FSU Football Fall Camp Preview: Defensive Tackles

The Seminoles are young but extremely talented in the middle of the defense.

The preseason is just one day away as Florida State prepares to travel to Ireland in a couple of weeks to take on Georgia Tech. If the Seminoles want to record a third-consecutive 10+ win campaign, it'll all start on defense with a unit that is replacing seven starters and multiple members of the rotation.

The program took a big hit along the interior of the defense with five scholarship defensive tackles (Braden Fiske, Fabien Lovett, Dennis Briggs, Malcolm Ray, Ayobami Tifase) departing this offseason. That makes the presence of Joshua Farmer and Darrell Jackson more important than ever before.

READ MORE: ESPN's Paul Finebaum Says Another ACC Team Is More Attractive To SEC, Big 10 Than FSU

NoleGameday will be breaking down each position group on the roster to provide an inside look at how things could turn out with the season swiftly approaching. The focus turns towards a defensive tackle room that looks vastly different in 2024.

Other Fall Camp Previews:

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Line

Defensive Ends

Linebackers

Cornerbacks

Safeties

Special Teams

At the Surface

— Joshua Farmer, Redshirt Junior

Farmer is a homegrown talent who has continued to grow year by year. After starting on a talented defensive front last season, he's one of the faces of the team ahead of 2024. Farmer will be relied on to play a massive role on and off the field. He was limited by a hand injury for the second half of the season that also forced him to miss the spring. Florida State needs him to stay healthy while taking another jump. Farmer recorded 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss, five sacks, one forced fumble, and two pass breakups last year. He's appeared in 30 games, with 13 starts, in garnet and gold.

— Darrell Jackson, Redshirt Junior

Jackson dealt with eligibility issues following his transfer to Florida State last offseason - his third stop in three years after beginning his college career at Maryland and spending a year at Miami. He's one of the most talented players on the team regardless of position and possesses NFL potential. With that being said, Jackson wasn't as consistent as he needed to be during the spring and the coaches alluded to as much during press conferences. This will be an important preseason for Jackson to showcase the duo that he and Farmer were when they played together in high school.

— Grady Kelly, Redshirt Junior

The Seminoles hit the portal to replenish some of their offseason losses and landed Kelly from Colorado State. He was a multi-year starter with the Rams and earned Freshman All-American honors. Kelly had his moments during spring practice while transitioning to Florida State. He'll be a reliable piece in the rotation. Kelly appeared in 26 games, with 22 starts, at CSU and totaled 79 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick

— Tomiwa Durojaiye, Redshirt Sophomore

Durojaiye was originally expected to play defensive end at Florida State after transferring in from West Virginia. Instead, it was apparent that the Seminoles needed him inside to shore up depth with some of the emergence they saw from the defensive ends in the spring. Durojaiye's best football is ahead of him but he's going to be intriguing this season. He began his college career at Kentucky. Durojaiye appeared in all 13 games for the Mountaineers last season and recorded 23 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.

— Daniel Lyons, Redshirt Sophomore

Lyons has been steadily growing over the last two seasons while developing in a deep defensive line room at Florida State. Now it's his time to join the rotation and begin to emerge. Lyons has appeared in 18 games with the Seminoles and started in the Orange Bowl against Georgia. He's totaled 18 tackles and that number will jump up quickly this season.

— KJ Sampson, Redshirt Freshman

Sampson is the highest-ranked defensive tackle to sign with Florida State since Mike Norvell arrived in Tallahassee. He's taking steps in the right direction and seems primed to compete for a rotation spot this season. Sampson appeared in five games and recorded five tackles while being named FSU's Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year. His effort was noticeable this spring.

— Jamorie Flagg, Freshman

Flagg joined the Seminoles this summer as one of two high school defensive tackle signees. He played for a winning program and is a road-grader in the middle. This will be a developmental season for Flagg. He was one of Florida State's earliest commitments in the 2024 class and never really considered other programs.

— D'Nas White, Freshman

White is another new name in the room who likely won't see much playing this time. This will be a period for him to develop and transition to the college level as he learns from those ahead of him. White committed to Florida State in December and signed with the program during the Early Signing Period.

Biggest Question Mark?

Will the Seminoles have enough depth to make it through a long season with College Football Playoff aspirations?

Florida State has a pair of legitimate all-conference talents in Joshua Farmer and Darrell Jackson manning the middle of the defense. The Seminoles are obviously expecting the duo to wreak plenty of havoc against opposing offenses.

Behind that is where the unknowns begin to come into play. Grady Kelly and Tomiwa Durojaiye both arrived in Tallahassee earlier this year and are adjusting to a new scheme. Lyons and Sampson have shown flashes but are now in a position to play elevated roles on the depth chart despite both players being underclassmen.

With Flagg and White unlikely to be ready to contribute at the college level this season, that essentially gives the Seminoles six scholarship defensive tackles to rely on. That's about as deep as they went a year ago but the depth was more proven at that stage than it is for this Florida State team.

Follow the Leader

— Joshua Farmer/Darrell Jackson

The Seminoles lost some major leaders on defense following the conclusion of last season. At defensive tackle, the departure of Fabien Lovett and Braden Fiske opened a major hole that needs to be filled during fall camp. For better or worse, Joshua Farmer and Darrell Jackson will be replacing the pair of NFL draft picks on the field and in the locker room.

The two have shown flashes of the players they can be but that has sometimes been marred by immaturity and inconsistency. Florida State has to have Farmer and Jackson at their very best in 2024. If they grow up, the duo could very well be headed to the NFL once the season wraps up.

Projected Two-Deep Depth Chart

Defensive Tackle:

1. Darrell Jackson, RS Jr.

2. Tomiwa Durojaiye, RS So./Daniel Lyons, RS So.

Defensive Tackle:

1. Joshua Farmer, RS Jr.

2. Grady Kelly, RS Jr.

Fall Camp Outlook

At the top, Florida State is as talented as any team in the country. Farmer and Jackson are simply that good and it helps that they've developed a chemistry and bond with one another that dates back to high school. If all goes to plan, the starting unit will have a chance to be elite and as good as any front that the Seminoles have fielded in recent years.

Behind them, the preseason will be a good opportunity for players such as Kelly, Durojaiye, Lyons, and Sampson to stake their claim. Snaps and jobs in the rotation are up for grabs and these next few weeks will decide how things shake out. The Seminoles need to establish a lineup they feel comfortable with considering the number of new faces and youth involved in the competition.

Health and consistency will be paramount but Florida State has a strong group if the coaching staff can get it all to fall into place.

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READ MORE: FSU Football's Updated Fall Roster Showcases Notable Weight Gains And Losses For Multiple Seminoles

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