You heard it during the 2017 Florida State spring game. Coach-turned-analyst Rex Ryan boldly extolling the talents of FSU defender Derwin James, compared to former Michigan standout Jabrill Peppers: “No offense to Peppers, but he only wished he was the player this kid was.”
One thing Peppers was, in fact, was the recipient of the 2016 Paul Hornung Award, bestowed annually upon the nation’s most versatile player by the Louisville Sports Commission. Today, James made the watch list for this year’s Hornung Award— and if he’s not the outright favorite, he must be close to the top of the list.
A freakish athlete most recently listed at 6’3, 211, James is a safety by trade, but has dropped jaws all over the defensive side of the field for the Seminoles. He could even figure into the return game in 2017 and is entirely capable of getting some offensive snaps as well.