Florida State football: 5 questions the Seminoles must answer in 2020

Florida State football still has big questions looming as Mike Norvell takes over.

Florida State football is free of Willie Taggart. Even if it cost a substantial buyout to get rid of him, the fact that the Seminoles are now clear of an era in which they went just 9-12 over 21 games is a victory in and of itself. But with the rich tradition in Tallahassee, getting out of a bad situation isn’t enough. Therein lies the challenge ahead for new head coach Mike Norvell as he arrives by way of Memphis.

Everything you hear out of the program in terms of Norvell’s coaching style has been positive to this point, especially in relation to Taggart. That’s even true when you consider the conversations he and his players had that seemingly built a strong rapport after the coach raises some controversy over his comments about talking to his players about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Despite all of that positivity, though, there is a road to a turnaround ahead still, meaning there are still issues that need to be addressed. These are the five biggest questions Florida State football faces for the 2020 season.

5. Florida State football questions: Who steps up at running back and, more importantly, can they excel?

Cam Akers was most certainly productive throughout his time in Tallahassee. But it’s also obvious that he was done a disservice by a poorly designed offense and absolutely horrendous offensive line play, which makes the fact that he rushed for over 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns in the 2019 season all the more impressive.

Akers is now free of that situation, though, and ready to suit up for the Los Angeles Rams. So the question now becomes who fills in for him in the backfield and steps into that lead role. Understandably, the offensive line improving could be the biggest factor in establishing a strong rushing attack but, after losing a player of Akers’ caliber, who’s replacing him also matters still.

The good news for the Seminoles is that they have quality options at their disposal in the 2020 season. Khalan Laborn served as a backup to Akers and was mildly effective (63 carries, 297 yards, four touchdowns) in doing so. But the former 5-star recruit has obvious talent. Meanwhile, FSU also added Jashuan Corbin on the transfer market from Texas A&M, which could also be a big help.

While at Memphis, Norvell had a penchant for creating explosive plays for his running back. That would’ve been fun to see with Akers but he has two talented options, at least, now. Again, the offensive line performance matters. At the same time, though, Laborn, Corbin or both need to step into a larger role and take hold of it for the new offense to excel.