Whether the sport was football or basketball, Jasen Lopez had the ball in his hands. But the receiver-guard first made a name for himself as a quarterback.

“I used to play quarterback in Little League,” Lopez said. “Growing up, I won four championships in Pop Warner down in Miami. ... They moved me to receiver for the first year, in seventh grade, playing varsity. And I just adjusted to it. It was super fun. And it fit perfectly for me and I just stuck with it.”

Lopez stuck with it and the decision was a smart one. Not many high school receivers can say they enjoyed four straight 1,000-yard seasons and at least 10 receiving touchdowns. Lopez did just that, including helping Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade win a state title as a junior.

FSU's receiving group is arguably the deepest on the offensive side of the ball. Duce Robinson, a 1,000-yard receiver, returns and is a second-team Associated Press preseason All-American. Micahi Danzy has already earned notoriety on the track as the FSU and ACC champion in the 400 meters, and he's coming off a breakout first year in the transition from running back to receiver.

Lopez doesn't need to be the go-to receiver at FSU in 2026. He can be the speedy slot guy, the complementary piece who may slip free and defenses will lose track of as they focus on Robinson and Danzy. The Seminoles also have true freshman Devin Carter as well as Jayvan Boggs and Tae'Shaun Gelsey in a room that gives quarterback Ashton Daniels plenty of options.

"I would definitely say we have a very versatile group," Lopez said. "We have guys that can run, catch jet sweeps, take the top off defenses. Big, strong receivers. We definitely complement each other."

There's a challenge in projecting what impact Lopez will have as a true freshman this fall, placing a number of catches, receiving yards or touchdowns. And, yes, part of it is trying to translate success on the high school field to the Power 4 level.

The biggest contributors at FSU as true freshman in recent history have been on offense:

Ousmane Kromah had 72 carries for 408 yards and nine catches for 147 yards and a touchdown in 2025.

Kam Davis had 52 rushes for 173 yards in 2024, while tight end Landen Thomas had 14 catches for 173 yards and a touchdown in the same year.

Malik McClain had 16 catches for 190 yards and two touchdowns in 2021.

Lawrence Toafili had 37 rushes for 356 yards and two touchdowns in 2020, a shortened season due to COVID in which he also had 12 catches for 120 yards.

Going a little farther back, Travis Rudolph had an impressive freshman season in 2014 with 38 catches for 555 yards and four touchdowns. Rashad Greene also had 38 catches for 596 yards and seven touchdowns in 2011.

Lopez's contributions in 2026 could be tough to quantify, but he will be in the mix at receiver and punt returner.

"Jasen Lopez is going to be a guy — he's just consistently showed up and been able to make plays, been able to grow through the mistakes that have been made, grow through some of the challenging looks or things that we put him through," FSU coach Mike Norvell said. "But he's just continuing to answer the call."

Part of the answer in getting the ball in Lopez's hands is as a punt returner. It's a role that fits him well, using his consistent hands and elusiveness.

“Jasen Lopez has shown the ability, confidence and moxie for a true freshman to be the guy,” special teams coordinator Adam Scheier said.

When asked if Lopez was the punt returner when FSU opens the season, Norvell said, "Going into this week, I'd say he's in a great spot to be able to do that, him and (Jayvan) Boggs. Those guys have both done a really good job, but definitely excited about what Jasen could do."

Lopez is looking forward to the opportunity.

"Yes, I do like fielding punts. It is a challenge for sure as far as decision making and things like that,” Lopez said. “I think it takes being calm, not letting everything on the outside feed into you. Focus on seeing the ball off the foot and making the decision when the ball gets closer. I’m definitely excited to field some punts this year."

Lopez arrived on campus in January, enrolling early and spending time with the football and basketball team. He practiced with the basketball team but didn't play in a game so that he didn't lose a year of hoops eligibility.

After the basketball season, Lopez used his spring break to return home and work with his high school receivers’ coach and shift his mindset to football. While he has spent some time getting to know his basketball teammates, Lopez’s focus has been on football this summer.

The sports complement each other. Lopez thinks there are similarities between the crossover dribble and his ability to start and stop quickly on the field. Catching the football at the high point is similar to going up for a rebound. When driving the lane, there is traffic that’s similar to going over the middle on the football field when you can feel defensive players.

Saturday could be the start of a very busy eight months for Lopez, first on the football field before he eventually makes the move to basketball.

"I’ve always been confident in myself to be able to go out there and make plays," Lopez said. "Since I stepped foot on campus, I was always ready. I’m ready to make plays."

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