5 FSU Key Players Ruled Out Against Georgia in the Orange Bowl…
DANIA BEACH: The No. 4 Seminoles of Florida State have lost 360 career starts ahead of Saturday’s Orange Bowl due to a spate of opt-outs, injuries, and transfers via the transfer portal.Braden Fiske, a defensive lineman, preferred to view this as a chance for others to take on more responsibility rather than as a challenge.
In light of this, the following five Seminoles against Georgia are worth keeping an eye on
Quarterback Brock Glenn
This is true, but it’s also evident. After missing a significant portion of the season to recuperate from a left (non-throwing) hand injury, the true freshman made his first-ever start in the ACC championship game against Louisville, going 8-of-21. After pursuing transfers Cam Ward (from Washington State) and DJ Uiagalelei (from Oregon State/Clemson), the Seminoles should have at least one more quarterback in the quarterback room by fall. However, this will provide additional insight into whether Glenn projects to be FSU’s quarterback in the long or short term.
Receiver Hykeem Williams
He was the only five-star recruit in the 2023 class and the top signee for FSU. With Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman in the lead, Williams didn’t need to do much more after scoring his lone touchdown of the season on a 44-yard reception against Syracuse. Williams will have more opportunities as a receiver now that they are both gone. To see what he does with them intrigues me.
Defensive lineman Darrell Jackson
He has been ineligible this season after transferring from Miami and Maryland. That changes Saturday. “People are going to be pleasantly surprised with the impacts he’s able to make,” Fiske said. Jackson started 13 games before joining the Seminoles and is expected to be a valuable member of next year’s rotation.
Running back Caziah Holmes
Despite not playing much behind Trey Benson and Lawrance Toafili, he has displayed glimmers of a top player. With 156 rushing yards, he leads all players still on the two-deep in yardage. Is he able to overcome a Georgia defense that has a history of being among the best in the country?
Although he had a team-high 13 ½ tackles for loss, Payton started every game, so he is definitely an unusual addition to this list. However, he achieved those stats while facing off against Jared Verse, a probable first-round selection who won’t be playing on Saturday. This implies that Georgia can concentrate more of its efforts on stopping Payton. We’ll watch how he manages the pressure of leading FSU’s defensive line as a focal point.