Looking at who could be an unexpected difference maker for the Florida State Seminoles in their showdown with the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday in Atlanta.
While the 2017 college football regular season has already kicked off, fans around the nation are eagerly awaiting the main event of the opening week on Saturday night.
In the biggest season opener in college football history, the No. 3 Florida State Seminoles will take on the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide at the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The matchup marks the first ever week one showdown between a pair of top three teams, and Saturday’s loser will still be among the favorites to reach the College Football Playoff.
While Alabama is coming off a heartbreaking title game loss and needs to replace much of a dominant front seven, it’s hard to knock Nick Saban’s dynasty from the top preseason ranking in any given year. Florida State closed out 2016 with an impressive Orange Bowl win over Michigan and returns a good chunk of what might be the most talented defense in the nation.
There’s plenty of star power between the Seminoles and Crimson Tide including a pair of excellent sophomore quarterbacks in Deondre Francois and Jalen Hurts, dynamic playmaking defenders Derwin James and Minkah Fitzpatrick, and a smattering of defensive linemen that will harass opposing quarterbacks all season long. Such a close matchup between two ultra-talented teams will likely come down to a few less heralded players.
Here are five unexpected players who could help the Seminoles take down the mighty Crimson Tide on Saturday night.
5. Cam Akers, RBÂ
As one of the top overall recruits in the class of 2017, Akers isn’t exactly an unknown name nationally. The question is if he will be able to make a significant impact in his first collegiate game against the best defense the Seminoles will face all season.
A consensus five-star recruit out of Clinton in Mississippi, Akers was rated the top running back and No. 3 overall recruit in the current freshman class by 247Sports. Akers ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash in high school and is a threat to score whenever he’s in the open field, but also has the physicality to succeed between the tackles at 5-11, 212 pounds and is regarded as a strong receiver out of the backfield.
Even with star Dalvin Cook off to the NFL, Florida State’s running game should remain productive without having to rely on a true freshman. Junior Jacques Patrick will take over the starting role after piling up 124 carries for 664 yards and nine touchdowns in two seasons as Cook’s backup, with promising sophomore Amir Rasul set to fill in as needed.
Still, a strong showing from Akers in his debut season could give the Seminoles one of the best backfields in college football, and they need all the production they can get on the ground against Alabama. Nick Saban’s defense is, of course, going to be outstanding everywhere, but the secondary appears to be its primary strength with five new starters in the front seven, something Akers and company will try to take advantage of.
Quarterback Deondre Francois could also be under pressure often behind an offensive line that had some issues in pass protection last year, so the ground game will be the catalyst of the Florida State offense. While Akers won’t be a make or break player for the Seminoles on Saturday, generating a couple of splash plays could really help their cause.