A third of the way through the season, it’s indisputable that Florida State’s biggest area of improvement has been on the defensive side of the ball. FSU ranks in the top 10 nationally both in fewest points and yards-per-game allowed.

As expected, guys like cornerback Jalen Ramsey as well linebackers Terrance Smith and Reggie Northrup have made a huge impact, but a number of key contributors early on for the FSU defense have been forced to wait their turn.

“In the old days, those four and fifth-year guys, you counted on those guys,” said Seminoles’ head coach Jimbo Fisher at Wednesday’s ACC teleconference. “They’re mature people, they’re men; when you’re 18, 19, 20, it’s hard to be a man.”

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise has been redshirt senior defensive tackle Giorgio Newberry. Newberry is tied for the team-lead with 1.5 sacks on the season and ranks second on the squad when it comes to tackles for loss.

Newberry came to FSU as a highly-touted pass-rusher, but moved to tight end as a sophomore in 2013 to help fill a position with depth issues. After moving to defensive tackle as a junior, Newberry has played both inside and out this year.

Safety Lamarcus Brutus played sparingly in his first four seasons at Florida State, but came on late as a redshirt junior in 2014 with interceptions against Florida and Georgia Tech. Early this season, Brutus ranks fourth on the team with 18 tackles and has one of FSU’s three interceptions.

“They’ve bided their time and are really making significant roles,” Fisher said Wednesday. “It’s really fun to coach those guys because you watch what they overcame and how mature they are.”

Defensive tackle Nile Lawrence-Stample and safety Tyler Hunter are among other redshirt seniors who have made an impact for the Seminoles, but each has been a mainstay in the lineup since 2013. Among the other pleasant surprises are redshirt sophomore linebacker Ro’Derrick Hoskins and junior cornerback Marquez White, who each played sparingly during their first two seasons in Tallahassee.

Fisher said Wednesday that players like Newberry and Brutus and their willingness to keep working could serve as an example to the younger players.

“It’s not all peaches and cream,” Fisher said. “You got to work for things. Some of those young guys that may not be playing well now or get much playing time, (they can) say hey listen, just keep working like I did.”

Florida State will look to continue to play well on defense as it hosts Miami on Saturday night. The Hurricanes’ offense ranks second in the ACC in yards-per-game and fourth in points-per-game.