College Football

FSU Football: Top 5 Most Underappreciated Players In 2016

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:52 p.m. ET

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Oct 30, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; Florida State Seminoles fullback Freddie Stevenson (23) runs into the end zone for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Papa John

FSU football has a number of impact players on the 2016 team. However, we highlight the top five most underappreciated players this year.

The FSU football team has played as more of a collective unit than in years past. There have been players that were not expected to play that have contributed meaningful minutes.

Also, there have been players that have made huge impacts on the season even though their contributions may not show up as much on the stats sheet.

That’s how a team is supposed to function.

Sometimes a play calls for a player to take on a double team to free up another defender to make the tackle.

We take a look at the top five most underappreciated players on the FSU football team.

Sep 10, 2016; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Charleston Southern Buccaneers quarterback Robert Mitchell (10) tries to escape the defensive pressure of Florida State Seminoles linebacker Matthew Thomas (6) and defensive back Trey Marshall (20) after having his helmet ripped off in the first half of action at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports

Trey Marshall

FSU football safety Trey Marshall is a unsung hero of the FSU defense this season. He’s third on the team with 54 tackles with one less game under his belt.

The importance of Marshall to the FSU defense can be illustrated easily in one game this season.

The Clemson game.

FSU led Clemson 28-20 going into the fourth quarter, but Marshall was ejected on a bogus targeting call a minute into the fourth quarter.

Clemson scored 17 points in the fourth quarter alone, after only scoring 20 points through the first three-quarters.

The Tigers smartly attacked the void where Marshall was and took advantage of the inexperience to come back and steal a win along with the help of the refs.

Oct 8, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles linebacker Jacob Pugh (16) pushes off Miami Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya (15) after Pugh made the sack during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Jacob Pugh

Jacob Pugh is one of the players that gets lost in the shuffle among the likes of DeMarcus Walker and Derwin James on this defense.

Pugh is eighth on the team with 37 tackles through 12 games, which is more than he had in 13 games all of last season.

He has 3.5 sacks on the season and none bigger than the first play of the game against Miami when he sacked Brad Kaaya and probably gave him a concussion which impacted the rest of the game.

Pugh also had five of his 37 tackles to go for a loss. He’s a player that isn’t flashy but gets the job done more times than not.

He’ll likely have a big role in 2017.

Oct 29, 2016; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Kermit Whitfield (8) picks up a first down during the first quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports

Kermit Whitfield

Kermit Whitfield is a small receiver that has become a much better than I ever though possible. He had a breakout season in 2015 as he was second on the team in receiving yards and touchdowns.

His production has taken a hit with the emergence of several others. However, he is second on the team with 33 receptions and has also contributed in the running game with eight rushes for 79 yards and touchdown.

Whitfield has also handled all of the kickoff duties and averaged nearly 23 yards per return on the season.

Most notably, Whitfield has a knack for making some huge catches on third down to keep drives alive this season.

Oct 31, 2015; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi (91) celebrates a tackle for a loss against the Syracuse Orange at Doak Campbell Stadium. Florida State won 45-21. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports

Derrick Nnadi

Nnadi’s the monster in the middle of the FSU defensive line. If you want to know how important Nnadi is to the FSU defense, just look at the first few games of the season when he was dealing with an ankle injury.

Once fully recovered, Nnadi began to dominate the line of scrimmage against the opposition.

He has 44 tackles on the season with 5.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss. Nnadi often times will take on two defenders which allows a linebacker to fill a gap and make a play.

It’s not known if Nnadi will return to FSU for his senior season, but it would be a huge boost to the defense if that’s the case.

Freddie Stevenson

The ultimate player whose numbers never show up on the stats sheet. Stevenson has blocked for Dalvin Cook all three years Cook at FSU, and helped him become FSU’s all-time leading rusher.

Stevenson has 12 carries for 90 yards and four touchdowns on the season. He also has one reception for six yards that did go for a touchdown.

Stevenson is a player that you rarely hear about because he’s doing the little things that Dalvin Cook gets all the glory for.

That’s not to take away from how great Dalvin Cook is, but it should be noted that Stevenson has had a big role in helping him achieve greatness while at FSU.

It’s a thankless job, but Stevenson has seen more touches than last season(three rushes all season in 2015) and it has paid off for him and the ‘Noles.