Florida State true freshman offensive lineman switches positions
Evaluation is a constant process in college football. It continues to roll on no matter if a player is a high school recruit, a true freshman, or a veteran in a program.
READ MORE: Recruits react to Florida State's run-away rivalry win over Miami
Florida State's coaching staff has shown an ability to key in on the present while also considering the future. That applies to not just their tactics on the recruiting trail, but also how they operate when taking a look at the current 85-man roster.
Dating back to the spring, the Seminoles have already explored a couple of different position changes this year. Prior to spring practice, the team moved Brendan Gant down to linebacker from safety and flexed interior defensive lineman Dennis Briggs outside to defensive end.
During fall camp, Florida State gave wide receivers, Ja'Khi Douglas and Joshua Burrell, more of a look at running back whenever CJ Campbell went down. Burrell has continued to rep at the position since Campbell's return. The coaching staff also elected to try offensive lineman Darius Washington out at center. He's been a swiss army knife up-front throughout the year.
According to a Florida State spokesperson, the coaching staff is planning to try out another position change. True freshman offensive lineman Antavious Woody has switched to the defensive side of the ball. The update is reflected on the Seminoles' online roster.
As we noted last week, Woody was spotted taking scout team reps on the defensive side of the ball. He mirrored Miami star defensive lineman Leonard Taylor. Woody clearly did a good job as Taylor didn't record a statistic in the Hurricanes' 45-3 loss to the Seminoles.
The Alabama native was a two-way starter in high school on the offensive and defensive fronts. He was selected to the 35th Annual Alabama-Mississippi Classic All-Star Game to conclude his prep career. Woody also competed in baseball, basketball, and track and field. He finished second in discus, shot put, and javelin at the 2022 2A state championship to help his high school capture a state championship.
There were concerns that Woody wouldn't academically qualify but he was able to enroll at Florida State in June. He has yet to play in a game this season while working on adjusting to college life on and off the field.
The luxury of taking Woody out of high school was that he could always end up on either side of the ball. The 6-foot-3, 293-pound is now one of six true freshmen defensive linemen on the roster; defensive tackle Daniel Lyons, defensive tackle Bishop Thomas, defensive tackle Ayobami Tifase, defensive end Aaron Hester, and defensive end Dante Anderson.
The Seminoles still have five true freshmen offensive linemen on the roster; offensive tackle Julian Armella, offensive tackle Jaylen Early, offensive guard Kanaya Charlton, offensive tackle Daughtry Richardson, and offensive lineman Qae'Shon Sapp. Armella, Charlton, and Early have all been working with the offense during practice rather than the scout team.
It'll be interesting to track Woody's progress at his newly converted position. Expectedly, he'll get an opportunity to work with defensive line coach Odell Haggins a bunch over the next few weeks.
READ MORE: Florida State leaves RB Cedric Baxter Jr. with a decision to make
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