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Why getting the trenches right is important to FSU football's success - Florida State football's success hinges on the performance of its offensive and defensive lines.
- The Seminoles have rebuilt their offensive line for a second straight season, primarily using the transfer portal.
- FSU's defensive line strategy focuses on speed and athleticism rather than traditional size.
Success on the football field often revolves around the trenches.
The offensive and defensive lines are key cogs in the football machine, and those units will be vital to any success for Florida State football.
With the Seminoles set to start preseason camp next week, the focus on personnel in those trench positions heightens as preparation for New Mexico State and week 0 ramps up.
Both sides of the line of scrimmage sit in different spots for the Seminoles, with the offensive line primarily rebuilt through the transfer portal for a second consecutive season.
The defensive line construction revolves around speed and athleticism, with players like Mandrell Desir, Daniel Lyons and Rylan Kenedy expected to be key pieces.
FSU's roster has talent, and certainly enough to win a first road game in two seasons, but that starts with consistency, and more importantly, continuity up front on both sides of the football.
What to expect from the Seminoles' offensive line The offensive line has been rebuilt for a second straight season by offensive line coach Herb Hand.
A heavy influence of portal pieces alongside a few players developed in-house, like Andre' Otto and Jayden Todd, are all in position for a role on the line this season.
Regardless, it will be a new unit, with none of the starters from the 2025 season back in Tallahassee.
Among the new faces, offensive tackle Xavier Chaplin and likely starting center Baydn Welch-Joiner are two of the biggest additions, both in skill and size.
Chaplin stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 346 pounds, and Welch-Joiner comes in at 6-foot-2 and 327 pounds, and both players have thousands of snaps under their belt.
Building a fresh offensive line every season is a product of modern college football.
Constant player turnover often results in some players, particularly on the offensive line, leaving their program early for playing time, rather than developing in the weight room for a few seasons.
Not everyone leaves; see Otto and Todd for examples from FSU's roster, but it has become increasingly more common to see rebuilt offensive lines on a yearly basis.
Both players have capabilities to earn play time, with Otto's 6-foot-5 frame filled out to 318 pounds, and Todd at 303 pounds at 6-6.
It worked well for the Seminoles last season, and if the results yield similar results this season, it will be a major boost for Norvell and his return to play-calling.
The preseason will be the final chance for the starting group to be assembled and develop a connection in front of Daniels.
Much like the offense ran under Gus Malzahn last season, who retired in January, Norvell will run the football.
It's vital to strike the right mix along the line to allow backs like Ousmane Kromah and Tre Wisnor the space to rip off big runs and generate explosive plays.
FSU football's defensive line gamble While there are new faces on the offensive line, the Seminoles retained a lot of depth on the defensive line, a key unit in the 3-3-5 scheme Tony White employs.
White has defensive line coach Terrance Knighton back for Year 2, and he added edge Nick Williams to the mix to enhance the FSU defensive line.
FSU doesn't have a defensive lineman that jumps out at you with his size, but the roster has plenty of athetlics lineman with high upside.
Mandrell Desir is coming off a freshman All-American season, where he displayed elite-level pass rushing with 6.5 sacks in 12 games.
Despite his success in the pass rush, Mandrell's run defense leaves more to be desired, earning a 48.3 run defense grade by Pro Football Focus last season.
He's one of the key pieces to the Seminoles' defensive front this season, and run defense is an area White and Norvell will want to see improvement from, not just from Mandrell but across the unit.
The Seminoles, at times, struggled against the run last year, particularly against Florida, and the athleticism up front should allow for more chances to track down runners out of the backfield.
It's likely the nose tackle position will be occupied by one of Lyons, Jordan Sanders or Kevin Wynn, and they'll be surrounded by what White has often referred to as "twitchy" players along the line.
Both Mandrell and Darryll Desir, who had 23 tackles and a sack last season, will factor heavily into the Seminoles' rotation alongside players like Kennedy, Jalen Anderson and Deante McCray on the edges.
FSU doesn't have the typical "trench bullies" that many have come to expect along college defensive lines, but the emphasis on versatility and "twitchiness" could be a gamble that pays dividends.
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat.
Contact him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @__liamrooney.