Warchant Top 40: Our countdown begins with players No. 31-40
It’s time to look ahead to the upcoming season by breaking down the Warchant Top 40 -- a list of the 40 players we expect to have the biggest impact for the Florida State football team in 2018. (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, which was compiled by Gene Williams, Ira Schoffel and Corey Clark of Warchant.com, and Jeff Cameron of ESPN-Tallahassee, will be revealed in segments. Up first will be players No. 40 through No. 31.
Be sure to watch the video above and read the accompanying text below:
Player No. 40: Junior defensive back Carlos Becker
After appearing in 10 games as a true freshman and earning a solid amount of playing time on defense and special teams, Becker appeared to be poised to assume a much larger role in 2017. Those plans took a hit during the preseason, however, when Becker was sidelined by an ankle injury.
By the time he returned to the field, Becker had a tough time cracking the primary DB rotation and ended up recording seven tackles in nine games. There is no doubting his incredible athletic ability; while working with the FSU track team in the spring of 2017, he made a surprising run to the NCAA Championships and earned All-America honors in the long jump with very little training.
But Becker missed some extremely valuable time on the field this spring after undergoing offseason surgery. He’ll need to have a great preseason camp to avoid being passed by younger defensive backs.
Voting Recap: Gene: Unranked; Ira: Unranked; Corey: No. 39; Jeff: No. 36.
Player No. 38 (tie): Junior linebacker Adonis Thomas
After transferring in from junior college, Thomas saw a moderate amount of action in 2017. He did record a pair of starts, but he played in just five games overall. Of his 12 total tackles, five came against Duke and four came in the Independence Bowl game against Southern Miss. The rest of the season, he had just three stops.
As is the case with most FSU linebackers, it’s difficult to project where Thomas will fit in this fall. Not only do the Seminoles have a new defensive system, a new coordinator and a new linebackers coach, but they also are replacing all three starters. That means it will be a total reset at the position, and it's unclear whether Thomas will be able to earn one of the starting spots. He should factor into the rotation, however.
Voting Recap: Gene: No. 38; Ira: No. 36; Corey: Unranked; Jeff: Unranked
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