After a quiet month, Florida State football is preparing to take the field again for spring practices, beginning on Tuesday, March 19.
With multiple players graduating, transferring, or declaring for the NFL Draft from last season’s roster, the Seminoles will have a different look from last season.
Here are some of the top defensive players to watch for this spring.
Sione Lolohea, Redshirt senior, Defensive lineman
One of two Oregon State transfers to arrive in Tallahassee this offseason, Lolohea is expected to have a major impact on the Seminoles’ defensive line.
He was an All-PAC 12 second-team defense last season, recording 47 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and seven quarterback hurries.
Bringing in a player like Lolohea allows little to no drop-off on the line, and could see him leave an impact this coming season.
It also says something that quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was pushing for Lolohea to come to Tallahassee when he transferred to FSU from Oregon State in January.
![Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Patrick Payton (11) sacks Florida Gators quarterback Max Brown (17) at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023 during the second half. Florida State won 24-15. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Ml1kP2m0ESsMrBxYzub69A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTgyNg--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/tallahassee-democrat/608bb2df07f4ded44be0fed1d1b035ad)
Payton had a monster sophomore season. Paired with Jared Verse on the other side of the defensive line, the duo was lethal.
The pair combined for 84 tackles, 16 sacks, 11 pass deflections and three forced fumbles. Payton had 43 tackles, seven sacks and nine pass deflections.
With Verse now gone, declaring for the NFL Draft, that No. 1 spot opens up for Payton. He started off last season a little shakey but really found his game toward the ladder end of the season.
There are big expectations for the junior after an impressive sophomore campaign.
It also will be interesting to see who will get the other starting spot at defensive end. Byron Turner Jr. had 26 tackles and a sack last season. Georgia transfer Marvin Jones Jr. recorded 12 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery with the Bulldogs this past season.
Azareye’h Thomas, Junior, Defensive back
FSU’s secondary was one of its most talented spots on the field considering the depth of the group, and it’s only expected to get better this coming season.
After recording eight tackles and one pass deflection his freshman year, Thomas’s stat lines exploded in his sophomore season, logging 21 tackles and a team second-best 10 pass defections.
In a group where there is a lot of competition, a young Thomas found ways to stand out.
This spring camp should be really exciting when it comes to starting positions as the defensive back group will only continue to get better.
DJ Lundy, Redshirt senior, linebacker
Lundy is unexpectedly back. The redshirt senior entered the NCAA transfer portal on Dec. 13 and eventually committed to Colorado. However, he didn’t end up signing with the Buffaloes, eventually withdrawing his name and returning to FSU on Jan. 10.
He’s returning to a very different linebacker room, one that is almost depleted. Tatum Bethune and Kalen DeLoach declared for the NFL Draft and Dylan Brown-Turner transferred to UTEP. That leaves Lundy as the veteran.
It does help that FSU did pick up Alabama linebacker Shawn Murphy out of the portal, who recorded three tackles in 13 games with the Crimson Tide.
Lundy was third in tackles this season, recording 54, complimented by two sacks and four pass deflections. No matter what reasons went into his decision to return to Tallahassee, Lundy will have a bigger role leading the linebacker room on and off the field.
Josh Farmer, Redshirt junior, Defensive lineman
While Farmer didn’t play in the Orange Bowl, he is debatably FSU’s biggest piece returning on the interior defensive line.
He logged 32 tackles and five sacks last season, including two five-tackle performances against Clemson and Florida. Farmer was a consistent player on the line last season who was able to match his performances week after week.
The defensive line did lose Fabien Lovett and Fiske, however, keeping Farmer on is huge.
Farmer’s longtime teammate and friend, Darrell Jackson, is also back after sitting out 13 games last season due to his NCAA Hardship Waiver being denied. His return to the gridiron is only going to add more depth to the line.
Shyheim Brown, Redshirt junior, Defensive back
It’s going to be very exciting to see what Brown will do this coming season.
He’s coming off an impressive sophomore year, where he logged the fourth most tackles on the roster with 53. Brown added two sacks and an interception.
Now one of the older players on the roster, Brown is going to play a leading role in the secondary and expect his numbers to only get better this fall.
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of jump he’ll take during spring practices and how he’ll help a large group of freshmen and transfers adjust to a deep defensive backroom.
Jack Williams covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com or on X @jackgwilliams.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Six FSU football defensive pieces to watch for in spring practices
