Four guys back. All on defense and all right before Florida State.

Mario Cristobal went on the Joe Rose show this morning and confirmed what we've been saying on the CanesInsight Daily Podcast for a week:

Xavier Lucas, Marquise Lightfoot, Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. and Damari Brown are all back. And the guys who were dinged up going into the bye are trending back up after some much-needed rest.

Starting with Lucas, we've been without both starting corners since Stanford.

And while OJ Frederique's injury was more long-term, talking to sources the plan was always getting Lucas back after the bye. Lucas has size, strength and speed at the position, plus he was one of the steadiest players we had in camp. He also had a great battle last year with Duce Robinson, FSU's big X receiver.

Damari Brown matters too. He's over 200 pounds and one of the strongest corners on the team. I don't think he was 100 percent to start the year, but we were so short at corner that he had to play hurt. Now he gets to play healthy.

Up front, Lightfoot comes back to a defense that proved itself without him against Clemson after his early injury.

The Chicago native has been stellar to start his junior season, a key part in this Miami defense which allows the lowest percentage of touchdown drives in the country.

Marcelin was right on the verge of a bigger role when he got hurt. He's flashed every time he's been on the field, and this linebacker room needs more young players pushing behind Chase Smith and Mohamed Toure (who both just had great games at Clemson).

These returns also free up Bryce Fitzgerald. Cristobal told Joe Rose that moving him back to safety is an option, but he can play anywhere, nickel included. Omar Thornton has done some nice things at nickel, along with some negative plays.

Do you want Fitzgerald covering in the nickel? Or do you want him at safety on third and long, using his range and hunting turnovers like he did last year? That's a good problem. We didn't have that choice two weeks ago.

Not everybody is coming back so soon.

Max Buchanan is one we'll be without. Cristobal hopes he rejoins us later in the year, and the playoff run is the more realistic window.

Ja'Boree Antoine is still banged up and won't play this week. My guess is he's closer to the Notre Dame timeframe, though that's hard to pin down.

Armondo Blount isn't injured, but he's in that banged-up group that just needed rest.

The silver lining of all of this? We found out what the depth looks like.

Ryan Mack stepped up at corner and is now someone you can trust off the bench. Dylan Day played a great game at safety. Jarquez Carter, Herbert Scroggins III and Booker Pickett Jr. all did real work on the defensive line, with Pickett filling Lightfoot's role as the extra rusher. They did it on the road, at Clemson and at Wake. Our staff's evaluation of its own depth turned out to be right.

None of this means FSU is a walkover.

Cristobal pumped them up, as he should. He pointed to ten sacks against Virginia and a red zone offense he calls elite. We just watched two top-10 teams get upset, and nobody wants to be next, especially in a rivalry game.

We're breaking down FSU every single day this week on the CanesInSight podcast. Like and subscribe so you don't miss one.

 

 

I have given up on Damari Brown. At this point what ever snaps he can give us on the season I will take. He is always injured. Either he has the worst luck, or he is built like Bentley with Buick parts. He is your classic lemon. Always breaking down. When he is running it’s an amazing drive. But he will leave stranded on the side of the road.. lol

please don,t ever put him on special teams again

 

Torn labrum but will try to play through it.

This news combined with Buchanan's injury should mean a return to guard for McCoy imo.

Asking him to reach and absorb contact from edge rushers at full speed is pretty intense.

He can protect the shoulder and be more effective playing on the interior.

LT Okunlola -- LG Congdon -- C Rodriguez -- RG McCoy -- RT Meriweather

 

Torn labrum but will try to play through it.

This news combined with Buchanan's injury should mean a return to guard for McCoy imo.

Asking him to reach and absorb contact from edge rushers at full speed is pretty intense.

He can protect the shoulder and be more effective playing on the interior.

LT Okunlola -- LG Congdon -- C Rodriguez -- RG McCoy -- RT Meriweather

I agree with u but I’m not sure Meriwether is ready.
How good would we look if Bell had been able to return and Samson was at RT. Jeez.

 

our schedule has been weak to this point. hard to judge. Wake exposed our LBs in coverage. and our secondary still isnt healthy.

DL looks like its getting better each week which is great

 

I have given up on Damari Brown. At this point what ever snaps he can give us on the season I will take. He is always injured. Either he has the worst luck, or he is built like Bentley with Buick parts. He is your classic lemon. Always breaking down. When he is running it’s an amazing drive. But he will leave stranded on the side of the road.. lol

Leave Albert Bentley out of this, poor guy

 

our schedule has been weak to this point. hard to judge. Wake exposed our LBs in coverage. and our secondary still isnt healthy.

DL looks like its getting better each week which is great

As stated Lucas back brings some additional positional variation that plays more towards our strengths.

Add that to the emergence of Day and Mack who stood up well against elite WRs at Clemson!

We are in a stronger position than before

 

I agree with u but I’m not sure Meriwether is ready.

All he does is score touchdowns

 

I agree with u but I’m not sure Meriwether is ready.

All he does is score touchdowns

It took me a second to get what ur saying, but yes he does. Lol

 

With 2 Dbs back I would like to see Thornton head to the bench and I would start dunnigan at nickel. Fitz back to safety even tho I think long term cb might be his best spot. Lucas and O’Connor start at cb

I wouldn’t waste Fitz’ balhawking abilities at corner IMO. He has the ability to change a game all by himself. He’s gotta be at Nickel or Free. But having both him and JJ out there together is crazy! 0 and 7 are the two worst tacklers on the team. They need to share time and whoever plays best gets most reps. O’Connor is the #1 corner right now and is playing at an all American level. So between Brown and Lucas they can give you got reps at the other corner.

 

I wouldn’t waste Fitz’ balhawking abilities at corner IMO. He has the ability to change a game all by himself. He’s gotta be at Nickel or Free. But having both him and JJ out there together is crazy! 0 and 7 are the two worst tacklers on the team. They need to share time and whoever plays best gets most reps. O’Connor is the #1 corner right now and is playing at an all American level. So between Brown and Lucas they can give you got reps at the other corner.

Exactly we need turnovers and having JJ and fitz in free flowing ball hawking positions is how that happens.