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Who will be the No. 1 running back for FSU football in 2024? Here are 4 candidates.

ehsan kassim, tallahassee democrat
·4 min read

Just as it will have to do at wide receiver, the Florida State football offense will have a lot of production to replace in 2024 at running back.

Trey Benson — who served as one of the main backs for the Seminoles the last two seasons — is NFL Draft-bound following two strong seasons in Tallahassee.

FSU has targeted two players in the transfer portal, two more freshmen to bring in, and a couple of returners to attempt and replace Benson.

Benson joined FSU ahead of the 2022 season following two seasons at Oregon. He rushed 156 rush times for 905 yards and 14 touchdowns, also adding 20 receptions for 227 yards and a touchdown in 2023.

Here are four candidates for FSU to take over as the top running back spot.

Lawrance Toafili, Redshirt senior

Florida State Seminoles running back Lawrance Toafili (9) sprints down the field towards the end zone. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Louisville Cardinals 16-6 to claim the ACC Championship title in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.
Florida State Seminoles running back Lawrance Toafili (9) sprints down the field towards the end zone. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Louisville Cardinals 16-6 to claim the ACC Championship title in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

Toafili had 69 rushes for 463 yards with four touchdowns, to go along with 21 catches for 186 yards and a touchdown in 2023. According to Pro Football Focus, he posted a 66.0 overall grade and a 74.3 rushing grade.

His best game came against Louisville in the ACC Championship Game with 10 rushes for 118 yards and a score.

Toafili — a former walk-on to start his career — 231 rushing attempts for 1,439 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has also added 67 catches for 690 yards and four TDs, especially showing an adept ability to get open on the wheel route out of the backfield.

For the most part, Toafili has played as an auxiliary piece at running back, so it remains to be seen if he can handle lead back roles at his 6-foot, 188-pound stature.

Caziah Holmes, Redshirt senior

Florida State's Caziah Holmes (26) runs for a touchdown after getting a handoff from Tate Rodemaker during the first half of the team's NCAA college football game against North Alabama, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Colin Hackley)
Florida State's Caziah Holmes (26) runs for a touchdown after getting a handoff from Tate Rodemaker during the first half of the team's NCAA college football game against North Alabama, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Colin Hackley)

Holmes — a 5-11, 208-pound running back — is entering his third year with the Seminoles. He redshirted the 2022 season after being a late transfer, but ran 29 times for 185 yards and two touchdowns last season, also adding five catches for 58 yards and two TDs.

The upcoming redshirt senior posted a 73.4 overall grade, per PFF and an 80.6 passing game grade and an 73.1 running grade, showing a strong all-around game.

In 12 games with Penn State before transferring to FSU, he rushed for 254 yards and two touchdowns while adding six catches for 37 yards.

As someone who has never had a full-time lead running back, the question about Holmes is whether he could hold up to a full workload.

Roydell Williams, Redshirt senior

Nov 25, 2023; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Roydell Williams (5) celebrates after the Crimson Tide defeated Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Alabama defeated Auburn 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2023; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Roydell Williams (5) celebrates after the Crimson Tide defeated Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Alabama defeated Auburn 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

Williams joins a laundry list of players who transferred from Tuscaloosa to Tallahassee this offseason. He has as good of a chance to carve out a role as any of them.

The 5-10, 214-pound back, backed up starter Jase McClellan in 2023, finishing with 111 rushes for 560 yards and five touchdowns. That makes him the running back with the most usage in a single season on the roster.

In 45 games for the Crimson Tide, Williams ran 234 times for 1,165 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also added 21 catches for 152 yards and two TDs in the air, while also returning two kicks for 51 yards.

Williams attended Hueytown High in Hueytown, Alabama and was ranked as a 4-star prospect and the No. 112 player overall by 247Sports.

Kam Davis, Freshman

2024 recruit Kam Davis commits to Florida State
2024 recruit Kam Davis commits to Florida State

Davis — who has been committed to FSU since February 25, 2021 — has a chance to make an impact in his freshman season.

Listed at 5-10, 220-pounds, the back from Dougherty High in Albany, Georgia, was ranked the No. 133 overall recruit in the 2024 recruiting class. He is the No. 7 running back and the No. 17 player in the state already looks built like a college running back.

Davis was limited to three games in his senior season but averaged 8.9 yards per carry and 14.9 yards per catch and finished with five total touchdowns. He was the 2022 Georgia AAA Player of the Year as a junior.

If he enjoys strong spring and fall camps, he could carve out a sizeable role and even steal the lead-back role.

Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports), Instagram (tlhnolesports) and YouTube channel (NoleSportsTD).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Is Roydell Williams an option to replace Trey Benson for FSU football