MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: The Florida State Seminoles take the field for the Capitol One Orange Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines at Sun Life Stadium on December 30, 2016 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

FSU Football: Website ranks two title games for Noles among best ever

FSU Football: Website ranks two title games for Noles among best ever by Jason Parker

FSU football will have arguably its most talented group of wide receivers in 2017. We look at the ceiling for Auden Tate.

Much like 2013, FSU football will be counting on a shallow group of of talented wide receivers to make explosive plays downfield. The top target downfield returns for his junior year in Auden Tate.

The junior played in all 13 games last season, finishing fourth on the team in receptions(25) and yards(409). He finished second on the team with six touchdowns

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The crazy thing is Tate amassed those numbers while not recording a single reception in three games last season. There were an additional three games where he only had one reception.

That’s half the season right there, but he did battle some injuries that limited his production and wasn’t a starter at the beginning of the season.



At 6 feet 5 inches and 225 pounds, Tate has the size to play at the next level and he’ll need to play that way for the ‘Noles to win the ACC and compete for a national championship.

What’s the Ceiling?

I’d consider it off the charts considering Tate didn’t catch a single pass is freshman season. He battled injuries while playing in only six games. Clearly he needs to stay healthy to make an impact.

However, hauling in 25 receptions for over 400 yards and six touchdowns is a huge leap. His stats are eerily similar to Kelvin Benjamin’s redshirt sophomore season.

Benjamin had 30 receptions for 495 yards and four touchdowns in 2012. However, he destroyed those stats his junior season and became a first round NFL draft pick with 56 receptions for 1,011 yards and 15 touchdowns.

I don’t expect Tate to surpass those numbers by any means, but I do expect him to make another big jump provided he can stay healthy.

If I could guarantee he’d be healthy for every game, I think I’d bump these numbers just a tad. However, it wouldn’t shock me to see him with 40-50 receptions, 600 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns this season.