Okay, so Florida State’s defense has been… well, it’s been pretty rough to start this season. We’re talking 730 total passing yards given up in just two games. Yeah, you read that right.
The Numbers Don’t Lie, But There’s a Silver Lining?
I mean, it’s brutal out there. The season opener against New Mexico State saw them cough up 17 points and nearly 300 passing yards. And then last week against SMU? Forget about it. They straight up lost the game, allowing a whopping 430 passing yards. Woof. That’s a lot of real estate to surrender.
DC Tony White is back after a 2025 season with “mixed results,” which is a polite way of putting it, I guess. Last year, the Seminoles totally rebuilt their defense after giving up an “atrocious 28 points per game” the year before. They fired Adam Fuller and brought White in from Nebraska, and this guy was supposed to be a game-changer. Multiple Recruiter of the Year awards, a couple of Broyles Award nominations at both Nebraska and Syracuse. So what’s going on here? The only bright spot so far has been three interceptions through these first two matchups. It’s not *all* bad, I guess.
The Blitz Is On, But Who’s Making the Plays?
White’s known for his 3-3-5 stack defense, right? The whole idea is to blitz a LOT, coming from “every angle possible” to keep the offensive line guessing. Formations are supposed to be super versatile, but confused O-lines don’t mean much if the ball keeps flying over your head.
They brought in some new blood and kept some key vets though. Defensive tackle Mandrell Desir, who was a Freshman All-American and led the team with 6.5 sacks last year, is back. His twin brother, Darryll, is starting on the line too, which is cool to see. At linebacker, Ryan Kennedy transferred in from Texas A&M; he was a multi-year rotational pass rusher with 3.5 sacks for the Aggies. And Chris Jones, a 1st team All-Sun Belt guy from Southern Miss with 134 tackles and 9.5 sacks, is holding down the middle linebacker spot. They did lose Earl Little Jr. to Ohio State, which is a bummer. But veterans Ashlynd Barker (safety, multiyear starter) and Ja’Bril Rawls (cornerback, 7 starts last year, broke up a pass against Alabama) are still around. Plus, they snagged CJ Richard, an FCS Freshman All-American, looking to prove himself at this level.
All eyes are on this defense with Alabama’s Keelon Russell coming to town. If there was ever a “get right” game for a quarterback, this looks like it could be it for Russell. FSU needs to figure it out, and fast, or it’s gonna be a long season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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