Three Players to Watch As Seminoles Open Home Slate Against Boston College

Florida State is going to need players across the roster to rise to the occasion on Monday night.

Apr 20, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Jaylin Lucas (13) runs with the ball during the Spring Showcase at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports / Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

Followed by their success a season ago, Florida State entered the 2024 season with high expectations and an air of anticipation. After a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, however, the college football world at large has wasted no time writing the Seminoles off, and anticipation and excitement have given way to feelings of cautious optimism and borderline doubt. But, the outlook is not as grim as it may initially seem. The 12-team College Football Playoff leaves the door open for a wide array of possibilities, and you can always count on College Football to provide its fans with drama. Florida State’s goals may still be within their grasp. With plenty of season still ahead of them, the ‘Noles return to Tallahassee in search of answers and desperate to get back on track, but their efforts to right the ship will have to run through a perennial thorn in the side: the Boston College Eagles. 

Boston College nearly played upset to the Seminoles a year ago. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos racked up over 300 yards through the air and nearly 100 yards on the ground as he willed his team into late-game contention, but the talent-littered Florida State roster of 2023 was able to outlast the Eagles and secure a dramatic 2-point victory. Come Monday, Castellanos will have a second crack at the Seminoles, and this time, he brings with him an entirely new challenge for Mike Norvell and FSU in the form of new head coach Bill O’Brien. The offensive-minded O’Brien and the multifaceted attack of Castellanos could spell trouble for a Florida State defense that struggled against the run during Week 0, but there is a silver lining. O’Brien, Castellanos, and the Eagles will be facing a Florida State squad that is not only angry and eager to secure their first victory but will have the benefit of playing in front of a sold-out home crowd, and if you’ve played College Football 25, you know just how impactful that “Stadium Pulse” can be.

READ MORE: Florida State vs. Boston College: Thursday Practice Observations For The Seminoles

Florida State enters Monday night’s contest in need of defining its character and finding consistency on both sides of the ball. A prime-time matchup against a challenging Boston College team presents a crucial opportunity for the Seminoles to make the necessary adjustments, establish a cohesive team dynamic, showcase their ability to respond to adversity, and find ways to win close games. After experiencing a challenging start to the season, finding their rhythm and identity in this matchup will be key to building momentum and achieving their goals throughout the remainder of the season. 

Let’s take a look at a handful of Florida State players that will need to have impactful performances come Monday night if the Seminoles wish to find their footing and avoid a second straight loss. 

1. Patrick Payton, Defensive End

Florida State’s defense was absolutely dominant throughout 2023, and the ‘Noles had the likes of Jared Verse and Braden Fiske to thank for that performance. Despite the departure of these two NFL draftees (among other talented defenders), however, the Seminoles’s confidence in their stout defense entering 2024 remained just as high, and the defensive line was to be the crown jewel of DC Adam Fuller’s group. Throughout the offseason, both the program itself and the media believed the defensive line, which boasts the likes of Darrell Jackson Jr., Joshua Farmer, Marvin Jones Jr., Sione Lolohea, and a handful of others, had the potential to be one of the nation’s most dominant. That outlook was championed by the belief that the aforementioned players would work in tandem with a Seminole edge rusher that has established himself as a marquee talent in the trenches, Patrick Payton.

Payton, a former 4-star edge rusher out of Miami Northwestern, joined the program in 2021 and has been a staple on the Florida State defense since he burst on to the scene in 2022. He appeared in 13 games with the ‘Noles in 2022 and started all 14 games during the 2023 season, and he has earned himself ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, a Freshman All-American honorable mention, and an All-ACC honorable mention over the course of his career, thus far. During Florida State’s monstrous 2023 campaign, Payton tallied 44 total tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 7 sacks, and 10 pass breakups, which was the highest by an ACC defensive lineman since 2016. 

Now a redshirt junior for the Seminoles, Payton has been called upon to fill the void left behind by Jared Verse and slot into the feature edge rusher role in 2024. Given his proclivity for the pass rush and providing pressure in the backfield, the expectation was that Payton would have no problem slotting into this role, and the hope was that he would thrive as the #1 guy. However, last week’s performance against Georgia Tech brought the defensive line’s hype train to a screeching halt. The Yellow Jackets gashed the Seminole defense for 190 yards on the ground (5.3 yards per rush), and Florida State was only able to procure 3 tackles for loss on the evening. But, it was FSU’s inability to record a single sack that was most surprising. Payton’s impact was noticeably absent from the game with the highly-touted edge rusher recording a lone tackle on the night and nothing more. 

Florida State’s defense was, for all intents and purposes, exposed by Georgia Tech last week. There were noticeable holes in their approach, and the defensive line delivered a performance that was far below expectations. This week, Castellanos and the Boston College offense are rolling into Tallahassee, and they bring with them a rushing attack that threatens to expose the ‘Noles once more. Fuller and the Florida State defense will need to set the edge and assert their dominance in the trenches if they wish to slow the Eagles offense down, and that effort begins with their top guys — it begins with Patrick Payton.

2. Jaylin Lucas, Running Back

The 5’9”, 175-pound running back entered the transfer portal after 23 appearances and eight starts in two seasons at Indiana that saw him notch 2,052 all-purpose yards and 3 kickoff return touchdowns. Since joining the Florida State roster in December, Lucas has continued to showcase all-purpose abilities and has proven to be a threat for the Seminole offense both through the air and on the ground. His performance throughout camp led many to believe that he’d slot into a significant role for an offense that was looking to replace the production of Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson Jordan Travis. During the Georgia Tech game, the transfer back notched two carries for over 13 yards and even reeled in a 5-yard pass, but he was largely absent from the offensive game plane for the majority of the contest. Lucas’ absence confounded the Florida State faithful. When asked about the transfer back’s 7-snap appearance, Mike Norvell said, “He's a guys that is an explosive play-maker for us. He was limited in touches. I’ve got to do a better job.” 

Norvell has repeatedly harped on the importance of Lucas’s involvement ahead of Florida State’s matchup against Boston College, and the Seminoles will certainly need to capitalize on his rushing and receiving capabilities against the Eagles. The Boston College defense was the second-worst team in the ACC against the run in 2023, yielding an average of 193.4 rushing yards per game. However, HC Bill O’Brien has revamped the Boston College staff since his arrival, and his new defensive coordinator boast decades of coaching experience at various levels of football. You can expect the Eagles to roll out a new look defense, but Lucas’s innate ability to attack on the ground, through the air, and in the return game makes him tough to scheme against and a prime candidate for an impact performance on Monday night. “But that's a guy that we need to be able to make an impact,” stated Norvell. 

3. DJ Lundy, Linebacker

The linebacker group has been a point of contention for followers of Florida State Football. Despite having to field consistent criticism over the lackluster recruiting results at the position, Adam Fuller’s defense has found success at the position in the past few years. However, veterans Tatum Bethune and Kalen DeLoach are not walking down that tunnel any longer, and the Seminoles have been left with a large void to fill on defense. Throughout the offseason, Florida State expressed confidence in the development of their existing linebackers to slot into those roles, and DJ Lundy was the name at the top of the list. "I thought DJ Lundy looked like we need him to look," said Norvell prior to the start of the season. "He was flying all over the field, saw physical plays, he was working in his communication. I'm excited about that group.” 

What transpired during the Georgia Teach game did not instill confidence, however. Florida State’s starting linebackers, Omar Graham Jr. and DJ Lundy, both ranked in the bottom five of PFF’s lowest-graded players against the Yellow Jackets. Graham played a staggering 35 snaps for the ‘Noles and failed to register a single stat. Lundy, on the other hand, recorded 6 tackles and missed 22.2% of his attempts (along with what could have been a critical fumble recovery for the ‘Noles). Florida State’s cast of supporting linebackers showed signs of promise, but the group was unable to find an answer for the Yellow Jacket attack en route to a disappointing performance for the Seminole defense on the day. 

Despite the poor showing last week, Lundy was an all-ACC honorable mention last year and he recorded 54 tackles, 6 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 4 pass breakups and 2 quarterback hurries during his 2023 campaign. The Seminoles will need their linebackers to deliver a far better performance on Monday night if they wish to wrangle in Castellanos’ scrambling ability and slow down the Eagles offense. Lundy will need to provide a veteran presence and an impactful performance for the group all season long. Hopefully for the ‘Noles, that begins on Monday.

The stage is set for a pivotal showdown as Florida State returns to football with the weight of their recent loss and the hopes of a season still ripe with potential on their shoulders. There is no time for Norvell and his team to wallow in their deficiencies, however, because a tricky Boston College team threatens to deliver FSU another early-season blow. The Seminoles, despite their rocky start, have an opportunity to recalibrate their season in front of their home crowd. The atmosphere of a sold-out Doak Campbell Stadium, combined with the chance to redeem themselves, provides a premier backdrop for Florida State to demonstrate their resilience and reclaim momentum. As they prepare for this high-stakes matchup, the focus will be on key players who must rise to the occasion and turn the tide in favor of the ‘Noles. The outcome of Monday’s game could be a defining moment for Norvell’s team, setting the tone for their path forward and shaping their prospects in this new college football landscape.

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READ MORE: Florida State's Loss To Georgia Tech Brings In Massive National Audience

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