As the end of the year approaches, Warchant is taking a look back at Florida State football’s 5-7 season before glancing ahead to 2022.

In this first of two related pieces, we examine five players -- in no particular order -- who stepped up for Mike Norvell and the Seminoles this fall.

Obviously, these aren’t the only five players who brought something to the table this season. But these were five we felt were worthy of being singled out.

Stay tuned next for a look at five ‘Noles who need to develop for the program to improve next season.

Also see the video below featuring me and Ira Schoffel discussing our top players from this group:

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Treshaun Ward, Running Back

2021 Stats: 81 carries, 515 yards; 21 catches, 185 yards; five total touchdowns

One of the best words to describe Ward is “earner,” as that is what the rising redshirt sophomore has been since arriving in Tallahassee. First, Ward went from a walk-on to earning a scholarship. Then the 5-foot-10 Plant City-native earned serious snaps in the running back room, taking on-field action from the likes of Lawrance Toafili and Auburn transfer D.J. Williams.

Barring unforeseen breakouts in spring or fall camp, Ward could be the Seminoles' featured back in 2022. If it comes down to earning those reps all over again, don’t count him out.

Darius Washington, Offensive Tackle

2021 Stats: 12 games played, 805 total snaps, 69.5 pass-block grade (Pro Football Focus), 61.2 run-block grade (PFF)

When Robert Scott drew reps as the first-team left tackle for pretty much the entirety of preseason practices, it caught the eyes of curious observers. Since Washington had more experience on the left side, did this mean Washington had regressed?

By the end of the season, Washington was the segment leader in snaps with 805 and the better option at tackle (Robert Scott, to his credit, played through injuries). The rising redshirt sophomore Washington turned in very strong pass-blocking performances (over an 80.0 PFF grade) against Notre Dame, Jacksonville State, Clemson and North Carolina State before a forgettable finale at Florida.

Jammie Robinson, Safety/Defensive Back

2021 Stats: 85 tackles (42 solo), 7.0 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, four interceptions

Though it’s not a great sign for a defense when a safety leads the team in tackles, there is no doubt that Robinson -- a South Carolina transfer -- made the 2021 Seminoles better. The 5-foot-11 defensive back found a home at safety and would routinely make his presence felt with physicality.

Robinson tallied an interception in three of the Seminoles’ final four games, including one in each in-state rivalry game. Though a return for the 2022 season is not entirely certain at the time of this article, it was noticeable when No. 10 was not out there for FSU this fall.

Kalen DeLoach, Linebacker

2021 Stats: 69 tackles (38 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, interception

DeLoach was talked about as a 2021 contributor as early as spring camp when defensive coordinator Adam Fuller heaped praise on the 6-foot-1 Savannah, Ga., native. By the second week of fall practice, DeLoach emerged as one of the strongest answers for Florida State at linebacker. DeLoach turned in eight tackles in the season opener against Notre Dame, which tied for his season high with the Seminoles’ final game at Florida.

At season’s end, DeLoach showed concrete signs of understanding and development at his position. The rising redshirt junior turned in an all-around effort against Boston College and made a cerebral play for an interception in Gainesville. DeLoach will need to take another step forward to help solve FSU’s issues at the position.

Omarion Cooper, Defensive Back

2021 Stats: 16 tackles (10 solo), six pass deflections, two interceptions

When Omarion Cooper intercepted his first collegiate pass at Clemson, many in the FSU fan base probably asked, “Who was that?” By the end of the season, the freshman from Lehigh Acres was looked upon as one of the answers in the defensive backfield moving forward.

Per Pro Football Focus, Cooper turned in some of FSU’s best coverage performances of the season -- and that’s despite not being a full-time player until the Miami game in November. Per PFF, in the 16 targets Cooper saw in 2021, he allowed just five catches for 62 yards.

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