Florida State football head coach Mike Norvell and his staff are going to be making decisions on playing time for freshmen for the rest of the season.
When playing no more than four games in a season, college football players can preserve a year of eligibility with a redshirt. Generally, that applies to freshmen, as they can earn an extra year of eligibility and learn at the college level.
The No. 4 Seminoles (5-0, 3-0 ACC) are five games into their season and take on Syracuse (4-2, 0-2) at noon Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium. (Broadcast: ABC).
FSU has six games left on its schedule following the Orange game: Duke, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Miami, North Alabama and Florida.
Last season, the NCAA applied a one-time blanket waiver to allow FBS players who are redshirting to play in the postseason without counting against the four-game limit. It is not clear if that rule applies this season.
The Seminoles have seemingly made decisions on a few freshmen. Others status for redshirting are still in the air.
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Florida State freshmen participation tracker:
Below are FSU’s scholarship freshmen and their eligibility for redshirt. The number of games participated comes from Seminoles.com.
• Five games (ineligible to redshirt): Wide receiver Destyn Hill; Defensive back Conrad Hussey; Linebacker Blake Nickelson; Wide receiver Hykeem Williams
• Four games: Linebacker Justin Cryer
• Three games: Defensive back Edwin Joseph; Defensive back Quindarrius Jones; Defensive back KJ Kirkland
• One game: Linebacker Dylan Brown-Turner; Defensive lineman Grant Fielder; Quarterback Brock Glenn; Wide receiver Vandravius Jacobs; Wide receiver Goldie Lawrence; Defensive lineman Xavier Perkins; Offensive lineman KJ Sampson; Linebacker Demarco Ward
• Zero games: Defensive lineman Lamont Green Jr.; Longsnapper Peyton Naylor; Offensive lineman Andre Otto; Defensive back Ja’Bril Rawls; Offensive lineman Lucas Simmons; Running back Samuel Singleton Jr.
Analysis: None of the four players who have exhausted their opportunity to redshirt this season are surprising.
Hill made his first career start against Virginia Tech. He has contributed two receptions for 48 yards this season, despite not playing football in two years. The freshman from Edna Karr High in New Orleans made a key 30-yard catch against the Hokies on Saturday.
Williams – a 5-star receiver from Stranahan High in Fort Lauderdale in the 2023 class – only has one catch for nine yards this season but has seen playing time every game.
Nickelson was a major get for the Seminoles in the recruiting class, as they beat out major West Coast programs for the services of the player from Modesto High in Ripon, California. He has worked mostly on special teams but earned snaps at linebacker.
Hussey – from St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale – has been a playmaker and is someone who the coaching staff has openly talked about getting on the field more.
Cryer – a transfer from Northwestern – is likely to play again this season and will lose his eligibility, maybe as soon as the Syracuse game. Joseph, Kirkland and Jones playing at least two more games this season would not be surprising, especially with the lack of veteran depth at defensive back.
For the players at one game or below, none of them are likely to eclipse four or more games played this season. Glenn – who had been ruled out due to an injury sustained against Southern Miss – has returned to practice and could play in blowout games, whenever he is cleared for game action.
GAME INFORMATION
Who: No. 4 FSU (5-0, 3-0 ACC) vs. Syracuse (4-2, 0-2)
When/where: Saturday, noon; Doak Campbell Stadium
TV/Radio: ABC/94.9 FM
Live game updates: www.Tallahassee.com; @Ehsan_Kassim, @jackgwilliams and @JimHenryTALLY on X, formerly Twitter
Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).
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