Photo courtesy of Florida State athletics
Florida State offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins has worked tirelessly to completely rebuild the offensive line position group. This offseason, Atkins was a busy man.
The Seminoles brought in 10 new faces along the offensive line via recruiting and the transfer portal. Our position preview series continues with the FSU offensive line:
Offensive Linemen on the Roster:
Kayden Lyles, RS Sr.
D’Mitri Emmanuel, RS Sr.
Dillan Gibbons, RS Sr.
Jazston Turnetine, RS Sr.
Bless Harris, RS Jr.
Robert Scott Jr., RS Soph.
Maurice Smith, RS Soph.
Zane Herring, RS Soph.
Thomas Shrader, RS Soph.
Lloyd Willis, RS Soph.
Darius Washington, RS Soph.
David Stickle, RS Soph. (walk-on)
Ben Ostaszewski, RS Soph. (walk-on)
Bryson Estes, RS Fr.
Rod Orr, RS Fr.
Qae’shon Sapp, Fr.
Kanaya Charlton, Fr.
Julian Armella, Fr.
Jaylen Early, Fr.
Daughtry Richardson, Fr.
Antavious Woody, Fr.
Colin King, Fr. (walk-on)
LaNard Toney, Fr. (walk-on)
Analysis
A rarity in years past, FSU should have plenty of depth along the offensive line. The Seminoles now have an impressive 19 scholarship offensive linemen on the roster. Last season, head coach Mike Norvell expressed the importance of having quality depth at one of the sport’s most physical positions.
As it stands right now, the Seminoles have eight offensive linemen that will most definitely make their way into the rotation: Dillan Gibbons, Robert Scott Jr., Kayden Lyles, Maurice Smith, Darius Washington, Bless Harris, D’Mitri Emmanuel and Jazston Turnetine. Thomas Shrader, Zane Herring, Rod Orr, Bryston Estes and Lloyd Willis are among the less experienced players vying for a spot in the rotation.
Internal competition is always a good thing and having young players battle for spots could help the Seminoles tremendously in the long run. This position group could be the best that FSU has had in a long time.
