As a 3-star prospect in the 2020 Florida State football recruiting class, Joshua Farmer was a project who had the potential to blossom into a star.

Farmer is from Apalachicola, Florida, and attended Gadsden County High. He was ranked as the No. 649 recruit nationally and the No. 89 prospect in the state, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Three years later, the redshirt sophomore has built out his frame and is close to being what FSU coach Mike Norvell and his staff projected him as a recruit.

"Joshua has gotten bigger and his football IQ has gone way up," Associate Head Coach and Defensive Tackles Coach Odell Haggins said. "He knew football but his football IQ has gone to another level of knowing backfield sets and when offensive linemen pulling.

"...He's playing harder to and I'm really enjoying seeing him do that."

Last season, Farmer recorded 15 tackles, including six tackles for loss, two sacks and one quarterback hurry after redshirting in 2021.

Some of that required him to fill out his frame. Farmer was 6-foot-3 out of high school but needed to put on weight to be effective in college.

“Just experience and then play with this weight," Farmer said of his improvement. "When I came in I was 250 (pounds) and now I am 310. So just getting used to this weight and playing with it. I think that’s why I’ve grown a lot.”

Farmer is projected to play a significant role along the defensive tackle group this season, along with Fabien Lovett, Byron Turner Jr., Braden Fiske and Malcolm Ray.

"Especially this year. This is like money year," Famer said. "And then this rotation, we’re going to be fresh. I’m going to be fresh so I can go hard every play. So it’s no excuse. I think this is the year for me."

Despite adding weight to his frame, Farmer has not missed a beat.

He has had impressive flashes throughout the fall camp.

"He's moving around. He better move around because he knows I'll be getting on him," Haggins said. "He has taken the challenge and Josh, he is working his butt off. I really love that."

Near the end if April, Farmer entered the transfer portal but eventually decided to stay with the Seminoles.

Defensive tackles pushing for 'dominance' under Odell Haggins

FSU had its first scrimmage of the fall camp Sunday following nine practices. One of the groups which performed well in the scrimmage was the defensive line.

"They played with pretty good technique," Haggins said. "They are using their hands, snatching blocks and rushing the passer pretty well."

Haggins was an All-American defensive lineman for the Seminoles and played from 1985-89 under legendary coach Bobby Bowden.

He has been on the FSU coaching staff since 1994 and has coached along the defensive line under Bowden, Jimbo Fisher, Willie Taggart and now Norvell. He also stepped in as interim head coach twice.

Haggins has pushed his defensive tackle room to continue to be perfect in their craft after a good showing in the scrimmage.

"We are going to be very dominant if we do little things correctly," Haggins said.

Despite his former high school teammate Darell Jackson Jr. being ineligible to play in 2023 due to a second college transfer and his waiver to be played denied, Farmer expressed confidence in the defensive tackle group.

He has seen the group go from a work in progress to a potential strength of the team, even without Jackson, in his three years with FSU.

"This is the best group since I’ve been here," Farmer said. "I think we’re pretty good. We’re just so deep in the rotation. There’s a lot of us."

Braden Fiske coming along

Fiske has started to find his groove in practices for the Seminoles. The Western Michigan transfer showed off his immense talent on a pair of plays during a two-minute drill Thursday, bringing good pressure inside.

On the first play, he forced quarterback Tate Rodemaker out of the pocket and forced a throw-away which was nearly intercepted. On the next play, he again forced the backup QB out of the pocket and forced him to scramble.

"Braden is a smart football player," Haggins said. "He plays fast, he plays hard. His engine never stops."

Fiske recorded 58 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six sacks and forced two forced fumbles across 12 games in 2022. He was the top-ranked defensive lineman in the 2023 portal.

His skill set is something other players have taken notice of and are trying to add to their games.

“He brings a lot. He’s a high-motor guy," Farmer said. "We take from each other’s game. I watch him, he watches me. I look at things he does and I mock him. He looks at things I do. … We teach each other. There’s no drama in the room. Everybody wants to see everybody get better.”

Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. 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: Joshua Farmer ready to break out for Seminoles in 2023