Florida State's most important players for 2018: No. 30

Wayne McGahee III | Tallahassee Democrat

The countdown to Florida State's season is heading into its final stretch.

The Seminoles are one month away from the start of fall camp with FSU head coach Willie Taggart attempting to lead the program back into the national spotlight.

Taggart is going to have his hands full this season with a brutal schedule that is ranked as one of the Top-3 toughest schedules in college football by nearly every pundit.

If the Seminoles are going to be successful the players are going to have to step up.

Democrat sports writer Wayne McGahee III and Curt Weiler start their countdown of the 30 most important players on FSU's roster for the 2018 season at No. 30.

Wayne - Redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Jauan Williams

Williams enters the fall with a lot to prove and an opportunity to do so.

He will be competing for one of the two open offensive tackle positions with Josh Ball no longer on the FSU football roster.

Williams came to FSU as a four-star offensive lineman out of Washington D.C., but wasn't able to find his way onto the field in his first two years. He missed the 2017 season with a shoulder injury.

He also missed most of spring practice with new offensive line coach Greg Frey at the helm so that could hinder his progress.

With a lack of offensive tackles on the roster, Williams seems primed to make his way into the starting lineup, but he will have to compete with redshirt senior Derrick Kelly.

FSU could also move an interior offensive lineman like Landon Dickerson or Mike Arnold to tackle. Arnold played tackle in the spring.

At 6-foot-7, 293 pounds, Williams has the size that FSU is looking for on the outside and he also has the athleticism and quickness to be a standout tackle.

But Williams will have put it all together to win the job, and if he does, that would be a very good sign for FSU in 2018.

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Curt -- Redshirt junior offensive guard Cole Minshew

Minshew enters his junior season with plenty to prove.

The Pridgeon County (Ga.) product has an impressive 6-foot-5, 335-pound frame and has been one of FSU’s best linemen when healthy and among the starters.

Early in his career, that was a significant problem as he battled multiple concussions and other injuries that kept him sidelined.

This prevented him from practicing consistently and allowed him to play in just six games (three starts) across his first two seasons in 2015 and 2016.

This past season, Minshew finally remained healthy for an extended period and started all 13 games at right guard as a result.

Minshew suffered a minor setback this spring with a left foot injury, but is expected to be ready to go by the time fall camp gets underway.

Minshew was already going to be looked at as one of the veterans on FSU’s offensive line. His 16 career starts are third most among the unit behind Alec Eberle and Derrick Kelly.

The suspension of Ball – and the subsequent realization that FSU will be replacing two starters instead of just one – makes Minshew’s development all the more important.

On an offensive line that has as much room for improvement as any position group under the new FSU regime, Minshew’s ability to stay healthy and emerge as a leader will be crucial in the group’s first year being coached by Frey.