# 2018 Florida State Seminoles football team

The 2018 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Seminoles were led by first-year head coach Willie Taggart and played their home games at Doak Campbell Stadium. They competed as members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Seminoles finished the season with a losing record for the first time since 1976, missing a bowl game for the first time since 1981. Linebacker Brian Burns went on to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft, with defensive tackle Demarcus Christmas being selected in the sixth round.

## Recruiting
### Position key

| Back | B | Center | C | Cornerback | CB | Defensive back | DB |
| Defensive end | DE | Defensive lineman | DL | Defensive tackle | DT | End | E |
| Fullback | FB | Guard | G | Halfback | HB | Kicker | K |
| Kickoff returner | KR | Offensive tackle | OT | Offensive lineman | OL | Linebacker | LB |
| Long snapper | LS | Punter | P | Punt returner | PR | Quarterback | QB |
| Running back | RB | Safety | S | Tight end | TE | Wide receiver | WR |
The Seminoles signed a total of 21 recruits.
College recruiting information (2018) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Robert Cooper DT | Snellville, GA | South Gwinnett High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 377 lb (171 kg) | Jun 16, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Christian Meadows OG | Montezuma, GA | Macon County High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 330 lb (150 kg) | Jul 29, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Asante Samuel Jr. CB | Fort Lauderdale, FL | St. Thomas Aquinas High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 164 lb (74 kg) | Apr 13, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Anthony Lytton CB | Upper Marlboro, MD | Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 173 lb (78 kg) | Apr 27, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Amari Gainer LB | Tallahassee, FL | Lawton Chiles High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | May 26, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| D'Marcus Adams WR | Daytona Beach, FL | Mainland High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Jun 14, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Christian Armstrong OT | Warner Robins, GA | Warner Robins High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 335 lb (152 kg) | Jun 25, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Chaz Neal DE | Wesley Chapel, FL | Wesley Chapel High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 253 lb (115 kg) | Jul 20, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jaiden Woodbey S | Bellflower, CA | St. John Bosco High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 204 lb (93 kg) | Dec 20, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Isaiah Bolden CB | Tampa, FL | Wesley Chapel High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Dec 22, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Camren McDonald TE | Long Beach, CA | Poly High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Jan 13, 2018 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jalen Goss OT | Valdosta, GA | Lowndes High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | Jan 15, 2018 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Xavier Peters LB | West Chester, OH | Lakota West High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Jan 28, 2018 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Dennis Briggs DE | Kissimmee, FL | Gateway High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 252 lb (114 kg) | Jan 28, 2018 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Warren Thompson WR | Seffner, FL | Armwood High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Jan 31, 2018 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Keyshawn Helton WR | Pensacola, FL | West Florida Tech High School | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | Feb 4, 2018 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Anthony Grant RB | Buford, GA | Buford High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Feb 7, 2018 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Malcolm Lamar DE | Seffner, FL | Armwood High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | Feb 7, 2018 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jamarcus Chatman DT | Rome, GA | Rome High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 266 lb (121 kg) | Feb 7, 2018 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Tre'Shaun Harrison WR | Seattle, WA | Garfield High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Feb 7, 2018 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jordan Young WR | Conyers, GA | Heritage High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Feb 7, 2018 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "FSU Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 11, 2018. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 11, 2018. |||||||

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Rimington Trophy | Alec Eberle | C | SR |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Brian Burns | DE | JR |
| Maxwell Award | Deondre Francois | QB | JR |
| Maxwell Award | Cam Akers | RB | SO |
| Doak Walker Award | Cam Akers | RB | SO |
| Doak Walker Award | Jacques Patrick | RB | SR |
| Outland Trophy | Alec Eberle | C | SR |
| Lou Groza Award | Ricky Aguayo | K | JR |
| Ray Guy Award | Logan Tyler | P | JR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Alec Eberle | C | SR |
| Walter Camp Award | Cam Akers | RB | SO |
| Ted Hendricks Award | Brian Burns | DE | JR |

### ACC media poll

In the preseason ACC media poll, Florida State was selected to finish second in the Atlantic division.
Media poll (Atlantic) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Clemson | 1,031 (145) |
| 2 | Florida State | 789 (1) |
| 3 | NC State | 712 (2) |
| 4 | Boston College | 545 |
| 5 | Louisville | 422 |
| 6 | Wake Forest | 413 |
| 7 | Syracuse | 232 |

### Preseason All-ACC teams

The Seminoles had two players selected to the preseason All-ACC teams, with one offensive selection and one on special teams.
* Cam Akers
* Ricky Aguayo

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 20 Virginia Tech | No. 19 | Doak Campbell StadiumTallahassee, FL | ESPN | L 3–24 | 79,560 |
| September 8 | 7:20 p.m. | No. 9 (FCS) Samford* | | Doak Campbell StadiumTallahassee, FL | ACCN | W 36–26 | 72,239 |
| September 15 | 12:00 p.m. | at Syracuse | | Carrier DomeSyracuse, NY | ESPN | L 7–30 | 37,457 |
| September 22 | 3:30 p.m. | Northern Illinois* | | Doak Campbell StadiumTallahassee, FL | ESPNU | W 37–19 | 65,633 |
| September 29 | 3:30 p.m. | at Louisville | | Cardinal StadiumLouisville, KY | ESPN2 | W 28–24 | 52,798 |
| October 6 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 17 Miami (FL) | | Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL (rivalry) | ABC | L 27–28 | 65,490 |
| October 20 | 3:30 p.m. | Wake Forest | | Doak Campbell StadiumTallahassee, FL | ESPN2 | W 38–17 | 67,274 |
| October 27 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 2 Clemson | | Doak Campbell StadiumTallahassee, FL (rivalry) | ABC | L 10–59 | 68,403 |
| November 3 | 3:30 p.m. | at NC State | | Carter–Finley StadiumRaleigh, NC | ABC | L 28–47 | 57,600 |
| November 10 | 7:30 p.m. | at No. 3 Notre Dame* | | Notre Dame StadiumSouth Bend, IN (rivalry) | NBC | L 13–42 | 77,622 |
| November 17 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 22 Boston College | | Doak Campbell StadiumTallahassee, FL | ESPN2 | W 22–21 | 57,274 |
| November 24 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 13 Florida* | | Doak Campbell StadiumTallahassee, FL (rivalry) | ABC | L 14–41 | 71,953 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||
Schedule Source:

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 19 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | 19 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |

## Game summaries
### Virginia Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 20 Hokies | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| No. 19 Seminoles | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |

### Samford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 9 (FCS) Bulldogs | 16 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 26 |
| Seminoles | 7 | 14 | 0 | 15 | 36 |

### At Syracuse

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seminoles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Orange | 3 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 30 |

### Northern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Huskies | 0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 19 |
| Seminoles | 14 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 37 |

### At Louisville

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seminoles | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |

### At Miami (FL)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seminoles | 7 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
| No. 17 Hurricanes | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |

### Wake Forest

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Demon Deacons | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Seminoles | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |

### Clemson

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 2 Tigers | 0 | 28 | 24 | 7 | 59 |
| Seminoles | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |

### At NC State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seminoles | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Wolfpack | 10 | 17 | 10 | 10 | 47 |

### At Notre Dame

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seminoles | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| No. 3 Fighting Irish | 17 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 42 |

### Boston College

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 22 Eagles | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Seminoles | 0 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 22 |

### Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 13 Gators | 3 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 41 |
| Seminoles | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |

## Post-season
### All-ACC

The Seminoles had five players selected to the All-ACC team, with three defensive selections and two offensive selections.
* Brian Burns (first team)
* Nyqwan Murray (Third Team)
* Demarcus Christmas (Third Team)
* Marvin Wilson (Honorable Mention)
* Tamorrion Terry (Honorable Mention)

### NFL draft

| Player | Team | Round | Pick # | Position |
| Brian Burns | Carolina Panthers | 1st | 16 | LB |
| Demarcus Christmas | Seattle Seahawks | 6th | 209 | DT |