There were a lot of questions coming into the 2016 season for the Seminoles, looking for a new name to take over the reins at Florida State.
Head Coach Jimbo Fisher found his guy in Deondre Francois, throwing for 3,350 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first season, showcasing that he is more than capable of being the guy in the backfield. Now, the question marks now become expectations in his sophomore campaign and if the Seminoles want to make that run to a National Championship, Francois will need to be a big part of that.
Francois struggled a little early on in 2016, starting the season with a 3-2 record but finished strong, defeating four team ranked 13th or better to finish the season 10-3.
He was also named ACC Rookie of the Year.
Fisher though knows what he has in Francois and has his own expectations. But he also knows early on that he has full faith in his sophomore quarterback.
“This guy is a big time player,” Fisher said of Francois back in March. “He can lead, he is tough, accurate and can throw the ball. He will make a lot of money in this game one day. He is getting better and better. He has done some things wrong, but so have the rest of the guys. That’s the thing with the quarterback, they get all of the blame when things go wrong and all the glory. He probably played as well as anybody last year.”
Even with his experience though, there certainly will be hurdles to overcome this season. Last year, Francois had to deal constant pressure and having to move his feet more than some may like, as he was sacked 34 times last year.
The offensive line will once again have question marks, along with the inexperience at the wide receiver position; both could be troubles that Francois will have to overcome early on this season.
Another part of Francois’ game that may need to improve is the ability to stretch the field. Last year, he struggled at times with that. Completing close to 59 percent of his passes, he only averaged 8.38 yards per attempt and only had passes of 45 yards or more in four of his 13 games last year.
If Francois can deliver on the expectations, the Seminoles could be looking to not only compete for an ACC Championship but possibly for a National Championship.
The battle for the back-up position could be interesting with junior JJ. Cosentino and freshman Bailey Hockman, who enrolled early down in Tallahassee.
