Over the coming weeks, we'll be examining each position on the Florida State football team -- evaluating what went right and wrong in 2017, and looking at what's in store for the Seminoles under a new coaching staff in 2018.
Next up is FSU's defensive end position, which boasts top-end talent but could be precariously thin in terms of depth.
Previous installments: Linebackers | Defensive backs |
State of the Program: Defensive ends
2017 SUMMARY
The expectations were sky high for Florida State's starting defensive ends entering the 2017 season. Despite losing sack leader DeMarcus Walker from the year before, the Seminoles were bringing back super-talented sophomore Brian Burns -- who recorded 9.5 sacks as a freshman in 2016 -- and veteran starter Josh Sweat on the other side.
Sweat had generated 7.0 sacks as a sophomore while playing through injuries, so many believed he would be primed for a big junior year if healthy. Sweat started all 12 regular-season games and avoided any major ailments, but the big year never materialized. He finished his junior campaign with 5.5 sacks, which ranked best on the team, and he turned in a solid 56 tackles overall. But his big-play production was far below what fans expected when he signed with the Seminoles three years earlier.
Burns also struggled to live up to the hype following his Freshman All-American season. He finished the year strong, racking up 1.5 sacks against rival Florida and 4.0 tackles for loss over the last three games, but he was quieter than expected for much of the year.
HIGHLIGHT OF 2017
After a mostly disappointing season, FSU's defensive ends played perhaps their best game against rival Florida in Gainesville. The Seminoles dominated the Gators up front, recording 5.0 sacks as a team; Burns had 1.5 and Sweat had 1.0. Burns also finished fourth on the team with five tackles, and Sweat was just behind with four.
Burns recorded two pass deflections and a forced fumble, while Sweat was credited with two quarterback hurries. Backup defensive ends Joshua Kaindoh and Jalen Wilkerson also got in on the act, registering tackles for loss and quarterback hurries.
