In a new position and a different role, Brendan Gant still finds a way to lead for FSU Football

Brendan Gant isn’t who you think he is.

As a matter of fact, he might not be any of the things you think he is.

He isn’t a former four-star recruit feeling frustrated about a diminished role on the Florida State football team.

He isn’t a former starting safety now bothered by coming off the bench at linebacker.

He is not even an eager special-teamer trying to make so many big plays in the kicking game that FSU’s coaches feel compelled to give him playing time on defense.

Honestly.

That’s not his primary motivation.

“I’m not really trying to show what I can do,” Gant said this week in an interview with Warchant. “I just really want to contribute to the team. It’s just going out there, completing my task and winning my one-on-one for that play.”

The Lakeland product has been completing his task, and then some, a lot this season.

In Florida State’s 24-23 victory over LSU early this month, Gant recovered a muffed punt deep in Tigers territory. Then last week at Louisville, he made three impressive tackles in the open field on special teams — two on punt returns and one on a kickoff return deep in Cardinals territory.

“He was phenomenal the other day,” FSU head coach Mike Norvell said. “He made a couple plays that were game-changing plays.”

Gant’s first big stop came late in the first half after punter Alex Mastromanno unleashed a 51-yarder down the middle of the field. Gant avoided his blocker at the line of scrimmage and then raced past him — and the rest of the Cardinals’ punt return unit before — before diving to make a shoestring tackle.

The second one came when the Seminoles kicked off after tying the score at 21-21. Ryan Fitzgerald’s kick took Louisville return specialist Jawhar Jordan a few yards into the end zone, and when Jordan tried to bring it out, Gant came from seemingly out of nowhere to drop him at the 13-yard line.

Then the third one came at the end of the third quarter when FSU was punting from its own 11-yard line with the score still tied. Mastromanno got off another good one — this time for 52 yards — and Gant again was the first one on the scene. After breaking down to make sure Louisville’s Braden Smith didn’t get past him, Gant mirrored Smith’s first two moves and then dropped him for a zero-yard return.

“He’s really developed a role for himself on special teams,” FSU special teams coordinator John Papuchis said. “It starts with the effort. This is a guy that has a lot of desire and a lot of want-to.”

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Gant’s performance on special teams would be impressive under any circumstances.

It not only takes effort and athletic ability to defeat blocks and race down the field to make these plays, it also requires the same type of intelligence and film preparation that is expected on offense or defense. Before each game, Gant will spend a good amount of time watching film of the opponent’s return specialists, and also the blockers, to look for their tendencies.

But that’s not really why Gant has drawn rave reviews from coaches and teammates for his efforts on coverage units. It’s because they know it can’t be easy to have such a limited role — with the vast majority of his snaps now coming on kicking downs — when Gant was a part-time starter in each of his first three seasons as a Seminole.

FSU’s coaches approached Gant before spring practice about moving from safety, where he had started several games in 2019, ’20 and ’21, to outside linebacker. Norvell and defensive coordinator Adam Fuller told him they thought it would be a better position for him, and it would benefit the team because the Seminoles had more depth at safety.

“We feel like this can help the team and help you as well,” Gant remembers the coaches saying.

It was not exactly welcomed news.

Norvell described the talks as, “very real conversations.”

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While Gant understood that the starting safety jobs had been claimed by Jammie Robinson and Akeem Dent, the idea of learning a new position — and all of the responsibilities that come with it — in his fourth year of college wasn’t super appealing.

So Gant took some time to think about his options. He had heart-to-talk talks with his father, Grambling Hall of Fame running back Eric Gant, and one of his high school coaches to figure out if starting over at a new position was in his best interest. Or if maybe he should consider starting over somewhere else.

“It was not like a big decision, but there was a lot of thinking into it,” Gant said. “Wanting to do what was best for me in the situation.”

While some players might have jumped quickly into the transfer portal, Gant chose to finish what he started.

He left his comfort zone with the defensive backs, made the move to linebacker in the spring, and has just now started working his way into the rotation there. According to Pro Football Focus, through three games, Gant has played 21 snaps in FSU’s base defense and 60-plus on special teams.

“I told him at the end of the [Louisville] game that he inspires me,” Fuller said. “To see what he did on those two coverage units — and go down there and make those open-field plays — and then see his energy on the sideline. Listen, Brendan Gant was a starting safety here for a number of games. Now, he’s a backup linebacker. Giving us 10 snaps. But it’s a great lesson to be learned. …

“When somebody makes a decision to just be better. Consistently. Every day. Not worry about the outside noise. Not worry about what position he’s playing or what jersey number or what his reps look like, and he really focuses on self-improvement … he’s sticking to the plan. He’s showing up every day, he’s trying to help his teammates, and he’s focusing on improvement. And he’s becoming a really important player on this football team.”

While Gant might not look like a prototypical Power 5 linebacker — he is listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds — he insists a lack of size is the least of his concerns at the new position.

His biggest challenges this spring and preseason were learning all of the defensive fronts and his corresponding run fits, while also picking up all of the calls that linebackers need to make. And then communicating with each of the other position groups around him.

Gant also had to adjust to yet another position coach — something that has been a constant theme. When he first came to FSU as part of Willie Taggart’s second recruiting class, Gant played two positions as a freshman and worked closely with defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett, outside linebackers coach Mark Snyder and then-graduate assistant Joe Bowen.

Then in 2020 and ’21, he learned safety from Fuller and defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson. When FSU’s coaches first talked with him about moving to linebacker, he was going to play for Chris Marve. Then when Marve left to become defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, Gant learned his new coach would be Randy Shannon.

That’s seven primary coaches in four years.

While some might view that lack of continuity as a negative, Gant embraces it.

“I’m cool with everybody. I get along with everybody,” he said. “I think it’s cool. Because everybody doesn’t get to do that — experience all those different coaches.”

And he is particularly happy now to be learning from Shannon, the former head coach and defensive coordinator at the University of Miami and several other schools.

“I knew I was gonna be good for sure,” Gant said. “His coaching style — he’s old school. His coaching is different. It’s a style that I’m more familiar with.”

While Gant’s greatest impact on the field this season has come on special teams, that might not always be the case. Now that he is getting a better feel for the linebacker position, he is beginning to make more and more plays in practice.

And there’s a chance that will translate, sooner or later, to opportunities in the base defense.

“He is prepared for his opportunity,” Norvell said. “Whether it is on special teams. Whether it’s on defense … he’s got a great future. It’s the absolute right move. You’re starting to see those flashes, you’re starting to see him play even faster. I can’t wait to see what the final product of Brendan Gant is gonna be.”

Said Gant: “I feel like I’m getting comfortable. I’m starting to feel like myself.”

But earning playing time at linebacker isn’t the redshirt junior’s main focus right now. After being a part of three losing seasons as a Florida State Seminole, Gant appreciates the team’s 3-0 start as much as anyone.

He believes he could sense the program turning the corner during offseason workouts, and he is thrilled to be a positive contributor in what could be shaping up to be a special season — no matter where he lines up or how many snaps he plays.

“I’m extremely proud,” Gant said of the 3-0 start. “This is what we’ve been waiting for. This kind of intensity. This kind of work. This kind of start. We all just want to see each other succeed. We want to help each other. We’re all here for each other.

“And like Coach Norvell said, we haven’t played our best game. All we’ve had is sparks. We have our moments. But we definitely haven’t put a full, complete game together. … We’re 3-0, but we’ve still got a lot to go. A lot to learn. A lot to improve on.”

And as the Seminoles continue that journey, Gant plans to continue leading the way. Whether it’s as the first guy down on coverage units, or as a veteran player embracing every challenge he faces.

“He believes in what we do within this program,” Norvell said. “I could not be prouder of a young man than I am with Brendan. Because of his work ethic and investment.”

Talk about this story with other die-hard FSU football fans on the Tribal Council.