It's the James Blackman show at Florida State now.

Blackman redshirted the 2018 season after playing in four games with one start at quarterback (North Carolina State). He started 12 games during the 2017 season as a true freshman.

Despite not starting in 2018, Blackman's leadership and competitiveness made an impact on the guys around him.

"James is a tremendous leader," FSU cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. said.

"He’s always cheering on the teammates no matter if he’s playing or not. He’s a Jameis Winston type of guy. Everybody loves him, everybody knows he’s going to work hard. Come out and play. Energy. Just glad to have him."

Blackman, a redshirt sophomore, has thrown for 2,740 yards with 24 touchdowns to 12 interceptions during his FSU career. He's completed 59.1 percent of his passes.

He was going to be competing with Deondre Francois for the starting quarterback job this spring, but Francois was dismissed from the program at the beginning of February.

Blackman is the only scholarship quarterback left on the roster after FSU had three at this time last year.

“I respect him as a player and a person," FSU wide receiver Tre'Shaun Harrison said.

"Even though he wasn’t playing as much, he still kept the guys on the sideline into the game. He still encouraged Deondre and he was still working in practice, competing against him to ultimately get the spot.”

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FSU started up its off-season workout program, nicknamed "The Chase," last week.

Blackman could have easily slacked off knowing there was no one left to compete with him for the starting job.

But that's just not who he is.

"I think it actually made him work a little bit harder," Samuel Jr. said.

"He knows a lot of people are depending on him and he wants to prove a lot of people wrong that doubted him."

Blackman's leadership abilities have been consistently praised since he arrived at FSU, and it's considered one of his best qualities.

He's earned the respect of his teammates and is a guy that players want to follow.

"He’s an alpha dog," FSU wide receiver Keyshawn Helton said.

"He’s a leader. Me and James actually worked with the twos last year and he’s a player. He’s determined. He knows the culture here at Florida State. He’s going to be good."

Blackman will be dealing with his third different offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in three years with the FSU program.

Former FSU coach Jimbo Fisher called plays in 2017. Current FSU coach Willie Taggart and former offensive coordinator Walt Bell combined to call plays in 2018.

New offensive coordinator Kendal Briles will call plays and coach quarterbacks in 2019.

Briles hasn't had the chance to work with Blackman in a practice setting yet, but he still had high praise for his new quarterback.

"Really sharp kid. Really eager to learn. You can tell that he’s a guy that comes to work every single day," Briles told Seminoles.com.

"His consistency. And really with any Division I football player, that’s a big deal – being consistent. But especially in the quarterback room. That kid is consistent on a daily basis, every time that I’ve been around him. I think he’s a guy that is going to pull other people with him.

"It’s like how having a great point guard in basketball makes everybody else better, I feel like he’s going to have that same intangible on the field. So I’m excited to work with him, and I think he’s got some talent to go along with it."

Reach Wayne McGahee III at wmcgahee@tallahassee.com