In an unusual year for the Florida State football team, Dennis Briggs Jr. had one of the most unusual journeys of all.

He opted out before the 2020 preseason due to concerns about COVID-19. Then when he decided to rejoin the Seminoles midway through the year, he was thrust into action for the final five games with very little practice time. And because of injuries on the defensive line, the former defensive end found himself in the main rotation at defensive tackle.

Briggs was not very productive during that stint, recording just six total tackles in five games. But now that he has enjoyed a much more typical offseason, the redshirt sophomore has looked like a different player in preseason practice, routinely making plays behind the line of scrimmage during 11-on-11 drills.

“You know, coming into the season halfway in after I opted out, I really wasn’t in football shape,” Briggs said after Wednesday's practice. “Going through this whole preseason right now, it’s definitely helping me get better. Continue to grow my game. ...

“I just feel better with my body again. Feel better moving laterally, vertical, all that different stuff. That offseason program really helped.”

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Not only is he feeling refreshed physically, but Briggs also feels much more comfortable playing inside at defensive tackle. Which is very good news for the Seminoles, since Briggs will be counted on to be one of the top three or four players in that group.

“That position change was fully on me. I felt I could just help my team out better there,” Briggs said. “Me making that move has helped me grow as a player mentally and physically. Just being able to understand the game at a deeper level than I understood it before.”

Moving from end to tackle wasn't a completely foreign experience. Briggs said he did play inside at times during high school when he was a four-star recruit. But back then he was barely 250 pounds; these days, he checks in at 6-foot-4 and 278 pounds.

Based on the impact plays he is making so far in preseason camp, Briggs has been able to maintain plenty of quickness to go with the added size.

“My confidence has always been there,” Briggs said. “Since freshman year, I have always been confident in my ability and knowing I can make those type of plays, it’s just me finally putting it together, being able to display it on the field. Helping my teammates be better.”

When FSU head coach Mike Norvell was asked about Briggs after practice Wednesday, he didn't hesitate to say the defensive lineman has had, "a really good camp.”

“When Dennis first got here, he was at defensive end, his body has changed and developed,” Norvell said. “He’s been able to move inside, and he is explosive. He is explosive up front.”

***ALSO SEE: More updates from Wednesday's practice

While most people focus on the added strength required to play in the interior of the line, Briggs said there is more to it than that.

“Everything’s a lot quicker inside," he said. "You've gotta be able to react and just adapt to a sudden change. You've got heavier inside guards being a lot heavier than tackles. Just being able to take on double-teams, that type of stuff.”

In less than two weeks of preseason practice, Briggs has made a major impression on teammates and coaches alike.

“Just be ready -- he’s a big piece of this defense," senior defensive end Jermaine Johnson said on Wednesday. "I watch him make plays in practice and think, ‘Why isn’t he being talked about (by media and fans)?' It irritates me. I know how hard he works, let alone the plays he makes. So I think everyone in the ’Nole family is going to be excited this guy is on the field. And he’s going to prove it."

The Seminoles knew all along that Briggs could give the defensive tackle group a pass-rushing presence. What's been a pleasant surprise is how well he is playing the run and holding his ground amongst the big bodies inside.

“The thing I like is not just with the first step, but also how he’s been able to hold the point,” Norvell said. “Taking on double-teams, using technique, using fundamentals. He’s a guy that has a chance to be a really, really good football player for us inside, and we need that.”

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