case.
However, the question came as to who would emerge from the rest of the receiver group with them. There were the veterans Kentron Poitier, Darion Williamson, and Deuce Spann. Then, you had the former 5-star Hykeem Williams who came into camp in great shape. There were also the two standout freshmen Elijah Moore and Lawayne McCoy, who stole the show in camp.
Yet, it is LSU transfer R-Fr., Jalen Brown, getting the nod as the starter. Brown only played 12 snaps as a freshman and did not record a receiving stat, but still came in as a 4-star transfer, which speaks to his talent level as a former top-100 recruit nationally. Brown has been heralded for his speed and productivity throughout camp.
As we discussed in our offensive preview podcast episode, Norvell’s offenses are best when they put up a lot of explosive plays. Having this much speed at receiver with Benson, Brown, and Douglas to go with DJ Uiagalelei’s big arm is a recipe for just that! FSU had incredible size at receiver last season but did not have this type of speed. Still, all three receivers are listed at 6 feet tall or better with a host of big-bodied receivers in the rotation.
This speaks to the lack of high-end receiver play from the veteran group, which is something we were worried about. However, if they can be solid contributors along with the young and arguably more talented group, that could be a complimentary mix of skill sets. We expect to see a lot of rotation from this group to maximize their various sizes and skill sets, at least until a solid leader emerges from the pack to go along with Benson and Douglas.
Florida State has had back-to-back top-15 passing defenses the past two seasons. As they look to put together another solid season, they will have the challenge of facing some tough offenses early in the season starting with Georgia Tech in game one. FSU already had three experienced defensive backs locked into starting roles Azareye’h Thomas, Fentrell Cypress, and Shyheim Brown. However, there were still two positions we were waiting to be settled. It is noteworthy that Duke Cooper who transferred back to FSU after one season at Colorado is nowhere to be found on the initial depth chart, but it could be injury-related and with FSU not releasing that information there is no way to be sure.
Most of us had projected that incoming Alabama transfer Earl Little Jr. would step into the starting nickel role vacated by Jarrion Jones once Greedy Vance transferred out. Yet, it’s veteran Kevin Knowles II who is listed as the starter vs. the Yellow Jackets. Knowles began his career as a cornerback before moving to safety to help with depth. It wasn’t exactly his best outing, but with additional depth this year, Knowles is moving back to corner. From the reports we’ve seen, Knowles has had a great fall camp and is now back at his natural position and healthy, which could equal a potential breakout season. Knowles has played almost 1,500 snaps in Adam Fuller’s defense, so he is one of the more experienced players in the secondary. We still expect to see a lot of Earl Little Jr., but with only 21 snaps of college game experience, it seems FSU prefers to start with the more experienced player.
At Safety, there has been an ongoing battle beside Shyheim Brown to fill the other Safety spot. We had our eyes on a battle between Conrad Hussey, the talented young player, vs. the veterans’ Kevin Knowles and incoming transfer Davonte Brown. With Knowles back at corner, FSU is once again going with experience as Davonte Brown got the nod for game one. However, Hussey is listed as an OR, so he is likely to see a lot of snaps as they settle in on the starter. Although Brown was met with some scoffs when he transferred in from Miami, he had a solid career at UCF including a breakout season in 2021. He has played over 2,000 snaps of college football, and we also saw how Miami’s Safeties regressed last season. I think the Brown-Hussey rotation will be a very effective one opposite of Shyheim.
There has been a lot of talk about FSU’s lack of experience given the top producers who are gone from last season, however, the current starters on the depth chart have a combined 7,191 snaps of experience, which is a lot. The only starter in the secondary with fewer than 1,000 snaps is AZ Thomas, who we feel is the best one of the group. This certainly feels like it will be another solid year for the FSU secondary, especially if they get a good pass rush from a defensive line that projects to be pretty nasty.
FSU has continuously been raising its talent floor under Mike Norvell and while there have been some stars on this roster the talented depth has been an issue that’s been under construction. FSU has the highest blue-chip ratio it’s ever had under Norvell (53%), so technically this is the most talented roster he’s had here. The 13 ORs say two things. 1) They are still searching for bonified starters at certain positions. We know they like to rotate heavily, but I imagine that number will decrease as the season progresses and certain guys step into more defined roles.
2) The depth of talent is creating more competition on the roster. This is no clearer than with the offensive line. FSU has the most depth it’s had at the position in years. There are two ORs listed on the depth chart meaning they have at least 7 guys they feel could be starters. Another notable change from last year is that they don’t have starters listed as backups at other positions like they frequently did last year. This means they feel better about the next group behind the starters stepping into game situations vs. having to move guys around.
There is a total of 12 guys listed on the depth chart and that does not include Julian Armella, who we believe can be a major contributor but may be banged up at the moment. This improved depth creates competition and allows guys to stay at their respective positions, and not play through injury as often. Mike Norvell wasn’t kidding when he said he felt this was his deepest offensive line at FSU, which is good because we expect them to be a run-heavy team this season.
Another testament to this is the names that are listed are ORs or backups on the depth chart are also of a higher caliber. In the past, we’ve seen players transfer in from smaller named programs and be starters or major contributors right away. Now, we see SEC transfers and all-conference level players at P4 schools transferring in and being listed as backups, or in Shawn Murphy’s case, not even listed on the two-deep. Also, talented young players are breaking into the rotation like Kam Davis at RB, Jalen Brown at WR, Lucas Simmons at LT, Blake Nichelson at LB, and Conrad Hussey at Safety. The gap between the ones and the twos is getting smaller, and FSU will benefit from that improved depth now and in the future as they have more guys they can trust to get experience in game situations.
Thanks for reading and Go Noles!
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