What does Everett Golson bring to Florida State?

It's official.

Everett Golson announced he'd be playing football in Tallahassee in 2015 on Tuesday, and whether it be his early 2014 Heisman candidacy, 2012 title game run or 37 total touchdowns just a season ago, the often unpredictable quarterback gives Florida State a considerable boost in quarterback depth.

Enough cannot be said on exactly how much experience the former Notre Dame starting quarterback has. Golson has been behind center for a Fighting Irish team that made it to the coveted BCS National Title game in 2012. While the Irish didn't win the game much can be said about how the defense, which had no answer for the Crimson Tide, put Golson behind the eight ball. Overall, Golson has accounted for a grand total of 41 passing touchdowns in just two seasons at Notre Dame.

Though he struggled with turnovers, Golson has the talent and ability to make big throws and big plays with his legs and, should he win the job, would be another valuable weapon in an offense that already features Dalvin Cook, Bobo Wilson,Travis Rudolph and Ermon Lane.

What may be working against Golson the most at FSU is a different kind of experience. This is the kind that comes from being in a system and knowing one's fellow teammates.



His competition at Florida State? Sean Maguire, who has seen just a couple passing touchdowns in his career at FSU in limited opportunities as the back up to Jameis Winston, most notably starting in a primetime matchup against Clemson. He pulled off the win, going 21 of 39 with 305 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. All things considered, it was against an elite Clemson defense in a start that Maguire learned he would be getting just two days before, and that he would be playing the whole game at 11:30 p.m. on Friday.

If Golson has aspirations to start at Florida State, he should put just as much importance on winning over the locker room as he does on learning Fisher's advanced pro style playbook at FSU. To those that may not put as much stock into this sentiment, look no further than what Jameis Winston did in his first season as a starter. The enthusiastic young Winston took the world by storm. Much of his success can be credited to how he inspired the kind of locker room chemistry that brought out the best in each of his teammates.

Golson is no stranger to this type of early career success that is fueled by team chemistry. It was just his first season as a starter when the Fighting Irish made it to the national title game. In one of the most significant games of that season against Oklahoma, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly had high praise about his quarterback's team leadership.

"He was leading," Kelly said. "He was communicating, he was talking. He was doing things that you hope– as you go through this process– that you start to see. He was confident, he was calm. All the things you need to see from your quarterback when you're on the road."

FSU's newest quarterback will need to quickly revert back to those skills Kelly lauded during his title run if he dreams of helping FSU go on another, or even if he wishes to start week one against Texas State on Sept. 5.