Warchant Top 40: Our 2020 countdown begins with players 31-40

It’s time to look ahead to the 2020 Florida State football season with Warchant’s annual list of the top 40 players on the Seminoles' roster -- the players we expect to make the biggest impact for FSU in 2020. (Note: This is not necessarily the 40 most talented players, but the players we believe will have the opportunity and capability to make the biggest impact this season.)

The list was compiled through voting by Warchant’s Gene Williams, Ira Schoffel, Corey Clark and Aslan Hajivandi, along with ESPN-Tallahassee’s Jeff Cameron. The Top 40 will be revealed in segments, beginning today with players No. 40 through No. 31.

Please be sure to watch the video below for a full conversation between the panelists and then read the capsules for each player, including expectations for this season.

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With Florida State returning three very good defensive tackles with starting experience — senior Marvin Wilson, junior Cory Durden and junior Robert Cooper — the fact that Thompson makes this list says a lot about his impressive freshman campaign. The 6-foot, 304-pounder appeared in 12 games and earned a start in the Sun Bowl.

On the season, Thompson was credited with 15 tackles, including one sack and another tackle for loss. In his lone start, the Georgia product recorded a season-high four tackles with a quarterback hurry. And like a lot of players on the roster, Thompson appeared to be in much better shape when we saw him in the spring.

With his combination of quickness and power, Thompson likely will factor heavily into the Seminoles’ defensive line rotation this fall.

There aren’t many true freshmen on this list, but Dix makes the cut because of his physical maturity and all of the positive things we heard about him since enrolling in January. Not only is Dix an imposing physical presence at 6-2 and 226 pounds, but he’s received praise for being very conscientious and a quick learner.

After years of less-than-stellar play at linebacker, FSU should have a much-improved unit this season. Because of that, it’s hard to know exactly how much Dix will play in the Seminoles’ base defense. But even if he doesn’t get a ton of playing time there, he likely will be a major factor on special teams. And his overall playing time will likely increase as the season goes on.