Now healthy, CB Meiko Dotson coming on strong for FSU Football

The influx of transfers to the Florida State defense after the 2020 season garnered a lot of attention. And rightfully so.

Jermaine Johnson, Keir Thomas, Jammie Robinson and Jarques McClellion all had productive careers in the Southeastern Conference before committing to the Seminoles.

But there's another defensive transfer on the FSU roster, a cornerback who came the year before, that seemed to be a bit forgotten when preseason camp began back in early August.

Nobody is forgetting about Meiko Doston now.

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After an injury-plagued first year in Tallahassee, the former FAU star is back with the Seminoles for his final season of college football. He's finally healthy, and he's expecting to make a big impact in 2021.

"It's been fun to be back out here doing what I love to do," Doston said after practice on Friday. "And not have to think about being hurt or being injured and just to fly around with the guys. I'm just really enjoying it. I'm happy."

He also has proven he still has some playmaking abilities.

Dotson has turned in multiple interceptions during preseason practice, including one on Saturday in which he came on a corner blitz, deflected a screen pass into the air, caught it and raced 60 yards for a touchdown.

Remember, Dotson led the nation with nine interceptions in 2019, which was his only real full season of college football.

Last year, he played sporadically for the Seminoles as he dealt with injuries.

"It was really frustrating," Dotson said. "The outside world doesn't really see what goes on behind the wall. So, for me, I just wanted to do my part. And then having injuries keep nagging at me, it makes it hard. But you've just got to keep going and be there for the guys.

"It was just frustrating [last year] because I know I can play better and do things, but you can't really show it because of the injuries."

*** More updates from Saturday's practice ***

He certainly seems to be showing it now.

Dotson is in a battle to start at one of the cornerback spots for the Seminoles. But whether he's on the top of the depth chart or not, he figures to get plenty of playing time in the FSU secondary.

The Daytona Beach native says he's also tried to become a leader in the position group.

When he transferred in last year, he thought he was going to get just one season with the Seminoles. Now, he's getting a second. And he says he's learned so much over the last year that he's trying his best to help out the younger players in the secondary.

While still making plays of his own.

"He is definitely a calming presence," FSU head coach Mike Norvell said after Saturday's practice. "A guy that I think has really grown a lot. Even as an older player, he's grown a lot since he first got here. It's fun to see him compete. He loves playing the game. He really embraces the role of being a leader to others.

"You always see him trying to talk to the younger players. And that's something as a coach you love to see. Because a lot of guys don't have to do that. Meiko was a transfer into the program ... but he's definitely invested in the guys and is a true leader of this program."

Burnham joins defensive staff

A familiar name -- and face -- has joined the FSU staff in a support staff role.

Shane Burnham, who originally hails from Tallahassee and whose father, Wally, was an assistant coach under Bobby Bowden for many years, will serve as a defensive analyst. He spent the previous three years as defensive line coach at UCF.

Here is more from his bio from FSU:

Burnham brought more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience to FSU’s staff, including the previous three seasons as defensive line coach at UCF. In his time coaching defensive line at UCF, Burnham helped the Knights to a 28-8 overall record, including the 2018 AAC championship and a berth in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl. In 2019, the Knights led the nation with an average of 9.0 tackles for loss per game and the 2020 squad led the country with 13 fumble recoveries, while the 2018 defense ranked fifth in the nation with an average of 8.2 tackles for loss per game. He oversaw the development of Trysten Hill, a second round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Burnham spent two seasons at Rutgers coaching the defensive line, developing second-round NFL Draft pick Kmoko Turay and sixth-round selection Sebastian Joseph-Day. He was at Iowa State for seven years, where he coached defensive tackles from 2009-14 before tutoring inside linebackers in 2015. He added special teams oversight from 2012-15. While in Ames, he helped the Cyclones collect 74 tackles for loss, including 30 sacks, while ranking third nationally with an average of 17.4 yards per punt return in 2015. In 2013, Iowa State returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same year for the first time since 1963.

At Elon, Burnham mentored the 2008 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year. He was linebackers coach at The Citadel in 2004 and at Richmond for four seasons prior to that.

Burnham was a four-year letterman at South Carolina, earning the team’s leadership award and being voted a team captain his senior season in 1997. He earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from South Carolina in 1998 and was a three-time Academic All-SEC selection.

Burnham is married to the former Meagan Drolet, and the couple has four daughters, Lindsay, Brady, Wyatt and Payton. A Tallahassee native, his dad, Wally, was an assistant coach at FSU under Bobby Bowden from 1985-93.

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