5 FSU football players to watch against Georgia in the Orange Bowl
DANIA BEACH — Florida State’s rash of opt-outs, injuries and transfer portal departures has deprived the No. 4 Seminoles of 360 career starts for Saturday’s Orange Bowl.
Defensive lineman Braden Fiske preferred to think of this not as a challenge but as an opportunity for others to step into larger roles.
With that in mind, here are five Seminoles worth paying extra attention to against Georgia:
Quarterback Brock Glenn
This is obvious but true. The true freshman missed much of the season as he recovered from an injury to his left (non-throwing) hand, then went 8-of-21 in his first career start in the ACC championship against Louisville. The Seminoles have pursued transfers Cam Ward (from Washington State) and DJ Uiagalelei (Oregon State/Clemson), so the quarterback room likely will have at least one more game-ready competitor by the fall. But this will be another indication of whether Glenn looks like FSU’s quarterback of the future (short-term or long-term).
Receiver Hykeem Williams
He was FSU’s top signee and its lone five-star recruit in the 2023 class. Williams scored his only touchdown so far on a 44-yard catch against Syracuse and didn’t need to do much more with Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman starring. With both gone, Williams will be among the receivers with more opportunities. I’m curious to see what he does with them.
Defensive lineman Darrell Jackson
He has been ineligible this season after transferring from Miami and Maryland. That changes Saturday. “People are going to be pleasantly surprised with the impacts he’s able to make,” Fiske said. Jackson started 13 games before joining the Seminoles and is expected to be a valuable member of next year’s rotation.
Running back Caziah Holmes
He hasn’t played much behind Trey Benson and Lawrance Toafili but has shown flashes of being a high-end player. His 156 rushing yards are the most of any player still on the two-deep. Can he crack a Georgia defense that has traditionally been one of the best in the nation?
Defensive end Patrick Payton
Payton started every game and had a team-high 13 ½ tackles for loss, so he’s admittedly an odd addition on this list. But he put up those numbers playing opposite likely first-round pick Jared Verse, who won’t be on the field Saturday. That means Georgia can spend more attention trying to stop Payton. We’ll see how he handles the responsibility of being a central focus of FSU’s defensive line.
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