FSU Football: Position Group Breakdown | Defensive Line
The Nole's enter 2023 as a top ten program in college football. A big part of the excitement is a DL that brings everyone back and added six bigtime lineman in this current recruiting cycle.
Defensive Line Preview
Eligibility Breakdown
2019 - Inherited
Derrick McClendon
Malcolm Ray
Dennis Briggs Jr.
2020 - Norvell’s Transition Class
Fabien Lovett | Mississippi State
2021 - 5-7 | 4th and 14
Patrick Payton
Byron Turner Jr.
Joshua Farmer
2022 - 10 - 3 | State Champs
Jared Verse | FCS - Albany
Dante Anderson
Aaron Hester
Daniel Lyons
Bishop Thomas
Ayobame Tifase
2023 - Top Ten Preseason
Braden Fiske | Western Michigan
Darrell Washington | Miami (FL)
Gilber Edmond | South Carolina
Jaden Jones | Juco
Lamont Green Jr. | Legacy
Keith Sampson Jr. | Summer Enrollee
Projected Starters
DE | Jared Verse
DT | Fabien Lovett
DT | Braden Fiske
DE | Patrick Payton*
* It is very likely due to style of play Mcclendon and Payton will actually swap out to have a pass rusher and an edge setter on either end for a good balance. That said EDGE Patrick Payton is my second ranked DE in the group.
Second Unit
DE - Derrick Mcclendon*
DT - Darrell Jackson
DT - Joshua Farmer
DE - Gilber Edmond
Bear Front
I had ti include this front as I expect to see it quite a bit and is an abslolutely Elite and balanced unit.
DE - Jared Verse
DT - Fabien Lovett
NOSE - Darrell Jackson
DT - Braden Fiske
DE - Patrick Payton
Busting the Band-aid Narrative
Where have Norvell’s DL come from?
There are currently nineteen scholarship defensive on scholarship for FSU, here is where those scholarships came from. * Keith Sampson Jr. not yet enrolled
1 | Juco Signee
3 | Willie / Jimbo recruits
5 | Transfer Portal
10 | High-school
The narrative of FSU is extremely overblown as you have seen here as the HEAVY majority of Seminoles defensive lineman have been here for 2-5 years. Also worth noting all three transfer defensive lineman brought in in the 2023 portal class have at least two years of eligibility.
Mike Norvell and Adam Fuller along with their impressive recruiting staff put this unit together the old school way, only takkng old school DUDES with a blue collar mentality.
Of course the Noles have the impossible task of churning the 85 man roster after every season andnthey have been absolutely elite at the process with Norvell’s NFL style organizational style and legendary exit interviews. Let’s take a look at the three DL that exited via the portal versus the three Norvell signed to replace them.
George Wilson - 0 impact in 2022 longterm project | Gilber Edmond - 600 snaps as an SEC starter at South Carolina. 2 sacks, 9 tackles for loss
Shambre Jackson - two games played with no stats. | Braden Fiske - 58 tackles, 6 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. Top Portal DL.
Jarret Jackson - back up DL took a step back. Line could not operate at an elite level with him receiving signifigant two deep reps | Darrell Washington - Highly coveted nosetackle started at Miami in 2022 and had a bit of a down year but was still better better than any FSU tackle in 2022 not named Lovett who was hurt all year and missing three years.
There are two guys I’d guess pundits could point out to support their band-aid claims.
Jermaine Johnson - 1st Round Pick UGA Transfer | New York Jets | No single player has affected Florida State’s rise to the top rof the ACC more than Mr. Jermaine Johnson. Jermaine bought in from the second he stepped on campus and instantly became the leader of the defense.
Jermaine’s one year at FSU was a fever dream of production and he is responsible for a large portion of FSU’s recruitmg success after his one year. Every recruit and portal player in the country knows his story and the success he was able to have immediately. This success led directly to Jared Verse our star first round prospect’s comittment and his play compounding this narrative, along with Jammie Robinson, two time all ACC safety, and many others led to this unprecedented 2023 class.
Keir Thomas - UDFA made the LA Ram’s 53 man roster. Everything I said about Verse applies here as Keir was an amazing leader and teammate. He was the Yin to Jermaine’s Yang shining in run defense and was extremely dependable. He will be playing in the NFL along with Jermaine for a long time thanks to coming to FSU one year.
After everything I have laid out for you if you still see thesr guys as bandaids and not the bedrock for a championship organization, I’m just not going to change your mind. That said I have a good feeling Odell Haggins and Jon Papuchis are gonna let their players do the talking starting September 3rd, 2023 at Camping World Stadium in a top ten tilt against Brian Kelly and his LSU Tigers.
Don’t miss the latest Renegade Report Rundown!
We talk DL, Pat Surtain Sr., Byers planned role, portal targets, and more!