Depth chart projection: Offense

FLORIDA STATE — Spring is coming to an end and after months of spring ball, the depth chart has loosely been brought together giving a glimpse into what the rotation may look like this fall.

The folks at Tomahawk Nation have put their heads together to come up with what we think the roster will be heading into fall camp:

Quarterback

This was a pretty obvious choice with Jordan Travis as QB1. His accuracy continues to improve, and his mobility has never really been a question after rattling off that 66-yard touchdown run in 2019 against Boston College. The question is, who does the number two spot go to? As of now, Tate Rodemaker should get that nod, however, as the rest of camp develops pre-season, AJ Duffy could pull ahead. With Rodemaker’s experience in the season and in games, he should be a safe bet.

Running Back

The departure of starting running back Jashaun Corbin last season to the New York Giants will be felt. but there was (and is) still plenty of talent in that room. Add Oregon transfer Trey Benson to the mix and you’ve got a pretty decent battle for the number one spot. With not much film to go on, Benson showed in the spring game that he was more than capable of being that solid and explosive back that the ‘Noles had in Corbin. Only needing to play in one quarter of the spring game he managed 77-yards on seven carries and three 15+ yard runs.

Sharing the number one spot will be both Trey Benson and Treshaun Ward followed closely by Lawrence Toafili.

Tight-end

Camren McDonald has the number one spot and has ever since Tre’ McKitty transferred to UGA. The redshirt senior started in 11 games last season but don’t be surprised if you see Wyatt Rector cutting across the endzone in enemy territory for a touchdown as the number two guy. He’s a capable ball catcher and will continue to transition from QB to TE. Beyond Preston Daniel as third in the rotation, you have a toss-up between Jackson West and Markeston Douglas, both with completely different skillsets who should see playing time throughout the season.

Wide Receiver

The big question mark (alongside the offensive line) will be at the receiver position. Adding transfers like Johnny Wilson from Arizona State and Winston Wright Jr. from West Virginia should help the room significantly. Although optimism still remains with Wright coming back from a devastating car accident, there is still promising youth paired with experienced veterans to fill the X and Z positions. Malik McClain is a name that stands out alongside Ontaria Wilson.

Slot Receivers

Mike Norvell’s offense heavily features unbalanced sets with 3-4 receivers on the field at any given time. When you look at the roster and where a player like Mycah Pittman will fit in, the slot is tempting as 75% of his snaps on offense came from the slot in ‘21 at Oregon. But given how may receivers Norvell deploys, Pittman will line up all over the field. Players like Keyshawn Helton and Ja’Khi Douglas last season played in the slot 85%+ of the time and they will be more true slot receivers. Douglas is an intriguing player as he is finally settling as a wideout after being converted to running back from receiver and then, back to receiver. Douglas has big play potential averaging 18.2 yards per reception.

Left Tackle

Robert Scott Jr. After missing some time with injury last season (almost every position on the line seemed to have had some holes in it for that reason), had his highest PFF grades against UNC (71.4) and Boston College (76.7.) If he can remain healthy his starting spot should be secure. Although Lloyd Willis took most of his snaps on special teams last season, in the two games he did play in he received a pass-blocking grade of 79 and a run blocking grade of 83. A very small sample size but he should be a solid number two.

Left Guard

Dillian Gibbons is the most experienced offensive lineman on the FSU roster. After transferring from Notre Dame in 2020 he started in 11 games last season earning an overall PFF grade of 65.1 which isn't necessarily star worthy but what he does bring to the room is a very solid guard and leader as a backbone for his position group.

Center

While Kayden Lyles may have had high expectations from the outside coming into spring he is still figuring out how to mesh with Florida State’s system. Coming from Wisconsin, he has to learn an FSU offensive system that is very different schematically as well as in verbiage. For now (at the end of spring.) Maurice Smith is the starter but, with another few months in Tallahassee and a whole fall camp ahead, this positional battle is far from decided.

Right Guard

Darius Washington was one of the few offensive linemen to play in every game for Florida State, he played the last 4 games of the season as the starting right tackle. He is a little undersized for the position and is a better fit at guard. The Seminoles also brought in a quality transfer with Bless Harris who is filling that spot. Washington has some snaps at RG but has primarily been a swing tackle, so he presents some positional versatility in that respect.

Right Tackle

Bless Harris was one of the big name transfer splashes. He has major upside and fits the kind of athletic tackles that Mike Norvell and Alex Atkins are looking for. He started 5 games at left tackle for Lamar in 2020 with over 300 snaps. While he may not be the most refined in pass protection, he often makes up for poor technique with his size and when he gets moving in space. He looks natural pulling in the run game.

In the comments, please share your thoughts on this projected depth chart, and what changes you would like to see.