Prior to Week 4 of the 2024 season, the Florida State Seminoles’ injury list has began to grow. Multiple starters were sidelined in an upset defeat to Memphis, and FSU will continue to be without at least one veteran presence on offense when it faces Cal on Saturday night.
According to a Florida State official, Jeremiah Byers, a redshirt senior offensive tackle, will miss his third game in a row. Byers was unable to play against Boston College or Memphis because of a lower-body injury. In comparison to the previous weeks, he appears to be making good improvement.
Nearly three weeks ago, Byers was seen with a large brace on his leg and requiring two crutches to move around. By last Saturday, he had healed sufficiently to remove the crutches and was moving about on the sideline fairly well.
Game Preview: Florida State Seminoles at California Golden Bears
Aside from Byers, it is unknown whether the Seminoles will be missing any more players versus Cal. We expect to receive another update later today.
ESPN & College Early this morning, GameDay’s Pete Thamel claimed that redshirt senior offensive tackle Darius Washington, redshirt junior safety Shyheim Brown, and redshirt freshman wide receiver Jalen Brown would return versus the Golden Bears. Cam Riley, the senior linebacker, is expected to be a game-time decision.
That’s fantastic news for Florida State, as Washington and Brown are two of the team’s top players. Brown was missing last week due to an unexplained problem, and Washington suffered an injury during pregame warmups. Brown and Riley both left the game against Memphis early after receiving injuries in the first half.
With Byers still out, redshirt senior offensive tackle Robert Scott will presumably start in his place. Scott has appeared in the lineup for the last two weeks, earning starts at both tackle positions. Watch out for redshirt sophomore Jaylen Early, redshirt freshman Andre’ Otto, and senior Jacob Rizy, who could play on Saturday.
If Riley is unable to attend, the Seminoles will turn to redshirt senior DJ Lundy, sophomore Blake Nichelson, and sophomore Justin Cryer. It’s unclear whether redshirt sophomores Omar Graham Jr. and Shawn Murphy will suit up. If not, DeMarco Ward, a redshirt freshman, could be added to the rotation for the second consecutive game.
The game between Florida State and California is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, September 21. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
