Independence Week: 10 Most Explosive Players on Florida State Offense

With the July 4 holiday fast approaching, this is an ideal time to examine the 10 most explosive players on the 2023 Florida State offense.

There is no shortage of quality candidates, of course, considering the Seminoles featured one of the most dynamic offenses in all of college football last season, and this year’s squad could boast even more firepower. But these 10 players are the ones I would consider most explosive.

Note: These are not necessarily the 10 best players or the ones expected to have the biggest seasons statistically; they are simply the ones with the greatest chance to go the distance on any given play.

The 10 most explosive players are listed in alphabetical order:

Jaheim Bell — Junior tight end

After transferring in from South Carolina earlier this year, the 6-foot-3, 233-pounder should get some great opportunities to make explosive plays for Florida State this fall. Bell is going to be faster than most linebackers he lines up against and bigger than most safeties.

In 2021 at South Carolina, Bell averaged 16.6 yards per reception and took five of his 30 catches into the end zone for touchdowns — with a long of 82. His average yards-per-completion dipped to 9.2 last season, but that likely was a result of his changing role in the South Carolina offense.

With a slew of dynamic players on offense at Florida State, Bell should see plenty of opportunities for mismatches in coverage, which likely will pave the way for a return to his game-breaking ways.

Trey Benson — Junior running back

There isn’t much that needs to be said here other than pointing to Benson’s statistics from 2022.

In his first season at Florida State, the Oregon transfer showed off a rare combination of speed and power in rumbling for 990 yards on 154 carries. His 6.4-yard average ranked second in the ACC (behind former teammate Treshaun Ward’s 6.6), and he also rumbled for a team-high nine touchdowns.

Benson’s longest play of the year was a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Boston College.

Keon Coleman — Junior wide receiver

Coleman earns a spot on this list for very much the same reason as Jaheim Bell above. While he isn’t expected to be one of the fastest receivers in Ron Dugans’ group, Coleman’s combination of height, speed, body control and ball skills should help him come down with some big-time receptions down the field.

Coleman averaged 13.8 yards per reception last fall, which isn’t outstanding, but he should benefit greatly from being in a much more productive and explosive offense in 2023. One year ago, FSU ranked No. 7 nationally in yards per play (6.96), while Michigan State ranked No. 82 at 5.48. And the Seminoles should be even more explosive with players like Bell and Coleman in the mix.

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Ja’Khi Douglas — Junior wide receiver

His numbers dipped a bit last season as he battled injuries, but Douglas showed plenty of game-breaking ability during the previous two seasons. The 5-9 speedster from Louisiana averaged 18.2 yards on his 14 receptions in 2021, and he averaged 16.6 yards per catch in 2020.

During that 2021 campaign, Douglas turned in a pair of breathtaking plays in crucial situations. In the fourth quarter against rival Miami, he sprinted down the right sideline and hauled in a 59-yard catch to set up Florida State’s game-winning touchdown. He also snared a 60-yard touchdown pass against Notre Dame.

If Douglas can stay healthy in 2023, he could cause major headaches for opposing defenses out of the slot.

Destyn Hill — Freshman wide receiver

This selection might raise some eyebrows because Hill is a true freshman who hasn’t played in two years, but the 6-foot, 195-pounder is already considered among the fastest players on the roster.

Hill is expected to get reps in the return game, and it would not be a surprise if he works his way into the main rotation at receiver. In just his first few weeks on campus, he already has turned heads with his athleticism in workouts and player-run practices.

Rodney Hill — Redshirt freshman tailback

Despite only playing in four games last fall to preserve his redshirt, Hill showed off plenty of big-play potential. He ran for more than 6.0 yards per carry in two of the four games he played in, and he finished with a 5.3-yard average for the season.

Coming out of high school in Georgia, Hill was one of the fastest players in the Southeast and starred as a sprinter in track. With Treshaun Ward having moved on this offseason, look for Hill’s elusiveness and speed to be a major complement to Trey Benson’s power.

Vandrevius Jacobs — Freshman wide receiver

We could have gone with a couple of older receivers in this spot — namely Darion Williamson or Deuce Spann — but Jacobs was so impressive in the spring that he gets the nod. He made play after play against much more experienced defensive backs during spring drills, and he possesses a rare ability to work himself open and make difficult catches look easy.

Judging purely on physical attributes, Spann and Williamson would likely both get the nod over Jacobs. But all Jacobs does is make plays, and he should get plenty of opportunities on Saturdays this fall.

Lawrance Toafili — Junior running back

Toafili is one of just five players in FSU history to register a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown of at least 70 yards. He broke off a 73-yard TD run vs. Duke as a freshman and then scored on a 75-yard catch-and-run at Clemson in 2021.

The St. Petersburg product hauled in a 65-yard catch last season against Miami and, according to FSU, he was the only running back in the nation to record two catches of at least 60 yards.

Jordan Travis — Senior quarterback

While he does most of his damage these days with his arm, Travis continues to be one of the most dynamic running quarterbacks in college football. During the 2022 season, he passed for 24 touchdowns, ran for seven and even caught one TD pass.

Travis holds Florida State records for career rushing yardage and rushing touchdowns for a quarterback. According to FSU, he enters 2023 as one of four active players nationally with at least 5,500 passing yards and 1,700 rushing yards.

Johnny Wilson — Senior wide receiver

Once he arrived in Tallahassee, it didn’t take Wilson long to emerge as one of the best big-play receivers in college football.

The 6-foot-7, 240-pounder averaged 20.9 yards per reception in his first season at Florida State, and he ranked third in the country with 22 catches of at least 20 yards. Wilson was absolutely dominant in the Seminoles’ bowl victory against Oklahoma, hauling in eight catches for 202 yards.

With additional deep threats keeping defenses honest, there’s a chance Wilson could put up even gaudier numbers in 2023. His combination of size and speed is unique even among the best receivers in the sport.

Talk about this story with other die-hard FSU football fans on the Tribal Council.

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