Dan Hicks moves into a starting role this season at defensive end for the Florida State defense (247Sports).
Florida State is not a senior heavy team heading into 2013 with only 17 on the roster. Seven of those guys have been around the block and Nole fans should know exactly what to expect from guys like Kenny Shaw, Bryan Stork, Jaccobi McDaniel, Christian Jones, Telvin Smith, Terrence Brooks, and Lamarcus Joyner. Today, I’ll look at 5 seniors that need to step up this season for the Seminoles and go out with a good season for their team to reach lofty goals.
5) Demonte McAllister – 6’2″ 298 lbs DT
Why is Demonte McAllister on this list? Didn’t he play a bunch of snaps last year? He finished 2nd in tackles out of the interior lineman ahead of starters Everett Dawkins and Amp McCloud, right? Yes to all three of those questions. This year, though, McAllister is stepping into the starters role and needs to raise his game and set the tone for the younger guys. While Florida State is still still deep at the defensive tackle position in 2013, it was a much more experienced and veteran group in 2012. Players like Niles Lawrence-Stample, Eddie Goldman, and Derrick Mitchell are talented, but unproven and McAllister needs to be a reliable rock in the middle this season for the Seminole defense.
4) Shayne Broxie – 6’2″ 260 lbs FB
Shayne Broxie is a good story, a walk-on who worked hard on the scout team for four years at defensive tackle before moving positions in the spring and earning a scholarship. With the departure of Lonnie Pryor and Debrale Smiley and the injuries that ended Eric Beverly’s career, Broxie will be counted on to help the Florida State run game as a blocker. An athletic 6″2″ 260 large body, Broxie isn’t the starting fullback, but he seems to have the power that can push the pile in short yardage situations.
3) Philip Doumar – 6’1″ 225 lbs DS
Philip Doumar is another good story of perseverance. After walking on and snapping in 4 games over 2 seasons, Doumar is going to be counted on to be the deep snapper for the Noles this season and was awarded a scholarship. Deep snapper is usually a position where you don’t want to know the name. If you don’t hear the name Philip Doumar this season, that’s a good thing, but know that it will be because of his reliability on punts and field goals.
2) Chad Abram – 6’0″ 234 lbs FB
Fullback Chad Abram. (Stacy Revere)
Lonnie Pryor was a one in a million type player for Floirda State the last four years that could block, run the ball, or be a reliable pass catcher out of the backfield. It would be unfair to Chad Abram to expect the same kind of impact that Pryor made on the team, but he won’t have to and most likely won’t be asked to. Abram will be a more traditional fullback for the Noles asked to open up holes as a lead blocker for the Seminole stable of running backs.
1) Dan Hicks – 6’4″ 260 lbs DE
Florida State lost a bevy of talent at defensive end to the NFL Draft in 2013. Dan Hicks will be one of the key players to step in a make sure there is as little drop off as possible from the defensive end position from 2012 to 2013. After missing all of last year with a knee injury, Hicks is back to 100% and had a very good spring from reports. He enters the 2013 season as one of the starters at defensive end and will need to have a good senior season for the Noles defense to continue to compete at a high level. He has already shown glimpses of his ability in 2010 and 2011 while backing up Brandon Jenkins. However, this will be the first time in his Seminole career that he will be relied on to be a leader of the unit and put pressure on the quarterback. His ability to step up his game in 2013 will be vital to the success of the Seminole defense.