Florida State's defense to keep benefiting from Kevin Knowles II's play at nickel

carter karels, tallahassee democrat

Sun, Jul 3, 2022, 10:21 PM·3 min read

The countdown to the 2022 Florida State football season is underway.

Mike Norvell's third season atop the Seminoles will be a critical one to his long-term chances in Tallahassee. The roster continues to be shaped more in his desired image as he looks to guide FSU to a bowl for the first time in his tenure.

To begin that look ahead to the upcoming season, it's time for the Democrat's annual list of the 40 most important FSU football players, continuing today with No. 17.

NoleSports Podcast: The Athletic's Chris Vannini on FSU, the ACC and conference expansion

FSU football recruiting: Analyzing Florida State quarterback commit Chris Parson's Elite 11 Finals performance

FSU baseball: Florida State baseball lands All-Big 12 transfer in West Virginia's McGwire Holbrook

Our list of the 40 most important FSU football players was compiled on June 9 by aggregating the rankings submitted by beat writers Curt Weiler and Carter Karels. Any players added to the roster after that date were not considered for this list. All ties were broken by discussion.

No. 17: Sophomore defensive back Kevin Knowles II

Florida State Seminoles defensive back Kevin Knowles II (26) sprints down the field after intercepting a pass. The Florida State Seminoles hosted their annual Garnet and Gold spring game at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, April 9, 2022.

The emergence of Kevin Knowles II at nickel cornerback last season had quite the impact on Florida State’s defense.

Younger players often aren’t prepared to handle the nickel position’s demanding responsibilities, which mostly include covering shifty slot receivers one on one in space. While Knowles wasn't perfect last season, he largely held his own for a true freshman nickel.

Jammie Robinson benefited from Knowles’ play. Knowles cementing himself at nickel kept Robinson's move to strong safety permanent. Robinson proved to be a revelation as a safety, claiming first team All-ACC honors and leading the Seminoles with 85 tackles last season.

Knowles enrolling a semester early last January helped him accelerate his adjustment to college football from Hollywood (Fla.) McArthur. The former three-star recruit immediately received high-leverage reps before starting in seven of the final eight games.

On the season, Knowles recorded 26 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and two pass breakups. He shared Devaughn Darling Defensive Freshman of the Year recognition with cornerback Omarion Cooper, another true freshman who surged toward the end of last season.

This spring, Knowles only helped his chances of continuing to be FSU’s starting nickel. If he impresses enough in preseason camp, Knowles could even make a push for the No. 1 field cornerback spot. Redshirt junior Renardo Green is expected to be the starter at that position, though.

The Seminoles may eventually prefer Knowles starting at field corner over nickel. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Knowles seems like a natural field corner, a position similar to nickel in that the defender must cover a lot of ground. But for now, Knowles playing nickel is enough for FSU’s defense to thrive.

What Knowles currently offers the Seminoles and what he could become later in his career makes him a valuable member of their defense. Led by Knowles, Cooper and true freshmen Sam McCall and Azareye’h Thomas, FSU has an impressive group of young defensive backs who give the secondary a promising future.