Florida State football was well aware of what it was getting when running back Jaylin Lucas transferred from Indiana into the program.

You give him room and he'd make you pay for it with breakneck, blink-and-you'll-miss-him speed that has added a new layer of depth to the Seminoles running back room.

Giving the defense a hard time

The 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound running junior made a name for himself last season as one of the top returners in the Big 10.

Lucas recorded 572 kick return yards on 22 attempts and took one of those attempts to the house. He also rushed for 275 yards on 67 attempts and two touchdowns.

While his teammates on the offensive side of the ball have been appreciative of him, it's been FSU's defenders who have had a lot to say about Lucas, mainly about how hard it has been to stop him.

"I think he broke the speed record yesterday," defensive back Shyheim Brown said. "He ran like a 22.8 [mph]. When you've got a guy like that on the field competing against you you've got to be on point."

"There's people that can run and then there's Jaylin Lucas," linebacker DJ Lundy said. "I know when he's in the game, you've got to be ready for him."

And the Seminole defense doesn't go lightly when it comes to stopping Lucas.

The defense has made sure that Lucas is on the ground when it catches up to him. Multiple times defenders have had him wrapped up, but broke off from pressure and continued running.

"A weird type of speed"

FSU head coach Mike Norvell continues to be impressed by Lucas's versatility on the field, allowing the Seminole coaching staff to use him in multiple places.

"We're really excited about what he brings with his versatility," Norvell said. "The ability of what he can do out of the backfield and being able to move him around."

Another thing that has stood out to Norvell about Lucas is his work ethic and approach. There's a constant mentality of wanting to be there and to do the work.

"I just love the mentality, the work ethic and the speed acceleration," Norvell said. "All those things that show up on a consistent basis. He comes out every day every rep and he's pushing to be his best. It's exciting to see the growth."

Coming into the locker room, Lucas's teammates knew how fast he was, but are still looking for ways to slow him down.

"Yeah, I knew how fast he was," Defensive back Azareye'h Thomas laughingly said. "I haven't won against him, but I have seen how hard it is to defend him. Is he the fastest? I really don't know. I'm most definitely going to put him up there though."

"His speed and his quickness are different. If you were out there in winter workouts, you'd understand what I was saying. The way he can move and stop on a dime is a weird type of speed."

Jack Williams covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com or on X @jackgwilliams. 

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Jaylin Lucas hitting the ground running against FSU football defense