25d ago football Edit

FSU releases first depth chart of 2024 season to kick off Georgia Tech week

Curt Weiler • TheOsceola

Senior Writer

Somehow, we're less than a week away from the start of the 2024 Florida State football season.

Just before FSU began its first game week of the year with Mike Norvell's press conference Sunday afternoon, it released its first depth chart of the 2024 season six days out from its Aug. 24 opener vs. Georgia Tech in Dublin.

Here's what FSU's first depth chart of the 2024 season looks like as well as what we can take away from it.

Offense

As expected, there's no real surprise on the top of the two-deep at quarterback. While DJ Uiagalelei was never formally named the starter, it was widely known he was brought here to be a bridge QB from Jordan Travis to the future.

Uiagalelei is indeed listed as the starter while redshirt freshman Brock Glenn is his backup and true freshman Luke Kromenhoek is listed as the third string.

At running back, it's much less certain with so much talent in that room and only so many reps to go around. Roydell Williams and Lawrance Toafili are listed as the two starters. Caziah Holmes and Kam Davis are the two co-backups to Williams in the more traditional running back role while Toafili's backups in the more versatile role are Indiana transfer Jaylin Lucas and Samuel Singleton Jr.

The wide receiver room is similarly wide open with no established standouts returning from the 2023 season. As expected, Alabama transfer Malik Benson is listed as one of the starters after emerging as the most consistent player in the room this offseason.

The other two listed starters at wide receiver are LSU transfer Jalen Brown and Ja'Khi Douglas in what is likely the slot role. Benson's backups are Kentron Poitier or Hykeem Williams in a co-second-string role while Brown's backups at the other outside receiver spot are Deuce Spann and freshman Elijah Moore.

The co-backups behind Douglas in the slot role are Darion Williamson and freshman Lawayne McCoy.

The tight end room appears to have a more straightforward pecking order, especially at the top with redshirt senior Kyle Morlock. He's listed as the starter as expected considering he's the only player in the room who begins the season with a catch in a college football game. Behind Morlock, Brian Courtney and Jackson West are co-backups. Neither of the freshmen who have impressed this offseason are included on the initial depth chart.

On the offensive line, two of the starting spots were obvious: Preseason All-ACC offensive tackle Darius Washington is listed as the starting left tackle and Maurice Smith is the starting center.

Otherwise, things were very much up in the air and likely will be until we saw who is working on the first-team offensive line during pregame warmups ahead of Saturday's game in Ireland. At left guard, Florida transfer Richie Leonard IV is the started with Bryson Estes backing him up while at right guard Keiondre Jones and TJ Ferguson are listed as co-starters. At right tackle, Jeremiah Byers and Robert Scott are co-starters and being backed up by Jaylen Early. Washington is being backed up by redshirt freshman Lucas Simmons while Andre' Otto and Jacob Rizy are listed as Smith's co-backups at center.

The fact that there are no repeating players on the OL two-deep with 12 players listed across the five spots speaks incredibly favorably of the Seminoles' depth up front.

Defense

The starting four on the FSU defensive line was pretty much set in stone at the start of FSU's preseason camp. As everyone expected, Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr. are listed as the starting defensive ends while Darrell Jackson and Joshua Farmer are the starting defensive tackles.

Elsewhere in the edge-rusher rotation, Oregon State transfer SIone Lolohea is listed as Payton's backup while Byron Turner Jr. is listed as Jones' backup.

Behind the two starting defensive tackles, Daniel Lyons and Colorado State transfer Grady Kelly are Jackson's co-backups while KJ Sampson or Tomiwa Durojaiye are backing up Farmer.

At linebacker, redshirt senior DJ Lundy is listed as a starter at one spot with Omar Graham Jr. or Justin Cryer backing him up. At the other spot, Blake Nichelson and Cam Riley are listed as co-starters with DeMarco Ward backing them up.

In the secondary, there's no real drama about who will start at the outside cornerback spots. Azareye'h Thomas and Fentrell Cypress II are listed as the starters as it was widely known they would be. Quindarrius Jones and Cai Bates are Cypress' backups while Edwin Joseph or Charles Lester III are backing up Thomas.

Earl Little Jr. and Kevin Knowles are listed as co-starters at nickel and both are likely to contribute in the rotation there. Ja'Bril Rawls is the third-string behind these two at nickel.

At safety, preseason standout and veteran of the room Shyheim Brown is again listed as the starter at buck, as he was in 2023. K.J. Kirkland is his backup. At the free safety spot, Miami/UCF transfer Davonte Brown and sophomore Conrad Hussey are co-starters.

Special Teams

No surprises with the specialists. Redshirt senior Ryan Fitzgerald is listed as the starting kicker while redshirt senior Alex Mastromanno is the starting punter.

There's a bit more intrigue about the returner spots, though. Jaylin Lucas and Roydell Williams are listed as the two starting kick returners with Deuce Spann and Caziah Holmes backing them up.

Malik Benson, Lucas and Lawayne McCoy are listed as the three co-starters at punt returner.