The Jameis Winston era at Florida State may be over, but that hasn’t stopped the bad news and media scrutiny regarding current and future FSU quarterbacks from rolling in this month.
It was reported Thursday that freshman quarterback De’Andre Johnson, a 4-star recruit and last year’s Florida Mr. Football, is suspended for violating an Athletic Department policy. Later, it was learned that Johnson has been accused of hitting a woman in a bar.
Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher has been revered for his ability to recruit and develop quarterbacks. Fisher’s last three full-time starters have gone on to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft including Winston, a former Heisman winner, who recently went first overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Though having a “stable” isn’t always a good thing when it comes to the quarterback position, it looked to be an accurate description when describing the Seminoles. Everett Golson transferring to Tallahassee from Notre Dame gives FSU an experienced signal-caller for 2015 while Johnson along with fellow freshmen Deondre Francois and J.J. Consentino have FSU looking toward a very bright future.
The future FSU quarterback that some are most high on however, is still in high school.
2016 commitment Mailk Henry is a 5-star talent who is currently regarded by Rivals as the No. 3 quarterback of the class. Henry had transferred from Westlake High School in California to IMG Academy in Bradenton, but it was reported earlier this month that Henry will be transferring from the Bradenton school before ever taking a snap.
Reports are that Henry had attitude and maturity issues that led him to clash with the new IMG coaching staff. When Henry transferred, the school’s football program was coached by FSU’s former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Chris Weinke, who sent more than his fair share of top-tier high school athletes to his alma mater. Weinke left to take a job as quarterbacks coach with the NFL’s St. Louis Rams.
Some have suggested that Henry’s transfer from IMG Academy may lead to him looking to sign with a different school. While Fisher has caught flack from the outside for his leniency on players, he has long stressed the importance of being coachable.
Since the sexual assault allegations against Winston from December of 2012 came to light in October of 2013, the school and particularly the football program have come under scrutiny from the media for its handling of player discipline. A recent study by ESPN’s Outside the Lines showed that FSU athletes accused of crimes are not prosecuted 70 percent of the time as compared to 50 percent of the time for other male students.
While FSU was not that different from other programs in the study, perception is reality to many and for FSU, perception has not been positive of late and the university will have to work to change that perception.
The accusations against Johnson are just that — accusations — at this point, but should they be true, it could lead to his dismissal from FSU. Henry’s reported immaturity issues are probably not out of the norm for many 17-year-old boys, but not being accepting to coaching is a problem at ant any level. Having him transfer from IMG has to at the very least, make Seminole fans question the firmness of his commitment.
Should either Johnson or Henry be absent from the program moving forward, Consentino and Francois still give FSU two passers with the capability of being exceptional. Few would argue however, that having four quarterbacks with a world of potential isn’t better than two, but after having Clint Trickett, Jacob Coker and John Franklin III transfer over the last three years, the line of quarterbacks hoping to play under Fisher remains long.
With or without Johnson and Henry, that likely won’t change anytime soon.
