Florida State underclassmen on display against Alabama State

With a FCS opponent on tab and multiple key starters/veterans out, the future of the Seminoles’ program was pushed to the forefront. The youth movement was in full swing leading the ‘Noles to a 49-12 victory and offering a glimpse of the future of the program.

Redshirt freshman Jordan Travis showed off his natural agility and explosive movement on display as the Louisville-Transfer rushed 69 yards on four attempts, including a spectacular 61-yard run that set up a DJ Matthews touchdown.

Travis finally put the ball in the air including a 63-yard completion to senior TE Gabe Nabers.

Sophomore Tre’shaun Harrison entered the game with 195 receiving yards on the season and put up a team-high total of 97 on Saturday. Harrison made a couple men whiff en route to a 39-yard TD. He also added a 47-yard reception, but was unable to hold onto the ball and fumbled. Redshirt freshman Jordan Young added two catches for 23 yards on the day. Young broke a tackle on a short pass and took it 14 yards for a 3rd down conversion early in the game.

On the defensive side, FSU had twelve underclassmen make tackles on the day. Redshirt freshman Dennis Briggs led the way on the defensive line, coming away with six tackles including one sack and two TFL’s. Freshman Tru Thompson added the ‘Noles only other sack of the day with the first of his career. Thompson also clogged up the running game with two TFL’s.

The young LB’s had a pretty remarkable day. After Amari Gainer had a bad personal foul on the first play of the game, he turned it around with six total tackles and one TFL. Freshman Brendan Gant also played the edge throughout the day, popping guys all over the field. Gant came up with four tackles, including one TFL, before he was ejected for targeting on a mammoth blindside block after Stanford Samuels’ interception.

On the back end of the defense, multiple redshirt and true freshmen made an impact. Raymond Woodie III had a nice day at safety catching an interception before it was called back thanks to a DPI on AJ Lytton. Woodie also made a nice play on a short screen pass early in the game, shedding a blocker and pulling down the ASU receiver for a short gain. Akeem Dent continued to give himself chances to make big plays by being in the right spot, but just couldn’t make the play. As of now, the freshman looks like a talented athlete, but needs to gain some confidence back on the field. Dent finished the day with four tackles, including one TFL, and two pass breakups. Sophomore AJ Lytton was second on the ‘Noles with six tackles on the day. Isaiah Bolden came up with two tackles and one pass breakup.

Despite the fact that Florida State isn’t losing very much talent with the graduation of the Seniors, the Seminoles could lose a good amount of star power from this year’s team, thanks to the potential early departures of Marvin Wilson, Cam Akers, Hamsah Nasrilidean, and Tamorrion Terry. With Jordan Travis’ quick-strike ability and the shear depth of young defensive players, there’s optimism to be had heading into 2020 despite the anticipated loss of the team’s biggest stars.