The Florida State Seminoles are less than a week away from the start of spring practice.
The Seminoles had their most successful season in a decade with a 12-0 regular season, an ACC Championship victory over the Louisville Cardinals, and an Orange Bowl appearance (albeit a very controversial one) — now, FSU will be undergoing a large roster overhaul with the departure of over 20 players listed in the two-deep.
In this series, we’ll review departures, additions, and contenders for the spring two-deep at each position: today, we’re looking at safeties.
Safety
Key Departures:
Akeem Dent, (NFL Draft)
Key Additions:
Davonte Brown (Miami Hurricanes)
Spring Depth:
Davonte Brown, redshirt senior
Kevin Knowles, Senior
Shyheim Brown, Redshirt Junior
Conrad Hussey, Sophomore
Ashlynd Barker, Redshirt Sophomore
KJ Kirkland, Redshirt Freshman
Spring depth chart discussion:
NoleThruandThru: It was really gratifying to see Akeem Dent finally hit his potential last season. Better late than never! Shy Brown looks to be the front-runner for one spot, while Davonte Brown and Conrad Hussey will battle for the other. If he can take the next step, I’d hope to see Hussey get the nod there. The wildcard here is KJ Kirkland, who’s been impressive in his short time in Tallahassee. He could find himself stealing reps from Davonte Brown or Kevin Knowles. I expect at least one transfer from this group after spring, most likely Knowles if he isn’t starting.
Tim: Miami fans were unhappy with Davonte Brown’s play last season, but the Seminoles appear to covet his experience. His presence and veteran leadership could be a big boost for the room. Shy Brown is the easy call here for the “Buck” position, as he’s the returning starter there. I’d love to see Hussey make the leap and secure the other spot, but he’ll have to battle Davonte Brown and maybe Kevin Knowles. To David’s point, Kirkland could be the surprise here, as he was turning heads in camp last year before an injury halted his progress.
Jordan Silversmith: The conversation starts and ends with Shyheim Brown when speaking of the safeties. He’ll be the leader on defense, if not the entire roster, and should rarely come off the field (in non-garbage time) when FSU doesn’t have the ball. During Tour of Duty, he was very vocal and gave 100% throughout the drills. The expectations for No. 1 are clear, and he’s met them so far. As for a running mate, Conrad Hussey is next in line. The sophomore will look to take a considerable jump in playing time this season, as he possesses the physical and mental tools to excel. Davonte Brown will get run, but I expect he’ll be more of a Swiss Army knife than pure safety due to his cover skills. As the guys mentioned, Kirkland could be the x-factor. He battled injuries last year, but he flashed when I attended the Tour of Duty workout. Besides Kirkland, I’ll keep a keen eye on if a freshman defensive back gets converted to safety. With four talented corners and the loss of KJ Bolden, Patrick Surtain and the staff must start grooming successors. Understanding the safety spot could be the key to seeing the field if a freshman wants a chance to play early on.
Frank DuhNole: Judging from his performance last season and from what has done so far this offseason, there is no doubt that Shyheim Brown will start at Safety. Brown has the most experience in this position group having started in all 14 games last season. Reports are that Brown was one of the most vocal players during the Tour. I would not be surprised if he is named as one of the team Captains, and he will likely earn post season honors as one of the best in the country if he continues to improve. Ashlynd Barker most likely will be next in line when Shyheim comes out for a blow.
Free Safety is not so cut and dry. Conrad Hussey and Davonte Brown will battle it out during spring and I think Brown will get the starting nod, but with Hussey also getting plenty of snaps during the season.
One of the wildcards this spring and a player many will be watching is KJ Kirkland. At 6’1” and 200 lbs. Kirkland has the right frame for the safety position. The highly regarded recruit gained some experience by appearing in 5 games last season, and was still able to be redshirted to preserve a year of his eligibility.
Perry Kostidakis: Echoing Jordan here, it is amazing how much Shyheim Brown has made himself a key part of what Florida State is doing on defense — not only because of being a relative diamond-in-the-rough as a three-star out of Lake City, but because from 2022 LSU on, he’s done whatever he could to make an impact. Now, that comes into full fruition as he emerges as one of the elder statesmen capable of setting the tone for the team, not just upholding it.
After seeing how Conrad Hussey flashed in his freshman year, I’m leaning towards him earning the majority of reps as we head into spring camp — but if there was any place on the roster where you could anticipate an OR designation, my money is here. Will it be Hussey and Davonte Brown, one of those two with Kevin Knowles or (heh) will KJ Kirkland take the step forward that he’s been building up towards?
2024-03-15 12:00:00
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