It is widely considered to be the most memorable play that Florida State defensive end Jared Verse made for the University at Albany last season.

It also happened in the game that launched him into the national spotlight.

From the opposite side of the field, Verse chased down vaunted Syracuse running back Sean Tucker on a long run in the first quarter. Even if his diving attempt near the goal line failed to prevent Tucker from reaching the end zone for a 56-yard touchdown, Verse flashed impressive speed and determination.

“But there is another play in that game that nobody talks about,” said Bill Nesselt, Verse’s defensive line coach in his two seasons with the Great Danes.

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UAlbany losing 62-24 didn’t keep Verse from showing his relentless motor throughout the game.

With the Great Danes trailing 55-10 early in the fourth quarter, Verse dominated the Orange’s right tackle on a bull rush move. So much so that he drove him back into his own quarterback, resulting in a sack.

A facemask penalty in the secondary prevented the play from appearing in the stat sheet, but it counted to Nesselt.

“It was something I had never seen before,” Nesselt said.

Verse finished with four tackles, six quarterback pressures, and a 79.9 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus. What Verse showed in that Syracuse game, along with the rest of last season, started his one-year ascent from FCS player to projected first-round draft pick.

So it could be a full-circle moment for Verse when the No. 23 Seminoles (6-3, 4-3 ACC) face the Orange (6-3, 4-2) in the JMA Wireless Dome at 8 p.m. Saturday (TV: ACC Network).

FSU coach Mike Norvell certainly remembers watching Verse flash on film when his team prepared for Syracuse last season. It’s why the Seminole coaching staff heavily pursued Verse when he entered the transfer portal last December.

“As you watch different opponents when you are not looking for somebody and they show up, it is impressive. I respected him for it,” Norvell said.

Throughout this season, Nesselt has kept in touch with Verse while watching him from afar. The 6-foot-4, 248-pound Verse has emerged as one of the better players in the ACC, leading FSU with 5.5 sacks and 12 tackles for a loss. He also has 15 tackles.

Nesselt and his wife, an FSU alum, plan to watch Verse in person Saturday. UAlbany hosts Maine at noon, which will allow Nesselt to drive approximately two hours west to Syracuse in time for the game.

“The amount of publicity this university has gotten because of him this season,” Nesselt said. “You watch the games on Saturday nights, and it's not, ‘Pa. native Jared Verse on the sack.’ It is, ‘UAlbany transfer Jared Verse with the sack.

“So when we hear stuff like that, it brings us great pride. … What he has done for me, what he has done for my career, I could not thank him enough.”

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From FCS to projected first-round pick

Nesselt was not expecting Verse to ascend near the top of most NFL Draft boards this quickly.

“He made a lot of young, freshman D-line mistakes in the spring and in the fall (of 2021),” Nesselt said.

It’s not that surprising to Nesselt, though, that Verse has significantly developed within the last year. He watched Verse similarly transform as a player – physically and technically – in his three seasons at UAlbany.

Verse had plenty of room to grow when he joined the Great Danes via the 2019 recruiting class. At Central Columbia High in Bloomsburg, Pa., Verse mostly played tight end and had limited defensive end experience. He also came in at 205 pounds.

Though Verse redshirted as a freshman in 2019, he still shined during practice. Verse then gained 40 pounds before breaking out in the 2021 spring and fall seasons.

“When we first got him as a true freshman, I knew that he was going to be an all-conference player quickly,” said Nate Byham, the associate head coach for the Great Danes. “We had him down there on the defensive scout team, and he was making practice a living hell.

“So with his size and strength and how he was progressing, we were like, ‘This kid is going to be a dude for us.’"

In 15 games across the 2021 spring and fall seasons, Verse recorded a combined 74 tackles, 21.5 tackles for a loss, 14.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup. His play in that fall earned him first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors.

With the Seminoles, Verse has found similar success. He has hardly looked like a player who is transitioning from the FCS to the Power Five.

“The greatest thing Jared Verse offers is his coachability,” Nesselt said. “It’s obviously the effort, his intensity and his love of life. But his ability to take coaching in the moment but also over time, it is really special.

“And I'm not trying to say I taught him some of the stuff he's doing. But there is a specific pass rush move he uses, I see it and I'm like, ‘Man, we taught him that.’

“Obviously they have refined it there at Florida State. But the first time he was taught to stutter on his pass rush was from (UAlbany head) coach (Greg) Gattuso and myself.”

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Jared Verse has ‘never had this much fun’

Verse went viral on social media for his most recent sack celebration.

In FSU’s 45-3 win over Miami last Saturday, Verse brought down quarterback Jacurri Brown for a 12-yard loss. He then formed a U with his hands before snapping the Hurricanes’ signature symbol across his left knee.

“I’ve never had this much fun playing football,” Verse said after the game.

That celebration reminded Nesselt of how much he needed to brace himself when Verse sacked quarterback during their time together.

“I was always nervous that he was going to tear a pec or a bicep or something with how hard he would flex after sacks,” Nesselt said. “He also really enjoyed running off the field and trying to run me over.”

On Saturday, Nesselt will be there to see Verse for the first time since he left the Great Danes. He’s looking forward to watching how much he has grown up close. Especially in the same stadium that changed his life forever a year ago.

“Watching him run out is going to be pretty awesome,” Nesselt said. “He is going to be in that same locker room he was in last year. He is going to be running out the same tunnel. He is going to be playing against the same guys.

“But also seeing him as a fan is going to be even better. I can really cheer now when he does something good.

“And I'm not the one that has to get on him if he messes up a play. I can watch his position coach deal with that.”

GAME INFORMATION

Who: No. 23 FSU (6-3, 4-3 ACC) vs. Syracuse (6-3, 3-2)

When/where: Saturday, 8 p.m.; JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.

TV/Radio: ACC Network/94.9 FM

Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football: Seminoles' Jared Verse returning to Syracuse on Saturday