The numbers speak for themselves.

In 12 games last season at UCF, Tatum Bethune racked up 108 tackles -- that's an average of 9.0 per game.

Florida State's defense hasn't had a linebacker put up numbers even close to that since 2014, when Reggie Northrup racked up 122 tackles in 14 games. And even that wasn't quite nine stops per game.

To find the last Seminole who reached that level of production, one would have to go back two full decades to the 2002 season, when Kendyll Pope averaged 9.4 tackles per contest.

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So even before Bethune stepped foot on the Florida State practice fields this spring, the UCF transfer's new teammates had an appreciation for what he might be able to bring to their defense in 2022. And now that they have seen him in action on Saturday and Monday, they might be even more excited.

Despite being an intimidating physical presence at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, Bethune has displayed exceptional quickness and instincts when it comes to diagnosing plays and getting to the ball-carrier.

"I like watching Tatum," FSU head coach Mike Norvell said after practice Monday. "He is an accelerator. ... He's a powerful player. But when he sees the ball, or he's got to get to a place in coverage, he just accelerates to it. He's got a great knack for what he sees, being able to decipher information quickly."

Florida State wasn't necessarily desperate to find help at linebacker this offseason, with all three starters returning from a year ago. But once Bethune entered the transfer portal, coming to Tallahassee seemed like a natural fit.

He was originally recruited to UCF by former Knights defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, who now is the Seminoles' co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Plus he also knew several players on the FSU roster from South Florida, going back to his days as a standout at Miami Central High.

One player he didn't know before coming to Florida State is a guy he could be lining up next to an awful lot this coming season -- redshirt junior Kalen DeLoach. In his first season as a starting linebacker in 2021, DeLoach finished third on the team with 69 tackles.

To take his game to another level, DeLoach has been putting in extra time in the film room. And Bethune has been right there with him.