Sophomore DT, Walvenski Aimé
Meet JUCO transfer Walvenski Aimé. Walvenski Aime is a bad dude. As a 6'4", 289 early enrollee, Aimé could find his way onto a loaded defensive line for the Seminoles come fall. Out of JUCO he was rated as the 3rd best defensive tackle prospect and the 30th best prospect overall. With other players Derrick Nnadi and DeMarcus Christmas already on the depth chart - with experience - it may be another year until Aimé sees considerable playing time, but if he is able to break into the starting lineup it will be because he has earned it and is the real deal. If not, that's okay too, Aimé comes into FSU with three years of eligibility.
Senior RB/DB, Ryan Green
Green has had an injury-riddled career at Florida State after coming out of high school as the 30th best player in the 2013 class according to ESPN.com. He struggled with a shoulder injury his senior year of high school, ran the ball 33 times for 163 yards his freshman year, and has struggled with injuries since. Hoping to find some playing time, he switched to defensive back which he had a taste of from high school but the injuries kept him from seeing time on defense. This spring he has switched back to running back. Green is a speedster that could be a great compliment to a stout backfield this season if he can stay healthy.
A Wide Receiver
Any wide receiver. There is so much pressure and so much talented depth at the position, I believe one or two younger players will emerge. Sophomores George Campbell (#1 Athlete in 2015 class), Auden Tate (6'5"), Nyqwan Murray (6 catches in 2015), and Davante Phillips (#6 WR in 2015 class), juniors Pigg Harrison and Ermon Lane (yes, Ermon Lane) or true freshman Keith Gavin (#9 WR in 2016 class) are all viable options to step up and compliment the experienced trio of Rudolph, Wilson, and Whitfield.
While fans have all but given up on Ermon who came out of high school as the #2 WR in the nation, his back is against the wall and hopefully is motivated to have a great offseason. Looking at the rising Sophomores, there is a great deal of potential in this group that largely struggled with injuries last season and wasn't able to see much playing time. Junior Pigg Harrison has great size at 6'3" and seemed to be a favorite target of Sean Maguire's during last year's spring game but that did not carry over into the season.
This may be our most talented position if you think about the depth and potential of the group, and the fact that the position is wide open, I see some great things coming out of the competition. One or two of these guys will have a huge off-season and should emerge as a name all Seminole fans know in the 2016 season.
Sophomore TE/WR, Mavin Saunders (above)
One of those receivers could be former tight end Mavin Saunders. Saunders is another bad dude who has been lined up at tight end since he got here but has recently been working with the receivers in practice. Saunders is 6'5" 253-lb athlete from the Bahamas who received basketball offers from teams like Oklahoma and Connecticut. I actually played basketball with him a couple of months ago and almost got him dunked on. True story. Regardless of whether he has been dunked on, those offers should tell you all you need to know about his athleticism. If he can mold into a wide receiver he could be a scary weapon come fall, especially in the redzone.
Junior OL/DE, Rick Leonard
Leonard has played defensive end since he has arrived in Tallahassee but for the spring, has switched to offensive line. On the defensive line, he flashed a ton of potential with his length and strength and even won last years' Spring Defensive MVP award. But now Leonard resides on the opposite side of the ball and word on the beat is he has coaches giddy. Many people expect the 6'7", 287-lb player to start on the offensive line, otherwise why would he have made the switch to begin with? It may have just been a test run for spring but if he is still on the O-line in fall practice, I also expect him to start and be a huge piece of the puzzle. We've seen this defensive line to offensive line gamble work pretty well for Cameron Erving, the 19th overall pick in last year's draft. Could Jimbo be working his magic again?
Sophomore DB, Tarvarus McFadden
Above you see Tarvarus McFadden standing next to arguably the most badass player in the ACC, Derwin James. I don't know about you guys, but he makes Derwin look like a normal dude and if there is one thing we know, it is that Derwin is not a normal dude. Seminoles.com has McFadden - the former five star recruit - listed at 6'2", 201. You can tell this dude has put in some serious work to get bigger and contend for the starting corner position left vacant by Jalen Ramsey. McFadden also returns kicks and punts and in his U.S. Army High School All-American game he actually returned a kick for a touchdown. He also had an interception in that game. McFadden seems like he is more than ready and I think he is on the brink of a huge season opposite of Marquez White.
Junior LB, Matthew Thomas
Thomas has struggled with injuries and a violation of NCAA rules that kept him out of last season. He has stayed in excellent shape despite not officially being a part of the team and is another physically intimidating dude as a result (6'3" 227). Thomas is a guy from the 2013 class that has not lived up to its hype and he is a main centerpiece for that let-down as he was rated as the 6th best player in the entire 2013 class. I think staying with the team through three years of diversity has taught him a lesson and his head is now in the right place. With his length, athleticism, and (hopefully) maturity, there is a solid chance Thomas is the ACC's best linebacker by the end of the season.
Freshman QB, Deondre Francois
You may not be surprised to see Francois on this list. Seminole fans fully expect to see Francois as their starting quarterback come Labor Day but everything I hear about him only makes me excited for a guy who should be more than just an upgrade from Sean Maguire. Franc(hise)ois got a lot of important reps last season on the scout team and impressed the team with many people comparing the then-freshman to Clemson's Deshaun Watson. It may be dramatic to compare a true freshman to arguably the nation's best player last season, but that's still a great sign, right? Even more promising is how often he has been staying after practice this spring to work on specific things with receivers - like at least an hour every day from what I've heard/read. I doubt Deondre Francois will burst onto the scene the way Jameis Winston did in his redshirt freshman season, but if he is remotely close, he could be the difference between just an ACC Championship and a National Championship.
The talent, depth, and potential is there for this team to be a serious championship contender. So, seemingly, is the leadership from guys like Dalvin Cook, DeMarcus Walker and Derwin James (the three D's to success). During the spring game everyone will be focusing on the young quarterbacks that will be challenging the incumbent Maguire, but keep an eye out of the rest of these guys to make huge splashes as well.
Honorable mention: DT Darvin Taylor II, DB Marcus Lewis, TE Ryan Izzo, LB Lorenzo Phillips, LB Sh'Mar Kilby-Lane.
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