Florida State redshirt sophomore quarterback Deondre Francois will reportedly miss the rest of the 2017 season after sustaining a patella tendon injury in the team's 24-7 loss to Alabama on Saturday.
The Tallahassee Democrat first reported the news early Sunday evening. A university spokesman told Warchant that Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher will address Francois' injury and his status during his Monday afternoon press conference.
"Oh, I'm definitely concerned because that's your starting quarterback and the kind of player he is and what he has," Fisher said after the game. "But we'll get the guys behind him and we'll rep those guys and play and we'll go on. Again, we have great people around him and do the things we've got to do."
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Francois picked up the injury in the fourth quarter when Alabama safety Ronnie Harrison made a shoestring sack. Francois fell to the ground, clutched his left knee and immediately received attention from FSU's athletic training staff.
After leaving the team's medical privacy tent, Francois emerged with cast on the knee and was immediately carted off for further tests. The Seminoles then turned to true freshman quarterback James Blackman in his absence.
Fisher told reporters after the game, Blackman would likely be the team's starting quarterback going forward. If Fisher elects to go with Blackman, he'll become the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Florida State during the Fisher era.
Blackman, along with redshirt junior J.J. Cosentino, were listed as the No. 2 option behind Francois on FSU's projected depth chart prior to the Alabama game. Blackman, Cosentino and true freshman Bailey Hockman are the team's only scholarship quarterbacks.
FSU also has a walk-on in Jake Rizzo. The redshirt freshman guided national power St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to a Class 7A state title as a high school senior in 2014.
Down 3-0, the Seminoles took a 7-3 lead when Francois threw a three-yard fade to junior receiver Auden Tate for a touchdown with 13:41 left in the second quarter.
It was the first and only time the Seminoles would get on the scoreboard as they were held scoreless in the second half. Francois was 19 of 33 for 210 yards and a touchdown but also recorded two interceptions before the injury.
"I don't know until we diagnose it and see," Fisher said after the game. "I'm not a doc -- I don't mean that -- I don't know. I've learned to wait until they see. Unfortunately he's hurt, though."
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