JD PicKell: Florida State primed to take next step toward CFP field in 2023

Florida State won 10 games in 2022, won a bowl game and return the head coach, quarterback and a defensive star from 2022 for 2023. All in all, plenty of reason to be optimistic, and On3’s JD PicKell is buying in.

There are obstacles for Florida State, namely Clemson and staying healthy — though the latter is true for most every team — but the roster is stocked at the right positions. PicKell doesn’t have a hard time seeing a path for Florida State to get into the College Football Playoff.

“To me, the thing that has to happen for them is they need to win the ACC and beat Clemson,” PicKell said. “Now that is very much so easier said than done. But if we’re charting the course, I think that would give me some more encouragement around them making the college football playoff. Because to be the best, you gotta beat the best. You gotta slay the dragon if you want to claim the castle.”

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How to do that starts and stops with one player for Florida State: quarterback Jordan Travis.

PicKell copped to having his doubts coming in to 2022, but acknowledged Travis showed he has the goods.

“I will be the first to say it: I was not a believer. I wasn’t out on him. But I was not yet a believer. And you heard all these murmurs around. He’s had a great spring, he’s had a great fall, he’s taken enormous strides. To be fair, everybody says that about their quarterback during those periods of the year. Just turned out that Jordan Travis really did take those next steps. So, for me, if he could continue that progression and continue that trend upward and take even another step forward, be even more efficient with the football, be even more explosive as an offense,” PicKell said.

If the Florida State offense can pick up the scoring just a tick to be among the elites, plus pick it up on run defense, PicKell thinks they are a legit College Football Playoff contender.

“So for Florida State, they’re doing a lot in the portal right now. If they can stay healthy, I think they’ve got the makeup to be much better in the trenches. I don’t think it’s a personnel thing. I think it’s a depth thing, what they’re doing, like I said, in the portal. Jared Verse coming back for another year, that’s huge. That, to me, is the other ingredient. Explosive offenses, tough defensive lines. Those are what get you pretty far,” PicKell said.