The Florida State Seminoles have a new defensive coordinator in Tony White, and he is bringing an entirely new scheme to Tallahassee with him. The Seminoles are set to run a 3-3-5 defense, which White has used to great success with the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Syracuse Orange during his career.
While White wasn’t in Charlotte, North Carolina, for ACC Kickoff, some of his players were, and they were asked about it. It is safe to say that defensive back Earl Little Jr. is a fan of the new system.
“What I like most about the scheme, schematically, it allows us to, like DJ [Darrell Jackson Jr.] said, show our versatility, just play with that edge,” he explained. “We can hit you from different points on the field. Like I said, we’re going to wreak havoc for opposing offenses and we’re just going to fly around. That’s something that coach Tony White emphasizes, being physical and playing with dominant contact, playing with relentless effort. That’s something we harp on and that’s definitely one of our focal points going into the season. We’re going to put emphasis on that.”
He also had great things to say about White as a person.
“He’s definitely a great leader. I’m glad that Coach bought him on the team. We’re excited to play for him. He brings that fire, that edge and that juice every day, and I can’t wait to put that on display.
He is entering his second season with the Seminoles after starting his career with the Alabama Crimson Tide and is set to be the starting rover after playing nickel and safety last year. That is a new position for the defense, and he explained what his job will be.
“I’m always in the intermediate level, so just being that guy coming off the edge, blitz, being a post,” he said. “I love the position and I’m ready for the opportunity and I’m excited to take the field with my guys.”
Little played in all 12 games last year as a reserve, but struggled at the start as a nickel before playing better after switching to safety. He finished the season with 15 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, and 1.0 sack.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Earl Little Jr. shares his favorite part of FSU’s new defense
Reporting by JD McCarthy, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
