close
close

FSU Football's Durojaiye accepts the challenge of playing both DL positions

Florida State football has been busy in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason, and that strategy is paying off again this spring.

One of the biggest acquisitions was West Virginia transfer Tomiwa Durojaiye.

The 6-foot-1, 280-pound redshirt sophomore dominated last season with 23 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 13 games.

After transferring to FSU, the Seminoles defensive staff not only assigned him a spot on the interior defensive line, but also gave him the responsibility of playing defense.

It's a challenge that rests solely on Durojaiye's shoulders.

“It's all football and it's all the same, even in the same meaning of the blocks, but in the classroom it was a little more challenging,” Durojaiye said. “On the field everything is the same. You just have to know your mission.”

Great responsibility for the newcomer

While it was a big responsibility for Durojaiye, especially as a freshman, it shows how much responsibility defensive ends coach John Papuchins, defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins and defensive coordinator Adam Fuller instilled in him.

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

“It means a lot,” Durojaiye said of the trust the coaching staff has in him. “I’m the only one in this room who can do both D-end and D-tackle. It means a lot to me that it's my third year of college, I'm at a new location and they trust that I can play both [positions] and learn both.”

“I enjoy it because it gives me the chance to show my versatility. I don't feel like I'm losing anything by going inward or outward. I feel like I can play both pretty well.”

Former defensive lineman Breaden Fiske was another player who saw some movement on the line.

While he focused primarily on tackle, he was one of the most dominant players on the line last season and his time at FSU gave him a chance to be drafted in the NFL.

Durojaiye said he spoke with Fiske a bit before choosing FSU.

“I DMed him before I committed just to see what he thought about Florida State and he said it was the best decision he could have made,” Durojaiye said. “I think for me, if you look at the edge rushers like Jermaine [Jonhson] And [Jared] Verse, these guys are different players, but in their own way they are first rounders.

“When I came here, I never thought I would have to be like someone else. Everyone was their own person. I attach great importance to looking at the history of the players. Coach Odell and JP have trained people like me and developed people with my skills.”

Jack Williams covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him by email at [email protected] or at X @jackgwilliams.

Tags:

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *