Florida State Football: Top 5 spring 2019 breakout candidates

CLEMSON, SC - NOVEMBER 11: James Blackman #1 of the Florida State Seminoles drops back to pass against the Clemson Tigers during their game at Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CLEMSON, SC - NOVEMBER 11: James Blackman #1 of the Florida State Seminoles drops back to pass against the Clemson Tigers during their game at Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
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Can Florida State football turn things around in 2019? The Seminoles have the pieces, but which young stars will break out this spring?

Willie Taggart is facing a crucial spring with Florida State. It’s his second year with the program and the first, well, didn’t quite go as planned.

If he expects to lead Florida State back to a bowl game after a rare miss in 2018, he needs some guys to step up on both sides of the ball who may not be household names just yet. It’s usually those breakout candidates that lead programs back to relevance.

The talent is there, but the Seminoles need to realize it.

Who could break out this spring for the Seminoles?

One of the top players in the Seminoles’ 2017 recruiting class, Cyrus Fagan had a quiet freshman season but stepped up a bit as a sophomore, recording 24 tackles with two passes defended and a fumble recovery. He became a regular rotational guy in the secondary, but this could be the year he steps into a starting role at safety.

With A.J. Westbrook gone, it looks like Fagan will be the No. 1 guy at the strong safety spot. He has the body for it and isn’t afraid to step up and make plays against the run as well as make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks.

It takes a lot for a highly-recruited kid like this to stick it out even when Jimbo Fisher decided to take the Texas A&M job, but it’s usually those same guys who are rewarded and step up when called upon. This is Fagan’s year to prove himself worthy of that starting job and it all starts this spring.