There are nearly 20 transfers on Florida State’s depth chart, with only a small group who have been in the program long enough to have played at Clemson in 2021. And there are only two who can say they have played at Clemson and won.

Jaheim Bell had just two catches for two yards but added nine carries for 29 yards and a touchdown in South Carolina’s 31-30 victory over No. 8 Clemson in November 2022. Bell and defensive end Gilber Edmond, who had five tackles, were part of the Gamecocks’ first win over Clemson since 2013.

Yes, the potential parallels can’t be ignored. FSU hasn’t defeated Clemson since 2014 and hasn’t won at Death Valley since 2013.

“I told those guys when I went there last year it was a very hostile environment,” Bell said. “But you just got to find that in-between point to have emotion and also be able to lock in. I’ve been telling those guys how it is down there. But once you hit them in the mouth a few plays, it will calm down.”

With the exception of Bell and Edmond, the current Seminoles have experienced nothing but misfortune in the series, although FSU led late in the 2021 game on the road and stormed back last year before falling short against the Tigers.

These Seminoles have a chance to flip a script in a rivalry that was one of the nation’s best but has been one-sided the last seven years. FSU has brought a few difference-makers into the rivalry games before, seeing how running backs like Dalvin Cook and Cam Akers can make an impact. And two years ago, it was Jermaine Johnson with the strip sack and touchdown in the fourth quarter that briefly stunned the Clemson crowd.

What FSU has this fall is a number of mismatch options, especially on offense with taller receivers like Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman as well as athletic (and tall) tight ends in Markeston Douglas, Kyle Morlock and Bell. FSU coaches have versatility in what formations and personnel they can use on the field and can just as easily feature three-receivers sets as two-tight-end sets.

“It makes it hard on the opponent, defensive coordinator because he doesn’t really know whether we’re running or passing because we can do both out of the two-tight-end sets,” Bell said. “Both of us can be vertical threats. We can be an impact in the blocking game. I really love that.”

Bell was targeted five times and caught five passes for 76 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s win over Boston College. He didn’t have a reception a week earlier against Southern Miss, but Bell had a 44-yard touchdown catch and run and then tacked on a 4-yard TD run in the opener against LSU.

FSU receivers coach Ron Dugans had told his group going into the 2022 season to celebrate individual and team successes equally. He cautioned that not each receiver would enjoy consistent receptions on a game-by-game basis, but that they would see the reward for their work at the end of each game day. This is the case for the Seminoles again this fall.

“It’s a pretty spread around offense,” Bell said. “There’s a lot of guys that can go at any moment. That’s what I like about it. It’s not just one guy. Everybody on our offense can go, whether it’s from the running back room, the tight end room or the receiver room.”

This is the benefit of FSU’s personnel flexibility. One game it may be a Keon Coleman or a Johnny Wilson. The same can be said for FSU’s tight ends, and there has been a heavy running back rotation. One constant is the mismatch options, and that keeps defenses on their heels.

When Bell gets the ball, though, he has been fun to watch. Bell runs like a running back, but his nearly 240-pound frame isn’t fun for defensive backs to tackle. While he found some openings in BC's defensive backfield last week, it's not lost on observers on a second look that the Eagles didn't exactly exude confidence or willingness in trying to bring down Bell. He also had a long reception down to the BC 1-yard line, even though he said on Wednesday that he has watched it four or five times and feels confident he was in the end zone.

"Jaheim is a problem,” FSU offensive coordinator Alex Atkins said. “He's a matchup problem, he's smart and does multiple things. He's athletic and quick. He has attributes that are almost born to play sport. He's competitive and a tough.

“Everybody is seeing the flash player, but he's learned to blocked on the perimeter and is chasing guys down. We're excited to have him because what we can use outside of the edges and running backs. He's a special football player.”

Bell was a high school running back who kept adding on weight and strength. FSU coaches are just scratching the surface of how to accentuate his skills, whether he lines up in the backfield, as an in-line blocker or out wide. And whether he runs, blocks or catches.

“I take a lot of pride in that because not everybody can do that,” Bell said. “It takes a lot of preparation through the week just to be able to do that and learn all of those different areas. I take a lot of pride in that for sure."

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