The Florida State football team's offense didn't lose much from its 2021 roster.

In fact, every meaningful starter from the last month of the season is back for the Seminoles in 2022. Except for one.

But it's a big one.

Jashaun Corbin was one of the best running backs in the conference a season ago and is a potential NFL Draft pick in a couple months. The Texas A&M transfer finished 2021 with 887 yards and seven rushing touchdowns; he also caught 25 passes for 144 yards and one more score.

The Florida State coaches will have to replace that production if the offense has any chance of building on the growth it made a season ago in Mike Norvell's second year at the helm.

Note: We will be previewing every position group leading up to the start of FSU spring practice on March 5. The annual Garnet & Gold Game is set for April 9.

Earlier position previews: Wide receiver |

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Corbin is a big loss. There's no getting around that. But that doesn't mean he's irreplaceable.

There are two current running backs on the roster who have proven they can play at this level, one of whom might be an all-conference-caliber back himself if he gets enough opportunities and can stay healthy.

Treshaun Ward burst onto the scene last year as Corbin's backup and finished with 515 yards rushing on 81 attempts. His 6.4 yards-per-carry average was actually higher than Corbin's. He also caught 21 passes for 185 yards and another score.

Sophomore Lawrance Toafili is also back and could be poised for a breakout year. After a promising freshman campaign, Toafili struggled at the start the 2021 season and was seemingly buried on the depth chart. But he slowly worked his way back into the mix, highlighted by a sensational 75-yard TD catch-and-run at Clemson. He finished with 279 total yards from scrimmage a season ago.

What we need to learn this spring

Can the new guys make an impact?

We expect Ward to be the starter and Toafili, if healthy, should be a major part of the game plan as well. The question now becomes how good is the depth of this unit? How much talent is behind the two known (or almost known) commodities in the backfield.

At 215 pounds, Auburn transfer D.J. Williams is a different body type than either Ward or Toafili, but he barely got on the field a season ago -- finishing with just 10 rushes for 47 yards. Can he crack the rotation and be a dependable, productive back in Norvell's offense?

And how healthy is Oregon transfer Trey Benson after missing most of last season following a knee injury?

Main Attraction

This is Treshaun Ward without a doubt.

Though he was a backup to Corbin in 2021, there were moments where he looked like the best player on the Florida State offense. He had a number of key runs throughout the season, and his violent, tackle-breaking style was a key weapon in the wins the Seminoles had a year ago.

The former walk-on was so impressive in practices back in 2020 that the coaches didn't push hard to go sign a high school running back because they knew Ward could be a difference-maker the following season. And he proved them prophetic with a breakout season.

Ward would have been one of the national leaders in yards-per-carry if he had enough attempts a year ago. And with a year under his belt, he could and should be one of the top backs in the ACC.

Wild Card

Trey Benson. He is the wildest of wild cards. Because there is very little tape on him at all from his college career at Oregon. He had just six carries for the Ducks in the two years he was in Eugene.

But he has some serious tools. He is 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and in high school was one of the top sprinters in all of Mississippi, clocking a 100-meter time under 11 seconds during his time at St. Joseph Catholic School in Greenville.

That size and that speed is an intriguing combination. And if he can put it together, he might just be a real weapon in the Seminoles' backfield in 2022. But two years removed from any real football, it's hard to know how well he will do.

The Tribal Council has spoken

To go with each spring position preview, we are posing a poll question to Warchant subscribers on the Tribal Council to get their perspective.

For the running backs, we asked which option will be the starting running back for the 'Noles to open the 2022 season.

Treshaun Ward got 51 percent of the vote. Trey Benson got 11.3 percent, Lawrance Toafili got 5.3 percent and the option of "true committee" got 32.3 percent of the vote.

And here are a couple of the Tribal Council's comments:

"I think Treyshawn Ward has been a pleasant surprise so far. Not sure if he is big enough for the pounding if he gets a bigger load of carries. But then again FSU has had a history of success with smaller rbs such as Dexter Carter, Warrick Dunn, Thompson and Freeman." -- jaap

"We'll miss Corbin, but I think T Ward steps it up this year and sees the opportunity to be next great back at FSU. Excited to see what Benson can do. If Toafili takes the leap to the next level, it could be a very productive RB unit."-- madamcz

For additional comments from this lively discussion, see the poll thread right here.

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