After taking a week off for spring break, the Florida State football team will resume spring practices on Tuesday.
Before that break, FSU went through four practices, and the media were allowed to watch just about every minute. With more than a quarter of the spring in the books, several members of the Warchant staff teamed up for a Roundtable discussion about what we've seen from the defense so far.
As with the Offense Roundtable from last week, the topics covered include reasons for optimism and concern, as well as impressive newcomers and returning players.
This panel features Warchant founder and administrator Gene Williams, managing editor Ira Schoffel, senior writer Corey Clark, director of digital media Aslan Hajivandi, and director of original content Tom Lang.
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Q: What have you seen from the defense so far that has you more optimistic than you might have been coming into the spring?
GENE: I’ll start by pointing out that it’s difficult to judge the defense after just four practices. That said, the early returns have been positive. While it’s unfair to compare transfer defensive end Jared Verse to likely first-rounder Jermaine Johnson, he has lived up to expectations so far. But the most encouraging sign has been the number of viable players that are standing out in the defensive backfield. The emergence of freshman Azareye'h Thomas (see my response to the final question) and transfer Greedy Vance, as well as established players Kevin Knowles, Jammie Robinson, Akeem Dent and Omarion Cooper, is a very encouraging sign for the secondary.
TOM: The edge rushers. And before you chuck things at me, let me explain. I walked onto those practice fields two weeks ago with fundamental concerns for the position. Jared Verse looks the part, I thought, but his learning curve has to be steep. And who else on this roster is really capable of getting after the passer with consistency?
Well, after watching Derrick McLendon for a week, along with flashes from Verse and some of the others, I am seeing a distinct foundation for the pass rush. I'm not saying it will be as good as last year -- that is a foolish assumption -- but they don't look like the disaster I feared we'd see.
ASLAN: I don’t know if anything short of Jared Verse just blowing past defenders every rep could change my mind on what I think the defense will be capable of in 2022. However, how about the continued development of Omarion Cooper? Cooper missed preseason camp last summer, yet by the second half of the season he was winning all-conference weekly awards. He’s not showing any signs of slowing down, either. Granted, Asante Samuel alone wasn’t enough to redeem an entire defense two years ago, but the cornerbacks seem to be in a much better place as a whole.
IRA: With the addition of Tatum Bethune at linebacker, this defense could actually be improved this season where it matters most -- up the middle. The defensive tackle position is loaded with talent and experience, the linebackers are much more stout now with Bethune on board, and the safety position became solid late last season once they settled in with Jammie Robinson and Akeem Dent. I know pass-rushers and cornerbacks get all the glory, but if your defense isn't stout up the middle, you're usually going to be in trouble. And I really think teams are gonna have a tougher time doing damage against FSU between the hashes in 2022.
COREY: Derrick McLendon has been a pleasant surprise so far. I think I'm over being convinced that he just looks faster because he's wearing a single-digit jersey now (No. 9). I think he truly does have an extra burst, more twitchiness than we've seen out of him so far in his career. If he can be better than he was, turn himself into a productive player, then all of the sudden the defensive end position doesn't look like it's going to take a giant leap back from last year. With Jared Verse, Dennis Briggs and maybe one of the freshmen getting into the mix, the position is still going to be less productive than it was a season ago -- that's obvious when you lose the likes of Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas -- but it might not be the hole that we thought it was going to be. Still, I might look into the portal if a big-time defensive end hits the market.
Q: What would you say is your biggest remaining concern about the defense?
TOM: This will sound contradictory to what Ira just said, but I'm still concerned with coverage over the middle of the field. Even with improved play from the linebackers late last year, there still was a lot to be desired with how that position covers the pass. Hopefully, a combination of Tatum Bethune's arrival and more development will be the answer, but linebacker coverage will be a "believe it when I see it" topic for the fall.
IRA: Contradict away, Mr. Lang! That's a fair concern, but I do believe there will be improvement in that area. My bigger concern is the pass rush from the ends. There's a chance if everything goes right, that group could be fine. But there are a lot of ifs.
If Verse can handle facing MUCH better offensive tackles at this level. If Briggs has his burst back after losing some weight and moving back outside. If young guys like Derrick McLendon, Quashon Fuller and Patrick Payton can take a big step forward with their consistency. If a veteran like Leonard Warner can be productive. Like I said, there's a chance the Seminoles get lucky with many or all of those scenarios, and we see little dropoff from a year ago. But there's also a chance that few come through, because there are not really any sure things.
GENE: Even though I’m sold on Verse, it’s inevitable that the pass rush is going to take a step back without Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas in the lineup. Florida State racked up 33 sacks last season, up from 10 in 2020, but the defense was still below average for most of the season. Fielding a stout defense without these two elite ends has to be concerning for co-coordinators Adam Fuller and Randy Shannon. If the ends turn out to be serviceable, and the rest of the defense takes a step forward, it’s possible the defense could be as good or even better in 2022. But if not, some coaches might be on the hot seat after this season.
ASLAN: Pass rush is clearly it, and you guys explained it well, but for the sake of discussion, what about safety? Jammie Robinson is a dog (in a good way), but are we sold on Akeem Dent or Jarques McClellion opposite of him? Both of those guys are converted cornerbacks who seem to miss big when making a mistake. I think Shyheim Brown still needs time, and Sidney Williams was shut down the second half of last season, so who knows how that’ll affect his development?
COREY: The depth up front. I think FSU has five or six guys to form a solid rotation across the line of scrimmage, but what happens if Fabien Lovett or Robert Cooper gets banged up? Who is going to be the third or fourth defensive tackle to not only just provide depth, but quality depth? Maybe Joshua Farmer? He certainly looks the part. Malcolm Ray and Jarrett Jackson have been on the cusp of breaking out as well, but we can't call them sure things. I think the front-line guys are quality, but some of these backups need to take a step and become productive players. Otherwise an injury or two could turn an adequate defense into a bad one.
Q: Has anything surprised you about the transfers on this side of the ball?
ASLAN: Much like our first question, this will be a fun one to revisit after spring since it feels like most everything is playing out how we thought so far. You get 85 scholarships to work with, and everyone always takes a few gambles. How anyone in Big Ten country did not catch wind of Jared Verse when he was in high school and think, "Hey, why not, we can probably build him up?" is crazy. But I digress. I’ll go with Tatum Bethune factoring into plans this quickly. I know he’s only here for a brief time, and the guy who recruited him out of high school (Randy Shannon) is now his position coach, so it was probably only a matter of time before he was in the main mix. But one week in, and there he is.
IRA: Yeah, I'd have to go with Bethune as a pleasant surprise. We knew from the numbers at UCF that he had to be a pretty solid player, but I personally think he's been better than advertised. He seems to have very good instincts, and he arrives with authority. A lot of times it's difficult to quantify what makes someone a good linebacker. Old-time coaches would say, "It's the guy who's always at the bottom of the pile." I have a feeling Bethune is one of those guys.
GENE: Again, it’s super early, but from what I’ve seen Verse, Tatum Bethune and Greedy Vance all appear to be as good as advertised. That said, I’d like to wait until we get in a scrimmage or two to see how they really perform in a game-like setting before making any predictions.
TOM: If I had to offer something, I'd say that Jared Verse's understanding of leverage and his discipline are very impressive. High marks to his previous staff for instilling fundamentals in Verse's game. But nothing really stands out from this group as a big surprise.
COREY: Greedy Vance is a guy I wasn't even thinking about when spring practice started. I wanted to see Verse. I wanted to see Tatum Bethune. I wanted to see all the receivers. But Vance was the one transfer that I essentially blocked out of my mind for some reason -- maybe because of all the experience FSU has returning in the secondary anyway. But Vance has had some highlights so far. He's not the biggest kid in the world, but he definitely has some ability. And he plays with a real passion. He's gotten beat. Everyone does. But when he makes a play, he lets everyone know about it. He seems like an Alpha. Or at least has the makings of being one. I think Jammie Robinson is definitely the leader of that group, but adding Vance to the mix might be a bigger deal than I initially thought.
Q: Name one returning player on defense that you're more intrigued by than you might have expected coming into the spring.
GENE: FSU's coaches must be extremely pleased with Derrick McLendon’s progress. The redshirt sophomore showed flashes last season but was too inconsistent to be counted on as a full-time starter. However, this spring he looks quicker and more focused. It’s fair to say that Verse has a good chance to be an above-average Power 5 defensive end, but offenses can scheme around teams with just one viable defensive end. If McLendon or Dennis Briggs can be at least competent on the other side of Verse, it could do wonders for the defense.
TOM: Since I mentioned McLendon already and Gene just did again, let's go with defensive tackle Malcom Ray. I have been very impressed with Ray's consistency, leverage and quickness through all four practices. If he continues showing out for spring camp like he did the first week, the 'Noles have themselves another difference-maker (and true depth) up the middle.
ASLAN: I’ll make more of an effort to keep tabs on him during the next few weeks, but Leonard Warner is a guy the staff has said they feel good about. Remember, he put his name into the portal heading into 2021, stuck around, got injured and donned a green polo during games as a quasi-assistant -- and looked to be the good soldier biding his time before getting his degree and moving on. But here we are, his sixth season, and a guy they see something that can be utilized.
IRA: I'll go with Jarques McClellion. When he transferred from Arkansas and quickly got moved from cornerback to safety, I figured that might have been a sign they just missed with that one. He certainly didn't inspire a ton of confidence in some of the appearances he made last season. But it probably wasn't fair to expect a seamless transition from one position to another -- on top of switching schools. And early this spring, he seems much more comfortable in the Seminoles' secondary. He also is a guy who always seems to have a great attitude, which is key for development. It's a pretty crowded secondary, but I think McClellion might find a role.
COREY: I already used McLendon for the first answer, so I'm going to go with Omarion "Duke" Cooper for this one. I know we all saw what he did the last half of last season. When he was inserted into the rotation, the secondary immediately got better. A freshman making that kind of impact should have been more telling to me than it was at the time. But now, at least through the first week of spring, Cooper looks like a guy that could be an all-conference type player before his career is over. He's been the best corner on the team. And he's making a point, in one-on-one drills, to go up against the best receivers on the team. He's just been very, very impressive. And he should be a starter here for at least the next two years.
Q: Pick one or two freshmen that you're most excited about -- either for this season or down the road.
TOM: The fellas know this one: Azareye'h Thomas. I was all-in on that skillset after our Tour of Duty observations. Thomas lined up with Sam McCall for agility drills, and though he was a bit lankier, he kept up with McCall's speed with ease. The way Thomas moves around the field is more of a glide than anything else. Things haven't always been easy -- later in week one of camp, he was treated to a lesson or two by receivers in one-on-one coverage drills. But this is the type of clay that FSU should be molding more often. Great job by Mike Norvell and position coach Marcus Woodson to stay on Thomas until the end of the recruiting process.
GENE: Standing with Tom here. It’s hard not to notice Azareye’h Thomas. With so much depth in the secondary, I didn’t envision a true freshman making a case for significant playing time. However, based on his instincts, athleticism and physicality, Thomas has made a strong case to become a mainstay in FSU’s defensive backfield this fall. It’s also worth mentioning linebacker Omar Graham, Jr. He has stood out at times so far this spring. Considering the lack of depth at linebacker, I could see him working into the rotation.
ASLAN: Bishop Thomas. Give him some time, but he appears to have that sort of natural quickness and slippery ability that’ll maintain even as his puts on weight and increases his mass.
IRA: Yeah, I'll take the long-term view with Aslan and look at those young defensive linemen: Bishop Thomas, Daniel Lyons, Aaron Hester and Dante Anderson. I'm not sure any of them will make an impact in 2022, but there's a lot to work with there. You have some guys who you could see developing into big-time college -- and maybe even NFL -- defensive linemen. Great frames and motors in that group. Combined with the freshmen they brought in last year, the future is bright for FSU's defensive line.
COREY: I'm also going with Azareye'h Thomas. That dude looks like he might be something really special. His ball skills, just how natural and smooth he is as an athlete. His aggressiveness. He could be the total package. Again, we're a long way from reaching his potential, and I legitimately don't expect him to play a ton this season unless the secondary gets beset by injuries, but he just looks different. He looks like he might be the real deal. Like NFL potential. Again, this is after one week. And he's still supposed to be in high school. So, we have no idea how he'll actually develop. I just know, from watching him for four days, he has a chance to be really, really good. We'll see how it plays out.
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Talk about this story with other Florida State football fans in the Tribal Council