Florida State Football: 2017 season preview, predictions

The Florida State football team looks to return to the top of the ACC in 2017, but it’ll have to overcome the defending national champs.

A new season is almost upon us as the 2017 college football season vastly approaches. The Florida State Seminoles return with a few questions with a season opener looming against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Finishing 10-3 wasn’t all bad for Florida State but when all three losses come in conference play, it’s hard to win an ACC Championship that way. The most embarrassing loss, 63-20 to the Louisville Cardinals, has certainly given critics some questions to ask.

The first question is: how will Florida State replace Dalvin Cook? Cook ran for over 1,500 rushing yards the past three seasons for the Seminoles. They have Jacques Patrick waiting in the wings, while true freshman Cam Akers has made some noise already as well. Akers enrolled in school in Tallahassee in January.

The second question is: who will replace DeMarcus Walker? Walker led the team last season in sacks (16.0) and tackles for loss (19.5) on his way to ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. It helps the defense returns nine starters from last year’s squad but can anybody produce like Walker did?

The final question is: how good will Derwin James be? There was a lot of speculation James could play both sides of the ball, but there’s a lot of risk for injury in that scenario. Considering James just came off injury, it’s hard to foresee him doing anything other than playing safety on defense.

He’s already been named the best player in college football by Sports Illustrated. Now, he just needs to live up to the hype. He’s got cornerback Tarvarus McFadden in front of him in the secondary and Brian Burns and Josh Sweat on the defensive line. With those odds, the Seminoles are prime for a strong 2017 season.

Here’s a look at a preview for this upcoming season.

Offense

The Florida State Seminoles were an average offense last season outside of running back Dalvin Cook. Quarterback Deondre Francois took a lot of hits due to some issues on the offensive line. The Seminoles will need to solve those issues in 2017 or they could see Francois knocked out of more games like last season.

Florida State used seven different offensive line combinations in 2016. While its good to have depth on the offensive line, getting some rapport among linemen is key to consistent success. It didn’t help things true freshman and offensive guard Landon Dickerson was lost for the season with a torn ACL injury. He returns in 2017 looking to retake the starting left guard position.

There’s also a question at left tackle the Seminoles need to solve. Currently, redshirt freshman Josh Ball is listed as the starter but if he’s unable to protect Francois, fans could see more offensive line combinations in 2017.

The wide receivers also need to improve. Nyqwan Murray and Auden Tate got a wealth of experience catching the pigskin from Deondre Francois. They’ll need to step it up if Florida State wants a chance to make their second College Football Playoff. Junior wide receiver Da’Vante Phillips was recently suspended indefinitely after being arrested. Phillips was a player expected to contribute this season.

Hype surrounding Cam Akers

At running back, there’s a lot of hype surrounding true freshman Cam Akers. Not to downplay Jacques Patrick, the Seminoles top returning rusher. Patrick is currently on the Doak Walk Award watch list, an award given annually to the nation’s top running back.

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Akers has adjusted to the college life pretty well since enrolling at Florida State in January. He ran for 87 rushing yards and had 102 all-purpose yards in the team’s annual spring game. He may not play right away but he’s already making it hard for the coaching staff to keep him out of the gameplan.

Akers graduated in 2017 as the U.S. Army Player of the Year, given to the nation’s most outstanding high school senior football player. He ran for 38 yards and a touchdown in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where he was also named the MVP.

Again, Jacques Patrick is the leading man to start at running back. However, he may have to scoot over to make room for Akers. He’s wasted no time making a name for himself on the Florida State Seminoles roster.

Defense

The Florida State Seminoles have a lot of talent on defense. Tarvarus McFadden, the FBS leader in interceptions (8) in 2016, is back this season in the secondary. Aside from Derwin James, McFadden is one of the best defenders in coverage on the team.

Although losing DeMarcus Walker will show, Brian Burns, Jacob Pugh, Josh Sweat and Derrick Nnadi combined for 26.0 sacks themselves last season. They’re loaded on the defensive line after losing just two starters on defense.

Walker’s departure opens up the door for an interior defensive lineman to take the reins in 2017. One player to keep an eye on is defensive tackle Marvin Wilson. Wilson was one of the top defensive tackles in this past year’s recruiting class with offers from the likes of Alabama and LSU. Instead of choosing to play in the SEC, Wilson took his talents to the ACC. He’ll be expected to produce at a high level.

Senior linebacker Matthew Thomas leads a strong linebacking corps into 2017. Thomas led the Seminoles defense in tackles (77) in his first season as a starter. He is currently on both the Bednarik and Butkus Award watch lists.

The return of Derwin James

The return of safety Derwin James comes at a good time for the Seminoles defense as well. The redshirt sophomore was prime for a breakout season in 2016 but went down with a knee injury.

James looked stellar against the Ole Miss Rebels in last season’s opener. He recorded 8 tackles (6 solo) and an interception. His hot start was quickly derailed by injury. However, if his spring game performance was any indicator, it shows that James has gained a step and is ready to get past the injury.

After all, he got the first interception of his career in the first game of the season. Hard to project his production would go down after that. Entering 2017, James is currently on the watch list for the Bednarik, Maxwell, Nagurski, Thorpe and Hornung Awards. Add Heisman hype to that list as James leads a strong Florida State defense into a new year.

2017 schedule

The Florida State Seminoles are set to have a big season. It all starts in Week One with another SEC opener. They’ll need to solve their offensive line issues to keep quarterback Deondre Francois upright and clean. Francois began to find his rhythm and limit his turnovers as the season progressed but the team could utilize his legs more in 2017.

Currently, the Seminoles are 7.5-point underdogs against the Alabama Crimson Tide but they’ve overcome bigger odds. Alabama is one of the best teams if not the best team in college football. Facing them the first week of the season is a huge challenge but the Seminoles could pull off the upset.

After Week One, Florida State has three straight home games. They open up ACC play against the Miami Hurricanes in Week Three but the Canes shouldn’t be much of a threat, yet.

Things don’t really get difficult on the Seminoles schedule until October 21 when they face the Louisville Cardinals. After last year’s 63-20 drubbing, Florida State is sure to bring their A-Game, especially at home.

Then there’s another rematch on November 11 when they travel to Death Valley to face the Clemson Tigers. Early predictions have the Seminoles winning 9.5 games.

Prediction: 11-1 (8-0 ACC)

The Florida State Seminoles could lose a close one against Alabama but they’re the early favorite to win the ACC crown. Their defense is prime to have a strong season and could push for the best defense in the nation before its all said and done.

Derwin James could have a much similar season to former Michigan Wolverines safety Jabrill Peppers. While Peppers was a feature for the Wolverines on offense, defense and special teams, James will have a much bigger impact on just defense.

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Florida State has flirted with the idea of playing James on special teams, which wouldn’t be a bad idea. However, they’ll need to take his health into consideration going forward. The Seminoles have done well recruiting so depth may be more important than impact here. They have to replace both starting groups on kick return and on punt return.