Florida State is through its first week of fall practice in preparation for the 2019 season.

The Seminoles open the season in Jacksonville against Boise State at TIAA Bank Field. The game is at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN.

FSU went through the acclimation period for the first four practices. The NCAA requires two practices with just helmets and no other pads and two practices with shoulder pads and helmets before teams can don full pads.

Here's what we've learned about the 2019 Seminoles through the first week of practice.

The defense has changed significantly

FSU coach Willie Taggart and defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett have said that the defense that the Seminoles will be running this season isn't all that different from what the team ran in 2018. But there have been significant changes in how it looks.

FSU hasn't lined up in an even-man front during the media viewing portions of practice and looks to be running a 3-4 defense full-time. Position changes and position groupings have made it clear that FSU will be doing things differently.

The defensive line consists of strong-side defensive ends and defensive tackles. Defensive ends like junior Josh Kaindoh and redshirt junior Janarius Robinson are now being asked to stand up in a linebacker role and drop back into coverage at times. Junior Leonard Warner and redshirt freshman Amari Gainer worked at linebacker last year, but are now working off the edge.

FSU had to do something to find a pass rush and maximize the personnel that they had on the roster since there aren't any established pass rushers returning this season. Whatever the reason, FSU is going to look very different from what fans are used to if this continues.

James Blackman has a hold of the quarterback battle

Redshirt sophomore quarterback James Blackman is competing with graduate transfer Alex Hornibrook for the starting quarterback job this season. Transfer Jordan Travis is also in the mix, but he may not be eligible and is significantly behind the other two.

Blackman opened fall practice as the expected starter and nothing that has happened over the first week has changed that. Blackman has looked like the best quarterback during the media viewing periods and sources indicate that he has been better during practices as a whole.

That was to be expected with Hornibrook still learning how to run the system, but Blackman hasn't opened the door for Hornibrook to step into with the way he's performed so far.

There's still a long way to go, but it seems like Blackman has a firm stranglehold on the starting quarterback job through the first week.

The offensive line has found some confidence

The offensive line is the biggest question mark for the Seminoles heading into the 2019 season, but there is a level of confidence coming from that unit that has been missing for a few years.

The reason for that is easy to see. The unit respects and appreciates offensive line coach Randy Clements and the off-season workouts have paid off with very impressive size and strength gains for most of the offensive line.

Guys like redshirt junior Jauan Williams and redshirt sophomore Brady Scott look significantly bigger than they did in the spring and night-and-day different from last season.

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The additions of graduate transfer Ryan Roberts and true freshman Dontae Lucas have given the offensive line a completely new look.

That's not to say the offensive line will be world beaters this year, but this group, particularly the starters, have found some cohesion and confidence among themselves. That's shown up in 1-on-1 drills with the defensive line and Nole Drills where the offensive line has won its fair share of reps against the defensive line and edge rushers.

There's still a massive amount of work to be done by the offensive line, but it's a first step in the right direction.

There's so much talent at wide receiver

FSU's wide receiver group has been impressive so far during fall practice, and that's without redshirt sophomore Tamorrion Terry. Terry is the unquestioned best receiver on the roster and is out for most of fall practice after having minor knee surgery in July.

In his absence, a couple of redshirt freshmen receivers have stepped up on the outside. Warren Thompson has been praised consistently by the coaching staff and the quarterbacks. Jordan Young is getting the same treatment so far.

Then there's junior D.J. Matthews and sophomores Tre'Shaun Harrison and Keyshawn Helton on the inside at slot. All three players have been great to start practice.

Then there's senior Keith Gavin and redshirt sophomore Ontaria Wilson, who haven't been as flashy as the other guys mentioned, but have made impressive plays at times.

It's never bad to have a large number of talented receivers on the roster, but it will be interesting to see how the reps shake out for the receivers during the season.

Veteran safeties aren't going quietly

FSU brought in an extremely talented group of freshmen defensive backs in the 2019 recruiting class, but there's still plenty of talent in that group among the older players. Akeem Dent, Raymond Woodie III, and the other four true freshmen defensive backs have all earned praise over the first week.

But veterans like senior safety Levonta Taylor and junior Cyrus Fagan aren't giving up their spots without a fight.

Taylor is working in as the starting field safety on the defense currently after moving over from cornerback in the spring. The position change has seemed to fit him well and he's made numerous plays at the position during practice. His ability to diagnose plays quickly has been a valuable addition to the safety position.

Fagan really struggled in 2018, possibly more than any other defensive back on the roster. He lost confidence in himself and his abilities and was a liability when he was on the field.

But Fagan has his confidence back according to sources and has been making plays. He's competing for playing time behind junior Hamsah Nasirildeen at this point, but there's hope he can be a significant contributor this season.

Reach Wayne McGahee III at wmcgahee@tallahassee.com.