Five Fall Camp Position Battles That Will Dictate Florida State's Success In 2023

The outcome of these battles could dictate how far the Seminoles climb this fall.

There is only one day remaining until Florida State gets back on the field practice fields to begin fall camp. The next couple of weeks will be important as the Seminoles prepare to make a run at the ACC Championship, among other lofty aspirations, in 2023.

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The competition will be fierce as a talented group of returning players, transfers, and true freshmen battle for starting jobs or spots in the two-deep. A couple of Seminoles were able to stake their claim back in the spring but will need to continue to perform in the preseason.

These are five position battles that could wind up dictating Florida State's success this fall.

1. Offensive Line

The situation up-front is a night and day difference from where it was when head coach Mike Norvell and offensive line coach Alex Atkins arrived at Florida State four years ago. The Seminoles have plenty of experience and depth in the room ahead of the preseason. Now the coaching staff just has to figure out which pieces fit where.

Entering camp, redshirt junior center Maurice Smith and redshirt senior right guard D'Mitri Emmanuel appear to be in the best spots to retain their starting positions. It'll take a serious push from another player to unseat Smith while Emmanuel is the most seasoned Seminole on the roster.

It gets interesting when looking at the left tackle, left guard, and right tackle spots as there are legitimately six or seven players battling for starting roles. Bless Harris is pushing Robert Scott for the left tackle job after the latter missed the spring with an injury. Harris could also jockey with Jeremiah Byers on the right side of the line.

Along the interior, Casey Roddick, Keiondre Jones, and Darius Washington are fighting for one open starting spot. Roddick is the favorite to win out at left guard but Washington has the versatility to play all three positions on the offensive line.

2. Wide Receiver

Florida State exited the spring with plenty of talent at wide receiver but the program simply got even better with the additions of Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman and 2021 signee Destyn Hill. The sky is truly the limit on the outside in Tallahassee this year.

The Seminoles have so many different combinations to throw out at opposing defenses. Redshirt junior Johnny Wilson has one side of the field locked down. On the other, Coleman and Kentron Poitier should have an exciting competition for a starting role. Regardless of who wins out, both players will contribute a ton.

FSU will also need to find a new starter in the slot with Mycah Pittman transferring to Utah. The early favorites are Winston Wright Jr. and Ja'Khi Douglas but keep an eye on true freshman wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs. Most of his reps during the spring came on the outside but he might find himself pushed inside with the added depth on the roster.

3. Defensive Backfield

There's a lot to like about what Florida State is fielding at cornerback during defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr.'s first season with the program. The Seminoles are bringing back four players that were in the rotation last season while adding top transfer cornerback Fentrell Cypress II. 

Green has one of the boundary spots locked down while Cypress is looking to beat out Jarrian Jones and Azareye'h for the opposite side. It wouldn't be a surprise if Jones contributes at nickel as well alongside redshirt junior Greedy Vance. Regardless, this is a capable position group.

The confidence isn't as high at the safety spot with the Seminoles needing to replace former star Jammie Robinson. Redshirt senior Akeem Dent and redshirt sophomore Shyheim Brown will likely be the starters. With that being said, FSU will need to find a reliable third option in the rotation. Junior Kevin Knowles has moved to safety while JUCO signee Ashlynd Barker and true freshmen Conrad Hussey and KJ Kirkland are among the options.

4. Defensive Tackle

This is one of the toughest positions on the roster to project as the Seminoles have roughly six or seven players that could feasibly develop into starters. There are five returners to watch in Fabien Lovett, Dennis Briggs, Joshua Farmer, Daniel Lyons, and Malcolm Ray along with two of the best transfers in the country - Braden Fiske and Darrell Jackson. 

The expectation is that Lovett and Fiske end up securing starting roles due to their combination of experience and talent. At the same time, this is expected to be a by-committee unit that could trot out different lineups depending on the opponent. The players behind Lovett and Fiske on the depth chart aren't anything to scrunch your nose at.

Jackson is still awaiting official word from the NCAA on if he'll be eligible this season. He might be the 'best' player in the position group based on pure talent alone. Joshua Farmer and Daniel Lyons are trending in the right direction in their development while Dennis Briggs has been a consistent cog throughout his career.

5. Kicker

FSU had its fair of struggles at kicker last season. The lack of confidence even led coach Norvell to go for it in situations we'd previously seen him rely on the field goal team. Redshirt junior kicker Ryan Fitzgerald only finished the season 12/20 on field goal attempts but he did hit the game-winning secure in the Cheez-It Bowl victory against Oklahoma.

The Seminoles brought in some competition for Fitzgerald this offseason in transfer Tyler Keltner. During his three seasons at East Tennessee State, Keltner connected on 56 of his 74 field goal attempts while making all 131 of his extra-point attempts. He holds program records for field goals and PATs made and is second in school history with 299 points while holding a career-long of 54 yards.

Both players went back and forth at times in the spring but Fitzgerald did enough to hold onto the starting job. He'll need another strong performance in the fall but will have to stay steady throughout the year with Keltner right on his heels.

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