Ingram Smith and Bud Elliott return for another edition of The Nolecast, focused almost entirely on recruiting and FSU's floundering offense.
We open with more discussion of the quarterback position. We did not plan on hitting this topic again, but Florida State fans do not seem to be understanding that the QB position is just as big of a problem as the offensive line, receiver and tight end spots.
It is very clear to us that Jimbo Fisher picked Everett Golson coming out of fall camp because he expected Golson to pick up more of the offense. But that has not happened. Golson is not just having problems scanning the defense, he's failing to identify his primary read -- an option that is sometimes wide open. He is sometimes working the wrong side of the field, and he is consistently very slow and late on his throws.
We do not believe the QB position is at all settled. Jimbo Fisher has offered basically no praise for his QB, saying that he "hopes" it'll come together and that Golson must "do a much better job." Fisher also noted FSU errors led to four or five missed touchdowns against Boston College (even more than were evident on TV). And more telling, Golson has not been made available to the media even once this year, an extremely odd circumstance leading many in the media to believe Jimbo Fisher is not settled on Golson.
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If Everett Golson is starting over Sean Maguire or Deondre Francois, it means Jimbo Fisher is dedicated to playing for another conference title this season. If he is going to eschew development of a QB who is on the roster to do this, he needs to run the offense in the fashion that maximizes Golson's chances to win and pay no heed to whatever Golson thought he would get in terms of NFL development when he came to Florida State.
The solution is obvious with Golson: run him or sit him. Golson is not grasping even the basic pared down offense Jimbo Fisher is attempting to use. To this point, FSU has not used Golson's legs. If FSU is saving this for the bigger games, that is fine. If Golson is refusing to run, he is not the better option. Absolutely no effort should be expended during the season to try to make Golson into a pro-style passer. He is not an NFL QB candidate, and if he is the guy to lead the offense, his legs must be a threat for which the defense accounts every play, helping to open up throwing lanes, cutback lanes and 1-on-1 opportunities for the receivers. Golson is not a better passing option than Sean Maguire.
Next we discuss the tight end position and the offensive line shuffling that is going on in practice, including Ryan Hoefeld getting reps with the first stringers three days in a row and being praised by Jimbo Fisher.
After that, it is 30 minutes of recruiting chatter that y'all crave.