The fourth-ranked Florida State football team continued to prepare for next month’s season opener against Ole Miss during Tuesday afternoon’s practice at the Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility. Sophomore safety Derwin James, named a preseason All-American by a pair of outlets earlier in the day, returned to practice after missing the beginning of fall camp with a foot injury.
“[James] is full go, flying around, making plays,” head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “[He’s] doing everything.”
While James was a welcome return to practice, a number of other Seminoles did sit out the day including wide receiver Ja’Vonn Harrison (personal), defensive end Keith Bryant (foot), and center Alec Eberle (concussion protocol). Sophomore defensive end Josh Sweat also missed the practice due to concussion symptoms.
“[Sweat’s] impact test came back pretty good, but he had a slight problem with his eye so we [held him out],” Fisher confirmed.
The practice began outside before a lightning warning pushed the final 30 minutes indoors.
Wide receiver Auden Tate did return after missing the team’s open practice this past Sunday.
“He’d been out the last two practices,” Fisher said. “[He] made a couple nice catches today. He actually played probably better today than he has this whole camp.”
On Wednesday, the Seminoles will hold their first scrimmage of the fall inside Doak Campbell Stadium.
Pro Football Focus Features Two Noles on Preseason All-American Team
Sophomore safety Derwin James has drawn rave reviews from Pro Football Focus all summer, reflected in his first team All-America selection in the Pro Football Focus All-American team announced Tuesday. Junior Dalvin Cook received third team honors at tailback.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked James as the No. 5 overall player in the 101 Best Players in College Football rankings, while Cook checked in at No. 11 overall in those same rankings.
CBS Sports Announces Preseason All-America Team
Led by unanimous selection Roderick Johnson, Florida State placed four players on the CBS Sports Preseason All-America Teams on Tuesday afternoon. Johnson, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s top offensive tackle last season, was joined on the first team by running back Dalvin Cook and safety Derwin James. Senior defensive end DeMarcus Walker was the lone selection on the second team.
Johnson, the ACC’s defending Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner as the league’s top lineman, was one of five unanimous selections and the only offensive lineman to receive such honors. Cook, who set the school single-season rushing record last year with 1,691 yards, was named a second team All-American by CBS at the end of 2015.
The Seminoles three first team selections trail only Alabama’s five, while the four combined players trail only the Tide’s seven.