FSU football putting major trust in Tomiwa Durojaiye, playing both positions on defensive line

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Florida State football was busy in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason, and it is seeing that strategy once again pay off this spring.

One of its biggest acquisitions has been West Virginia transfer Tomiwa Durojaiye.

The 6-foot-4 inch, 280-pound redshirt sophomore dominated last season, recording 23 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 13 games.

Upon transferring to FSU, the Seminoles’ defensive staff has not only given him a place on the interior defensive line but has given him the responsibility of playing at defensive end as well.

It’s a challenge that sits on Durojaiye’s shoulders alone.

“It’s all football and it’s all the same, even in the same sense of blocks, but it’s been a little bit more challenging in the classroom,” Durojaiye said. “On the field, it’s all the same stuff. You just need to know your assignment.”

Big responsibility for the newcomer

Florida State football players Lamont Green Jr. (45) and Tomiwa Durojaiye (19) take part in the final Tour of Duty winter workouts ahead of 2024 spring practices on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

While it’s been a big responsibility for Durojaiye, especially as a newcomer, it shows the level of responsibility defensive ends coach John Papuchins, defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins and defensive coordinator Adam Fuller have instilled in him.

After Jared Verse made a name for himself at the defensive end position, and Patrick Payton followed a similar path, the edges have become one of the more elite positions at FSU in the last few years.

“It means a lot,” Durojaiye said about the trust that the coaching staff has in him. “I’m the only guy in that room really handling both D-end and D-tackle. It means a lot that it’s my third year in college, I’m at a new stop, and they trust me to be able to play both [positions] and learn both.”

“I enjoy it because it gives me a chance to show off…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fsu-football-putting-major-trust-181739204.html

Author : Tallahassee Democrat

Publish date : 2024-04-10 18:17:39

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