Odell Haggins has been part of more than 30 preseason camps with the Florida State football program, as a player and assistant coach.
It's been awhile since he has felt this good as the Seminoles wrap up their second week of practice.
From a physical standpoint, Haggins is able to get around the FSU practice fields much better after undergoing knee replacement surgery following the 2019 season.
The veteran defensive tackles coach, who twice in recent years has served as the Seminoles' interim head coach, no longer experiences the excruciating pain that caused him to walk with a pronounced limp.
"This is the best I've felt in 12 years -- on and off that football field," Haggins said after practice on Wednesday. "It's a blessing. The knee is doing quite well. It feels great, I'll tell you that."
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But Haggins' positive outlook is not only related to his physical well-being. He also is extremely excited about the potential of his defensive tackles group, which is expected to be among the best in the country, and the way that group is being used in the schemes of first-year defensive coordinator Adam Fuller.
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Senior Marvin Wilson is a preseason All-American, and he will be joined by redshirt junior Cory Durden, junior Robert Cooper and four others who are expected to factor into the rotation -- Mississippi State transfer Fabien Lovett, Louisville transfer Jarrett Jackson, sophomore Tru Thompson and redshirt freshman Malcolm Ray.
Sophomore Dennis Briggs Jr. would have made the group even deeper, but he decided to "opt out" of the 2020 season due to concerns about the coronavirus.
While Haggins' segment returns most of its top players from last season and a few newcomers, there's a very good chance it will see much greater production.
Under former head coach Willie Taggart, the Seminoles switched to more of a read-and-react defensive system in 2019, which often forced the defensive linemen to pause before rushing upfield to disrupt plays. And it was no secret that some of the players were frustrated because they felt that it limited their ability to take advantage of their strength and quickness.
That is not the plan under Fuller and head coach Mike Norvell.