FSU Football Has High Expectations For An Offensive Line That Is Filled With Experience

The Seminoles have a group upfront this is littered with veterans and promising young talent.

Nov 6, 2021; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles offensive lineman Darius Washington (76) carries the American flag onto the field before the game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports / Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

Conversations surrounding Florida State's offensive line have typically been a source of PTSD for the fanbase for much of the last decade. That's begun to change over the last few years with the focus that head coach Mike Norvell and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins put on fortifying the trenches.

The group didn't live up to its ceiling in 2023 due to a variety of injuries to starters and members of the two-deep. The majority of that group is back for another run but the Seminoles will have to replace both starting guards after D'Mitri Emmanuel and Casey Roddick graduated following the season.

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That led to FSU hitting the portal to acquire senior Richie Leonard IV (Florida), senior Jacob Rizy (Harvard), and redshirt junior TJ Ferguson (Alabama). Leonard and Ferguson joined a nucleus that is made up of redshirt senior Darius Washington, redshirt senior Maurice Smith, redshirt senior Robert Scott, redshirt senior Jeremiah Byers, and redshirt senior Keiondre Jones this spring while Rizy just recently enrolled for the summer semester.

There have already been some promising developments this year as redshirt junior Bryson Estes grew up during spring practice. That was coupled with flashes from redshirt sophomore Jaylen Early, redshirt sophomore Julian Armella, redshirt freshman Lucas Simmons, and redshirt freshman Andre' Otto. The progress in the right direction has Norvell happy with where the unit is prior to the preseason.

"It all has to start in the trenches. The offensive and defensive line, really excited about that group," Norvell said on Greg McElroy's 'Always College Football' Podcast. "I think our o-line is going to be as good as we've been since we've been here. Darius Washington, Maurice Smith, Jeremiah Byers, getting Rob Scott back and healthy, plus a couple new transfers and high school guys that have joined in. You're seeing guys that have been within the program for two and three years just continue to emerge and develop. I love that depth that we have and I'm really excited about that group."

The experience is evident as the Seminoles are projected to field an offensive line that has started 190 combined games at the FBS level (and 212 total if you include Rizy's FCS starts). That's technically a dip-back from the 265 starts the group held a year ago but there might be more overall depth this time around with the transfer additions and growing young talent.

Washington and Smith are two of the biggest leaders along the front, with both likely to earn preseason all-conference honors. However, you also can't discount what the addition of Leonard will do on the field and in the locker room. After playing for Florida State's biggest rival for the last four years, the veteran has been a welcome addition to the program.

"Yeah, it's been good and when you have experience, when you have guys that have grown through the process, some guys that have come in. Richie Leonard's a guy that was a 12, 13-game starter there in the SEC a year ago that's come in and I think he's going to bring just great leadership and experience with what he does," Norvell said. "You got guys, some guys that have even come in that might be a little older that are still looking to define their role, they have the maturity, they have the physicality, they have all those things that you're looking for and now it's time for them to go do it. And then on the flip-side of it, some of these high school guys that came in two, three years ago that have grown and really just emerging as the players that they can be so when you get into that two-deep where there's not really a hole or not really a place you have an overwhelming concern if somebody was to get injured and that's kind of where we've gotten to."

In the end, Florida State's success along the offensive line will ultimately come down to health, a deterrent that has plagued the program as of late. Scott has been banged up for much of the past two years while Washington, Smith, and Byers all played through injuries last season.

Sometimes you need a little luck but the investment in extra depth and long-term growth can help the Seminoles fill in the necessary gaps that will show up over a long campaign.

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