Fisher challenges freshmen to 'play better' than veterans, push for time

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Six months ago, Jimbo Fisher and his coaching staff celebrated what they'd achieved on National Signing Day. Florida State recruited the fifth-best class in the nation and signed some of the top players at their respective positions.

Move ahead to the start of preseason camp Tuesday. A reporter asked Fisher which freshmen could make an immediate impact.

"I wish I knew that," he said with a laugh. "I have no idea, and I've learned that a long time ago."

The conversation soon shifted to freshman defensive tackle Marvin Wilson. FSU faces an interesting dilemma with its interior linemen, as the Seminoles return starters in redshirt junior Demarcus Christmas and senior Derrick Nnadi. A pair of experienced backup linemen in junior Walvenski Aime and redshirt junior Fredrick Jones are back as well.

Aime, Christmas, Jones and Nnadi were four of the team's 23 players to feature in every game last season. How does Wilson -- one of three five-star prospects the Seminoles signed this year -- get a shot at playing?

"Play better than they do. That's a simple thing. Play better than the guy in front of them," Fisher said. "That's your job to make a play. If those guys are ready, I promise, we'll find ways to put you in the game. You get to this level, it's about one thing: It's about competition.

"You don't expect nothing. Just because you played last year, don't mean you'll play this year."

*ALSO SEE: Observations of Marvin Wilson and the rest of FSU's freshmen from Day 1