Everyone knows the players expected to be the most important and have the biggest impact on the 2025 Florida State football season.
A successful season will likely depend on a bounceback season from transfer quarterback Tommy Castellanos. Transfer receivers like Deuce Robinson and Squirrel White are expected to ensure there's no repeat of FSU's wildly underachieving wide receiver room this fall. Returning defensive tackle Darrell Jackson and transfer defensive ends like James Williams and Deante McCray are expected to anchor new defensive coordinator Tony White's revamped defense and create pressure/force takeaways, two things that the 2024 FSU defense didn't do nearly frequently enough.
But who are the low-key most important players on the 2025 roster? Here's a list of five players who may be a bit under-the-radar (not currently projected as starters on the Osceola's depth chart) that could very well be critically important on the field this season.
Running back Ousmane Kromah
There are a few reasons why it's a bit bold to predict that Ousmane Kromah will be impactful for the Seminoles in 2025.
Obviously, he's a true freshman. But even more than that, he wasn't able to enroll early in January and participate in spring practice. He didn't enroll at FSU until May, giving him much less time and no real practice reps in the offense before preseason camp begins basically a month out from the team's season-opening game vs. Alabama on Aug. 30.
Still, I'm betting on Kromah's potential here as one of FSU's biggest recruiting wins of the 2025 cycle. He was FSU's second-highest-rated 2025 signee according to Rivals as the No. 109 overall prospect and No. 5 running back in the class, behind only wide receiver signee Jayvan Boggs. Kromah also appears a bit more ready to make the transition to being a collegiate running back than Kam Davis was last season because he played the position in high school.
Kromah rushed for over 1,350 yards and 15-plus touchdowns in each of his last three seasons at Lee County (Ga.) High. He finished his high-school career with 4,643 rushing yards, 1,456 receiving yards and 74 touchdowns (55 rushing, 19 receiving). Listed on FSU's roster at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, he sounds physically ready to contribute immediately, although we'll have to see for ourselves once preseason camp begins.
Another reason to believe Kromah could play a somewhat large role as a true freshman is because of the uncertainty of that position room entering the 2025 season. Oklahoma transfer Gavin Sawchuk is the only FSU running back who is particularly proven at this level. There are other options like Davis, Roydell Williams, Caziah Holmes and Jaylin Lucas, but if Kromah lives up to the hype, he could quickly rise near the top of the pecking order by the end of the 2025 season, if not sooner.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore
FSU has already significantly raised the floor of its receiver room this offseason with the additions of guys like Robinson, White and UNC transfer Gavin Blackwell. But if one or two of the younger, high-potential but yet-unproven wideouts on the roster break through this season, that could somewhat dramatically raise the ceiling of FSU's wide receiver unit this fall.
One prime candidate for such a breakthrough is redshirt freshman Elijah Moore. An Olney, Md. native who signed in FSU's 2024 class, Moore arrived with big-time potential as the No. 100 overall recruit and No. 22 wide receiver in the 2024 class and a high-school highlight film chock full of ridiculously athletic catches. However, he was someone who took a bit of time to get adjusted to the consistency required to practice at this level last fall, which prevented him from playing as much as fellow freshmen Lawayne McCoy and BJ Gibson and led to him finishing the 2024 season without a catch in a game.
In practice, though, Moore made a habit of making some incredible catches. He's got some serious ups for a 6-foot-4 receiver and provides the size that FSU doesn't have from many of the top projected receivers on its depth chart aside from Robinson. If Moore has taken that next step this offseason, he could be a force this season for the Seminoles and bring the contested-catch ability that last year's receiver room didn't showcase nearly enough.
Offensive lineman Andre' Otto
If everyone is healthy to start the season, FSU's starting offensive line is expected to be comprised of five transfer additions.
New offensive line coach Herb Hand added four transfers this offseason in the form of a pair of tackles from SEC schools (Gunnar Hansen from Vanderbilt and Micah Pettus from Ole Miss), a veteran center from an ACC school (Wake Forest transfer Luke Petitbon) and a guard he coached at his previous school (UCF transfer Adrian Medley). While it's a bit up in the air, the other guard spot is likely to be filled by second-year Florida transfer Richie Leonard IV, who missed most of the 2024 season due to injury but impressed in practice before going down.
But depth beyond those five will be critical, even if they all enter the season healthy. Because it's a real rarity that a team makes it through an entire season with its offensive line intact the whole way. That physical trench play takes a toll on those players, and it's a near certainty that more than five players will be required.
As such, a versatile, high-ceiling lineman like redshirt sophomore Andre' Otto could be critical to the FSU offensive line taking the huge step back in the right direction that it badly needs to take this fall. Otto has worked at center and both guard spots during his time as a Seminole, making him a viable option off the bench at 60% of the spots on the line. He impressed last preseason enough that he got some in-game reps and made three starts.
That 2024 action didn't go the best for him, but it's fair to point out that the line -- and the offense as a whole -- around him wasn't exactly setting him up for success. If Otto learned through those growing pains, he could be a valuable bench piece in 2025 or even push for a starting spot depending on how big a step in his development he's taken this offseason.
Defensive lineman KJ Sampson
While much has rightly been made about the pieces FSU added to its defensive line this offseason through the portal and the high-school ranks, there are also a few homegrown defensive linemen who should play critical roles this season. Redshirt junior Daniel Lyons could be a starter, making him ineligible for this list. But redshirt sophomore KJ Sampson is not projected as a starter and yet should be a critical piece on the defensive front for the Seminoles this season.
Sampson didn't take on a huge role last season on the defensive line. He recorded just 10 tackles in 11 games, with six of those occurring in one game at Miami. However, he showed enough both in practice and in limited game action that he was a candidate to break out in 2025. He validated that buzz this spring with a sensational scrimmage that we were able to observe, but also from all we heard about how much he was making plays at a high level all spring.
At 6-foot-3, 309 pounds, Sampson fits in well in White's defense as a versatile lineman capable of being a presence in the middle or an edge rusher at one of the end positions. If what we saw from him and heard about him this spring plays out this fall, he could be one of the surprise stars of the 2025 season on the FSU defense.
Defensive lineman/linebacker Amaree Williams
Throughout Amaree Williams' first 18ish months in the FSU football program, he's made an impact wherever he's been placed on the roster.
As a reclassified defensive line signee who was supposed to still be in high school, he worked with the tight ends while bulking up and still managed to rack up 71 receiving yards and two touchdown catches as a true freshman.
Now listed as a tight end/defensive lineman, Williams worked with the defensive line almost exclusively during the spring. He's a bit more bulked up (listed at 230 pounds) but probably still a bit undersized to be a true defensive lineman in White's 3-3-5 defense. However, he may be a perfect Jack linebacker, a versatile role which can fill a number of duties including being a blitzer off the edge and dropping into coverage. That position appeared to be how FSU's defensive staff was using Williams during the scrimmage he observed and he appeared to be taking to it quite well, making plays in a number of ways and showing off the speed to be solid in coverage against tight ends or slot receivers and the strength to be impactful as a rusher and a run-stopper.
There's also the wild card of if he could still be used moderately as a tight end in 2025. While he was practicing with the defense this spring, Williams did say he was still attending tight end position group meetings.
With how quickly Williams has proven his value and shown his ability in a number of ways, he's not somebody I'm betting against.
A successful season will likely depend on a bounceback season from transfer quarterback Tommy Castellanos. Transfer receivers like Deuce Robinson and Squirrel White are expected to ensure there's no repeat of FSU's wildly underachieving wide receiver room this fall. Returning defensive tackle Darrell Jackson and transfer defensive ends like James Williams and Deante McCray are expected to anchor new defensive coordinator Tony White's revamped defense and create pressure/force takeaways, two things that the 2024 FSU defense didn't do nearly frequently enough.
But who are the low-key most important players on the 2025 roster? Here's a list of five players who may be a bit under-the-radar (not currently projected as starters on the Osceola's depth chart) that could very well be critically important on the field this season.
Running back Ousmane Kromah
There are a few reasons why it's a bit bold to predict that Ousmane Kromah will be impactful for the Seminoles in 2025.
Obviously, he's a true freshman. But even more than that, he wasn't able to enroll early in January and participate in spring practice. He didn't enroll at FSU until May, giving him much less time and no real practice reps in the offense before preseason camp begins basically a month out from the team's season-opening game vs. Alabama on Aug. 30.
Still, I'm betting on Kromah's potential here as one of FSU's biggest recruiting wins of the 2025 cycle. He was FSU's second-highest-rated 2025 signee according to Rivals as the No. 109 overall prospect and No. 5 running back in the class, behind only wide receiver signee Jayvan Boggs. Kromah also appears a bit more ready to make the transition to being a collegiate running back than Kam Davis was last season because he played the position in high school.
Kromah rushed for over 1,350 yards and 15-plus touchdowns in each of his last three seasons at Lee County (Ga.) High. He finished his high-school career with 4,643 rushing yards, 1,456 receiving yards and 74 touchdowns (55 rushing, 19 receiving). Listed on FSU's roster at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, he sounds physically ready to contribute immediately, although we'll have to see for ourselves once preseason camp begins.
Another reason to believe Kromah could play a somewhat large role as a true freshman is because of the uncertainty of that position room entering the 2025 season. Oklahoma transfer Gavin Sawchuk is the only FSU running back who is particularly proven at this level. There are other options like Davis, Roydell Williams, Caziah Holmes and Jaylin Lucas, but if Kromah lives up to the hype, he could quickly rise near the top of the pecking order by the end of the 2025 season, if not sooner.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore
FSU has already significantly raised the floor of its receiver room this offseason with the additions of guys like Robinson, White and UNC transfer Gavin Blackwell. But if one or two of the younger, high-potential but yet-unproven wideouts on the roster break through this season, that could somewhat dramatically raise the ceiling of FSU's wide receiver unit this fall.
One prime candidate for such a breakthrough is redshirt freshman Elijah Moore. An Olney, Md. native who signed in FSU's 2024 class, Moore arrived with big-time potential as the No. 100 overall recruit and No. 22 wide receiver in the 2024 class and a high-school highlight film chock full of ridiculously athletic catches. However, he was someone who took a bit of time to get adjusted to the consistency required to practice at this level last fall, which prevented him from playing as much as fellow freshmen Lawayne McCoy and BJ Gibson and led to him finishing the 2024 season without a catch in a game.
In practice, though, Moore made a habit of making some incredible catches. He's got some serious ups for a 6-foot-4 receiver and provides the size that FSU doesn't have from many of the top projected receivers on its depth chart aside from Robinson. If Moore has taken that next step this offseason, he could be a force this season for the Seminoles and bring the contested-catch ability that last year's receiver room didn't showcase nearly enough.
Offensive lineman Andre' Otto
If everyone is healthy to start the season, FSU's starting offensive line is expected to be comprised of five transfer additions.
New offensive line coach Herb Hand added four transfers this offseason in the form of a pair of tackles from SEC schools (Gunnar Hansen from Vanderbilt and Micah Pettus from Ole Miss), a veteran center from an ACC school (Wake Forest transfer Luke Petitbon) and a guard he coached at his previous school (UCF transfer Adrian Medley). While it's a bit up in the air, the other guard spot is likely to be filled by second-year Florida transfer Richie Leonard IV, who missed most of the 2024 season due to injury but impressed in practice before going down.
But depth beyond those five will be critical, even if they all enter the season healthy. Because it's a real rarity that a team makes it through an entire season with its offensive line intact the whole way. That physical trench play takes a toll on those players, and it's a near certainty that more than five players will be required.
As such, a versatile, high-ceiling lineman like redshirt sophomore Andre' Otto could be critical to the FSU offensive line taking the huge step back in the right direction that it badly needs to take this fall. Otto has worked at center and both guard spots during his time as a Seminole, making him a viable option off the bench at 60% of the spots on the line. He impressed last preseason enough that he got some in-game reps and made three starts.
That 2024 action didn't go the best for him, but it's fair to point out that the line -- and the offense as a whole -- around him wasn't exactly setting him up for success. If Otto learned through those growing pains, he could be a valuable bench piece in 2025 or even push for a starting spot depending on how big a step in his development he's taken this offseason.
Defensive lineman KJ Sampson
While much has rightly been made about the pieces FSU added to its defensive line this offseason through the portal and the high-school ranks, there are also a few homegrown defensive linemen who should play critical roles this season. Redshirt junior Daniel Lyons could be a starter, making him ineligible for this list. But redshirt sophomore KJ Sampson is not projected as a starter and yet should be a critical piece on the defensive front for the Seminoles this season.
Sampson didn't take on a huge role last season on the defensive line. He recorded just 10 tackles in 11 games, with six of those occurring in one game at Miami. However, he showed enough both in practice and in limited game action that he was a candidate to break out in 2025. He validated that buzz this spring with a sensational scrimmage that we were able to observe, but also from all we heard about how much he was making plays at a high level all spring.
At 6-foot-3, 309 pounds, Sampson fits in well in White's defense as a versatile lineman capable of being a presence in the middle or an edge rusher at one of the end positions. If what we saw from him and heard about him this spring plays out this fall, he could be one of the surprise stars of the 2025 season on the FSU defense.
Defensive lineman/linebacker Amaree Williams
Throughout Amaree Williams' first 18ish months in the FSU football program, he's made an impact wherever he's been placed on the roster.
As a reclassified defensive line signee who was supposed to still be in high school, he worked with the tight ends while bulking up and still managed to rack up 71 receiving yards and two touchdown catches as a true freshman.
Now listed as a tight end/defensive lineman, Williams worked with the defensive line almost exclusively during the spring. He's a bit more bulked up (listed at 230 pounds) but probably still a bit undersized to be a true defensive lineman in White's 3-3-5 defense. However, he may be a perfect Jack linebacker, a versatile role which can fill a number of duties including being a blitzer off the edge and dropping into coverage. That position appeared to be how FSU's defensive staff was using Williams during the scrimmage he observed and he appeared to be taking to it quite well, making plays in a number of ways and showing off the speed to be solid in coverage against tight ends or slot receivers and the strength to be impactful as a rusher and a run-stopper.
There's also the wild card of if he could still be used moderately as a tight end in 2025. While he was practicing with the defense this spring, Williams did say he was still attending tight end position group meetings.
With how quickly Williams has proven his value and shown his ability in a number of ways, he's not somebody I'm betting against.
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