As the Florida State football team enters the final third of the 2019 season, the Seminoles (4-4, 3-3 in the ACC) appear to be shortening their rotations at some positions and making dramatic changes at others.
Here's a closer look at all of the defensive players who have seen substantial action for Florida State this season, along with a breakdown of whether or not they are trending in the right direction.
Earlier this week, we broke down the changes on offense.
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ON THE RISE
These players have earned larger roles and/or moved into the starting lineup as the season has progressed:
DE Janarius Robinson, junior -- Has started six of FSU's eight games but has really come on strong in the last month or so. Has graded out over 70 percent (per Pro Football Focus) in four of the Seminoles' last five games.
LB Emmett Rice, junior -- Has been in and out of the starting lineup all season but appears to be playing his best ball of the year. According to the PFF grades, he performed much better in his last two starts than in the two he made back in September.
LB Amari Gainer, redshirt freshman -- Moved into the starting lineup following Josh Kaindoh's season-ending injury and appears to be playing better in recent weeks. According to Pro Football Focus, he has improved in each of the past two games after a rough outing at Clemson -- he actually posted the third-highest grade on the defense vs. Syracuse. It also was his highest grade in four games as a starter.
S Akeem Dent, freshman -- After seeing limited action in the first three weeks, has become a key contributor in the secondary. Started the last two games with Cyrus Fagan being sidelined by injury, and he has played at least 75 snaps in two of last three contests.
S/LB Brendan Gant, freshman -- Played sparingly in the first half of the season but has really come on in recent weeks, following the injury to linebacker Jaiden Lars-Woodbey. Is averaging 40 snaps per game over the last three games.
LB Jaleel McRae, freshman -- After seeing limited action in the first few weeks, has become an integral member of the linebacker rotation over last month. Played at least 30 snaps in two of last three games. His PFF grades have fluctuated a good bit from week to week, perhaps reflecting the inconsistency that comes with being a true freshman.
DE Dennis Briggs, redshirt freshman -- Played only about a dozen snaps on defense in each of the second, third and fourth games of the season, but has since become a much bigger part of the Seminoles' game plan. Is averaging 42.5 plays over the last four games.
CB Renardo Green, freshman -- His playing time has fluctuated a good bit from week to week, but he saw his most extensive action of the season against Syracuse (48 plays) and turned in one of his highest grades. According to PFF, the true freshman had the second-highest mark of all cornerbacks in the game, behind only junior Stanford Samuels III.
DE Derrick McLendon, freshman -- After not seeing any action on defense in the first four games, he has claimed a spot in the rotation at defensive end. Played a season-high 15 snaps on defense against Syracuse.
