ACC Football - 2021 Florida State Seminoles Preview
Our Florida State Seminoles preview 2021 anticipates that this ACC team will be much more competitive than they were last season when they were 2-6 in the conference and 3-6 overall. FSU and first-year coach Mike Norvell were certainly affected by COVID-19, as, after just getting to see what his players could do, everyone was sent home for several months. With a severely truncated 2020 season, this team never had a chance to realize its potential. In every major defensive category, FSU was ranked 12th or 13th in the ACC, and the best part of the Seminole offense was on the ground, as their rush attack ranked fifth in the conference and 31st in the nation with 199.9 YPG.
Florida State Offense
The Seminoles definitely have a quarterback question. Will sophomore Jordan Travis get the nod or former UFC star signal caller McKenzie Milton? Travis is a talented rusher, while Milton, who was a legitimate Heisman contender at UCF, has not played since 2018 when a leg injury came close to ending his career. He did look good in spring camp. The ground game was this team’s strength last season with Travis averaging 5.8 YPA and scoring seven times and RB Jashaun Corbin gaining 5.0 YPA and crossing the goal line five times.
There’s more good news, as most of the O-line returns. They have plenty of experience and success on which to build. The biggest concern is at wide receiver. The Seminoles have a mix-and-match group that does not include one dynamic, standout player.
Florida State Seminoles Preview 2021 - Defense
Five defensive players from last season left the team for the NFL. Two SEC linemen join the team, Jermaine Johnson (Georgia) and Keir Thomas (South Carolina). Plus, Norvell recruited three D-backs, safety Jammie Robinson (South Carolina) and corners Brandon Moore (UCF) and Jarques McClellion (Arkansas). Johnson, who recorded five sacks with Georgia last season, will have the biggest impact. The linebacking unit sees sophomore Amari Gainer and senior Emmet Rice come back. Gainer led the Seminoles with 65 tackles while Rice was second with 62. These players should help a defense that overall ranked 105th last season. But don’t expect miracles from this group.
Specialists
Placekicking was a major concern last year. Our Florida State Seminoles preview 2021 finds that after spring camp, it is still an issue for this team, as neither Ryan Fitzgerald nor Parker Grothaus rose to the top. In his freshman season last year, Australian punter Alex Mastromanno averaged a solid 43.5 YPP. And although neither runback unit was particularly successful, FSU did a good job stifling opponent returns while also blocking five kicks.
Florida State Seminoles Preview 2021 - Projection
Our Florida State Seminoles preview 2021 notes that last year this team’s net success rate on offense and defense ranked 114th (-9.0%) in the nation. We certainly think that this season, Florida State can do better than that. There are concerns on offense, but FSU does possess talent and depth at running back and potential at quarterback. The defense also has some strengths. We anticipate that the Seminoles will qualify for the post season. In the regular season, they will be tested right out of the box when they host Notre Dame on September 5, and the September 25 matchup against Louisville will be huge for them in the ACC standings. An even record overall and in-conference is likely.
ACC Football - Florida State Seminoles 2021 - Predictions:
Fifth Place - ACC Atlantic
Birmingham Bowl vs. Mississippi State