It doesn't come as a major surprise, but it is now official: Redshirt sophomore James Blackman will be the Florida State football team's starting quarterback Aug. 31 against Boise State.

Blackman, who started 12 games two years ago as a true freshman, has beaten out graduate transfer Alex Hornibrook, head coach Willie Taggart announced on Sunday night.

Going into the competition, Blackman was believed to have several advantages in the battle with Hornibrook, a former starter at Wisconsin. Not only did Blackman have a six-month head start to learning Kendal Briles' offense, but he also is beloved by teammates and has a stronger arm.

Taggart and Briles have maintained all along that it has been a close competition, and they were unwilling to set a predetermined date for when a starter would be named -- just that it would be before kickoff against Boise in Jacksonville.

Don't miss out on any of our great Football coverage. Get your 30-day FREE trial

Blackman endured an uneven first season as a starter, completing 58.2 percent of his passes, but he was much sharper in the Seminoles' final two games that year. He also shined in his one start of 2019, throwing for a career-high 421 yards and four touchdowns against N.C. State.

Stay connected with Warchant.com for more coverage of this story.

----------------------------------------------------

Talk about this story with other Florida State football fans in the Tribal Council