How many remember Paul Prudhomme, the Cajun Chef whose blackened redfish recipe threatened the possible extinction of a species? K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen was big back in the 1980s, when FSU fans would stand in line for hours for a bite of Prudhomme’s “turducken,” which mysteriously came to mind while writing this Florida State linebacker preview.
Prudhomme didn’t invent the “turducken” recipe, which was an epicurean mystery to all but the Cajuns, but he did popularize it in America.
Many an hour did Seminole fans stand in line on Charles Street trying to solve the question of how K-Paul constructed the dish, which was a deboned chicken coated in spices stuffed inside a deboned duck, that he spiced again before stuffing it inside a deboned turkey.
You see where I’m going with this?
If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit the construction of this 2025 football team is as mysterious as that turducken. You got a mystery at linebacker, stuffed inside the mystery of the new 3-3-5 defense, stuffed inside the overall mystery that is the 2025 Seminole football team.
The Ingredients
Florida State was recruiting the highest quality ingredients back in the day and winning Butkus Trophies, a far cry from the selection process of the last decade.
Since 2020, FSU has signed just two linebackers who were ranked in the top 50 at their position, and only Blake Nickelson remains on the current roster. That number becomes more glaring when you compare it to opponent rosters, where Alabama has signed eight. Most of the top 10 defenses have signed seven or more, and then there’s Georgia, which has signed 10 linebackers ranked among the top 10 over those years.
The Jack Factor
When we evaluate linebackers, it’s easy to focus on the more traditional inside linebackers mentioned above and forget the “Jack” position, which is a hybrid linebacker/rush end. And to do so is to lose sight of one of the most-promising talents on FSU’s roster, Amaree Williams. The two-way star was ranked No. 7 among athletes and No. 187 among all players by 247 Sports’ Composite rating.
Williams signed with FSU with the intention of playing defense but made himself available as a true freshman to fill a void at tight end. His skill sets in track and field and football lead one to believe he can be an effective edge rusher as well as a cover linebacker who can play in space.
Don’t sleep on Williams.
Whatever the best version of this 2025 segment will be, it will not lack for experience or previous productivity. Three FSU players in development — Omar Graham, Juice Cryer and Nichelson — are no longer rookies. Collectively, the trio has 70 games (20 starts) under their belts and 170 combined tackles.
The Seminoles also found much-needed productivity in the portal with Stefon Thompson, who played for defensive coordinator Tony White at Nebraska and Syracuse, as well as Elijah Herring, who played at Tennessee and Memphis. Together those two have played in 84 games (45 starts) and produced 350 tackles. Add UNC transfer Caleb LaVallee and games played climbs to 99 with 46 starts.
Pre-camp depth chart
Another mystery within the mystery will be where these linebackers will line up in White’s 3-3-5 alignment, which will likely vary based on opponent strengths, tendencies and alignments. Expect Chef White to juggle ingredients.
In other words, take the following depth chart with a grain of salt.
Will
Elijah Herring (6-2, 235 pounds) Sr or
Blake Nichelson (6-3, 239 pounds) Jr or
Omar Graham (6-1, 235 pounds)
R-Jr AJ Cottrill (6-0, 228 pounds)
R-Jr Jayden Parrish (6-1, 223 pounds)
R-Fr Ethan Pritchard (6-2, 219 pounds) Fr
Mike
Justin Cryer (6-1, 237 pounds) Jr or
Stefon Thompson (6-1, 240 pounds) R-Sr
Omar Graham (6-1, 235 pounds) R-Jr
Caleb LaVallee (6-1, 228) R-So
Jack
Omar Graham (6-1, 235 pounds) R-Jr or
Blake Nichelson (6-3, 239 pounds) Jr or
Amaree Williams (6-3, 235 pounds) So
2024 Stats
Herring – 60 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries over 11 games at Memphis.
Nichelson – second leading tackler with 52, four for loss, and a half sack in 11 games (9 starts).
Graham – 37 tackles, 3.5 for loss, three pass breakups and one sack in 10 games (8 starts).
Cryer – 32 tackles, two for loss, one interception, and one fumble recovery in nine games (two starts) before season ending injury.
Thompson – recorded 27 tackles, two pass breakup and a fumble recovery in 11 games (1 start) under defensive coordinator Tony White at Nebraska. In 2023 under White at Syracuse Thompson had 52 tackles, four for loss and 1.5 sacks.
LaVallee – 14 tackles, one for loss, in five games (1 start) at North Carolina.
Cottrill – 11 tackles, one blocked punt in 12 games on special teams and as a reserve linebacker.
Offseason transactions
Thompson transferred in from Nebraska
LaVallee transferred in from North Carolina
Herring transferred in from Memphis
Pritchard signed in December
Sean Murphy transferred to South Carolina, played in four games, 13 tackles, 1.5 for loss
DJ Lundy completed eligibility. He played in five games, 25 tackles, one for a loss and one pass broken up
On the rise
Three optimistic possibilities:
With the coaching changes, one would expect the returning players who chose to play for Mike Norvell and White to bring better morale and more determined motors. This defense can win the crowd and the scoreboard if they will play with the “want to” that was lacking in 2024, or what legendary defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews pronounces as “won’t to; they won’t score if you won’t let them.”
The Osceola staff likes the potential for developmental players Cryer, Nickelson and Graham to take the next step. Cryer is a big, smart, physical dude. Nickelson is also long, smart and maybe with a touch more range than others and Graham is a player with a nose for the ball. Do not sleep on Amaree Williams at the Jack position. He has the tools and the mindset to be a game changer for White.
Transfers Herring and Thompson bring big-game production to a segment that has lacked those confidence-building plays that flip fields. Herring and Thompson combined for 34 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries, game changing plays linebackers need to make.
Biggest question
Two big mysteries loom for me and the biggest is the 3-3-5 defense itself. I just haven’t seen enough to know how White will deploy it versus various opponents, and how he will tap into the talent he has to execute his plan.
The second mystery is how much Stefon Thompson will play this year. Will he become the highly productive player he was as a freshman and sophomore at Syracuse before suffering a season-ending injury, the dependable backup he was for White at Nebraska last year, or primarily a coach and mentor to his fellow linebackers? Whether on the field or off, Thompson will play a significant role with his knowledge of the defense. But his presence on the field could help connect the front half of the defense with the back half and accelerate the FSU defense’s first-year production.
Alabama is coming to town on Aug. 30 for the season opener and, ready or not, FSU fans will be standing in line to get their first taste of how well Chef White is able to blend these defensive mysteries together, with linebackers at the center of it all.
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