For Florida State entering 2015, there may be no more intriguing battle than the one for the last cornerback position opposite preseason All-American Jalen Ramsey. That spot could come down to a battle between two juniors with colorful last names: Ryan Green and Marquez White.
It’s entirely possible that each could see a significant amount of the field this upcoming season, but dedication to the cornerback position is something brand new for each.
A 4-star recruit out of St. Petersburg, Green spent his first two years in Tallahassee at the running back position. Green has 39 career carries for 194 yards and a touchdown, but most of that came in mop-up duty.
With returning leading rusher Dalvin Cook, Jacques Patrick and Mario Pender all vying for carries, Green’s chances of being able to make a major impact out of the backfield this season for FSU appeared very slim.
The cornerback position however, severely lacks experience with Ramsey, who makes the move out to the boundary from his star spot, being the obvious exception. True freshmen Marcus Lewis and Tavares McFadden have the potential to come in and be instant contributors and more long-term upside, but Green more than held his own in the spring and overcame a slow start during the FSU spring game.
Green has no prior experience at defensive back, but under head coach Jimbo Fisher, the Seminoles have successfully moved players from one side of the football to the other including former linebacker recruit Freddie Stevenson, who will be in his second season as the starting fullback.
Most notable is Cameron Erving, who came to Florida State as a defensive tackle before moving to offensive tackle and eventually center. In the process, Erving earned All-ACC and All-American honors and went 19th overall to the Cleveland Browns in this year’s draft. Green hopes to add to that list.
For White, the only thing different is that his sports focus is solely on football. A former reserve guard for Leonard Hamilton and the basketball team, White announced last August that he was going to limit himself to one sport.
While White didn’t have basketball on his mind last season, that wasn’t necessarily the case last spring. With starters Ronald Darby and P.J. Williams both leaving early for the NFL, White is one of the most experienced corners on the roster.
At about 6’0″ and 180 pounds, White enters 2015 with 15 career tackles and an interception in 25 career games.
The Seminoles will face a number of new challenges in 2015 after ranking just 11th in the ACC in total defense last season and having to take on quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett, Brad Kaaya and Deshaun Watson won’t make matters easier. If FSU is to notch a fourth straight 10-win season, the secondary will need to find a way to make plays for the garnet and gold; that may require a breakout year from either Green or White.
