He didn't get a chance to really learn at the college level last season. Not until the season was actually in full swing anyway.

And that learning curve was on display for the world to see as freshman linebacker Stephen Dix Jr., had as many downs as ups while playing hundreds of snaps last season for the Florida State defense.

That shouldn't have come as a surprise, though.

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Not only was Dix in his first season as a college linebacker, but he didn't even get the opportunity to have a full spring practice, which was the main reason he enrolled early out of Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando

Florida State's spring drills were shut down last March after just three days due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, Dix has gotten three full weeks of spring practice under his belt. As well as an entire actual season.

"We had two days in helmets last year and one day in pads," Dix Jr. said about the 2020 spring practice. "Now, I'm actually going through a full spring. We're already coming on the end of it. I think it's a pretty huge jump. ... I'm just going out there, competing and playing football. I'm getting better at it and getting more comfortable."

Dix was essentially forced to play last season because of the Seminoles' lack of depth at linebacker.

He wound up playing in all nine games for FSU, and he started the final five. He finished with 45 tackles, which ranked as the third most on the team.

Dix also finished with a whole lot of growing pains, as he and the rest of the Seminole defense struggled mightily at times to get stops and keep opponents out of the end zone.