The Five Most Underrated Seminoles

After 14 years, Florida State returned to the top of college football in 2014, finishing as national champions with a perfect 14-0 record. As is the case with most national championship teams, Florida State had no shortage of star power. Quarterback Jameis Winston, center Bryan Stork and kicker Roberto Aguayo all won major awards while cornerback Lamarcus Joyner and defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan were named All-Americans. With a plethora of talent however, there are a number of Seminoles that have managed to fly under the radar. Here’s a look at the five most underrated FSU players heading into 2014:

5. Nile Lawrence-Stample, DT
Nile Lawrence-Stample started six games for the nation’s top scoring defense in 2013, but playing next to Timmy Jernigan kept the redshirt sophomore from getting much attention. Though Lawrence-Stample didn’t put up huge numbers, he quietly got the job done as a run-stuffer. As one of the few experienced interior defensive linemen on the roster, Lawrence-Stample should be in for an ever bigger 2014 campaign.

4. Bobby Hart, T
With Rimington Award winner Bryan Stork at center last season and potential 2014 All-Americans Tre’ Jackson and Cameron Erving along the offensive front, the right side of the Florida State offensive line has been largely overlooked. After inconsistency earlier in his career, Bobby Hart turned in a solid junior season in 2013. Hart excelled as a pass protector and started all 14 games on the Seminoles’ run to the national championship. As just a 20-year-old senior, few would be surprised if Hart was named All-ACC in 2014 after being named honorable mention last season.

3. Rashad Greene, WR
It’s hard to imagine that a first team All-ACC wide receiver and a player that has led Florida State in receiving in each of his three years on campus could be called underrated, but Rashad Greene is just that good. While Greene fails to receive much national attention, his place among Florida State wide receivers throughout history is also overlooked. As the 2014 season gets underway, Greene looks to become the first Seminole ever to lead the team in receiving in four straight seasons and is just 1,134 yards away from becoming the school’s all-time leading receiver. Despite being only 180 pounds, Greene has been a complete receiver for the Seminoles and one of the most clutch ever. Greene scored game-winning fourth quarter touchdowns against Notre Dame and Virginia Tech in his first two seasons as a Seminole and his 49-yard catch-and-run set up the winning score for Florida State in the 2014 BCS National Championship against Auburn. Greene is not only one of the best receivers in the country, he’s one of the best Seminoles ever.

2. Josue Matias, G
Playing between Rimington Award winner Bryan Stork and All-ACC performer Cameron Erving in 2013, guard Josue Matias didn’t receive much attention. Despite being a largely unmentioned part of the Seminoles’ star-studded offensive line, Matias put forward a solid campaign starting in every game while being named to the ACC’s third team. While a solid pass protector, Matias did his best work as a run blocker and was an intricate part of an offense that scored more points than any school in FBS history.

1. Nate Andrews, S
Florida State’s secondary proved to be one of the best in college football in 2013, leading the nation in interceptions. While Lamarcus Joyner, Terrence Brooks and Jalen Ramsey stole the headlines, true freshman Nate Andrews actually led the team in interceptions and was tied with Joyner for the team lead in forced fumbles. Against Wake Forest last season, Andrews recorded a pair of picks — one of which was returned 56 yards for a touchdown — and a forced fumble in a 59-3 FSU victory. Andrews’ first career interception in the waning minutes against Boston College thwarted an Eagles’ comeback in Florida State’s closest game of the regular season late last September. Though Andrews doesn’t start for Florida State’s talent-laden secondary, he’s proving to be a major contributor and one of the nation’s most underrated defensive backs.