Warchant Top 40: DB Greedy Vance leads FSU players No. 21-25

It’s time to look ahead to the 2023 Florida State football season with Warchant’s annual list of the Top 40 players on the Seminoles’ roster — the players we expect to make the biggest impact for FSU this fall. (Note: This is not necessarily the 40 most talented players, but the players we believe will have the opportunity and capability to make the biggest impact this season.)

The list was compiled through voting by Warchant’s Gene Williams, Ira Schoffel, Corey Clark, Jeff Cameron, Aslan Hajivandi and Tom Lang.

The Top 40 will be revealed in segments, continuing today with players No. 21 through No. 25.

Earlier Installments: Players No. 36-40 | Players No. 31-35 | Players No. 26-30 |

No. 25 — Senior OL Casey Roddick

One of the big portal pieces the Seminoles picked up during the offseason. Emphasis on the word big.

The redshirt senior offensive lineman is listed at 6-foot-4, 313 pounds, and could compete for a starting spot at multiple positions for FSU this fall. Roddick was the highest-graded member of the Colorado offense in 2022, playing over 700 snaps for the Buffaloes. He played all but one game at left guard, and then mixed in a start at right tackle against UCLA.

Roddick has played in 42 games in his college career with 30 starts. He adds yet another experienced, veteran piece to a Florida State offensive line room that is loaded with experience and veterans.

During the spring with the Seminoles, Roddick was getting work at both guard and center. If he’s not going to wrestle away the starting spot from Maurice Smith at center, then he figures to be in the mix at both guard spots for Alex Atkins’ offensive line. Either way, Roddick figures to be a factor for the Seminoles up front this season.

Individual rankings — Gene (24), Ira (26), Corey (28), Jeff (28), Aslan (27), Tom (27).

No. 24 — Senior OL D’Mitri Emmanuel

When he was granted a seventh year of eligibility by the NCAA near the end of spring practice, it gave the Seminoles yet another returning starter to an offense that was already going to be one of the most experienced in the country.

The question now is, because of all the additions via the transfer portal, will Emmanuel be able to hold onto his job? The Charlotte transfer was a critical part of the Seminoles’ success in 2022, playing almost every meaningful snap of the season. His 834 plays from scrimmage were second only to Dillan Gibbons’ 843. Both were interior anchors for the FSU offensive line a year ago.

Gibbons is gone, but Emmanuel returns for a seventh season, where he’ll have to beat out incoming transfers to keep his job at right guard. If that happens, and there’s no reason to believe it won’t with the way Emmanuel played in his first season with the Seminoles in 2022, then he’ll give Alex Atkins and head coach Mike Norvell another veteran presence in a starting lineup filled with veteran presences.

Individual rankings — Gene (39), Ira (20), Corey (16), Jeff (30), Aslan (24), Tom (18).

No. 23 — Senior DB Akeem Dent

Considering the position he plays, and the lack of experience behind him, he probably deserves to be a little bit higher on the list. Dent is returning for what amounts to a third straight year starting at safety for the Seminoles’ defense.

He started his career at cornerback, but after struggling in 2020, Dent made the permanent switch to safety in 2021 and has been a part of the starting lineup ever since. The former five-star recruit has not been sensational in the role, but he’s been mostly solid and will provide a much-needed stabilizing presence in the middle of the Seminoles’ defensive backfield in 2023.

Dent has started 30 games in his FSU career heading into this season. Last year, he finished with 53 tackles and four pass break-ups in 12 starts for Adam Fuller’s defense. He wasn’t the star that fellow safety Jammie Robinson was, he wasn’t an All-ACC selection, but he was a valuable member of the secondary. Which is what his role figures to be again in 2023 as he works alongside first-year starter Shyheim Brown and a bunch of first-year players fighting for playing time at the position.

Individual rankings — Gene (23), Ira (21), Corey (20), Jeff (19), Aslan (26), Tom (26).

No. 22 — Junior RB Lawrance Toafili

One of the most versatile running backs in the country, and one that figures to get more touches than a year ago now that Treshaun Ward has transferred to Kansas State. Toafili will likely be the primary backup to starter Trey Benson, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be on the field a lot for Mike Norvell’s offense.

Toafili is going into his fourth season in the program and he’s gotten better every single year. Last season, he had 457 yards rushing and 268 yards receiving. He is the best pass-catching running back on the roster and probably one of the best in the country, as Norvell and offensive coordinator Alex Atkins continually look for ways to utilize his explosiveness and playmaking ability.

The redshirt junior is now listed at 191 pounds and has been able to improve as an interior runner as well. In his career, Toafili has 1,480 all-purpose yards in his career with 11 touchdowns. He is one of five players in FSU history with a 70-yard touchdown receiving and rushing. And even though Benson is the bigger name in the Florida State backfield, Toafili should continue to make plenty of big plays for the Seminoles.

Individual rankings — Gene (22), Ira (19), Corey (19), Jeff (26), Aslan (22), Tom (22).

No. 21 — Junior DB Greedy Vance

Became a dependable piece of the Seminoles’ secondary in 2022, especially toward the second half of the season, and has an inside track to be the starting nickel corner when the season kicks off in Orlando against LSU.

Vance is a redshirt junior from Louisiana who finished the season with a team-high three interceptions. His pick against Miami gave the Seminoles’ offense the ball inside the Miami 10-yard line and led to one of many touchdowns they scored that night against the Hurricanes.

A transfer from Louisville, Vance didn’t make his mark immediately for Florida State in 2022. Against Wake, N.C. State and Clemson he played just 31 snaps total. But then he started playing 30-35 snaps a game after the three-game losing streak, and he started making a big impact. Vance played a season-high 41 snaps against Florida and had his second-highest Pro Football Focus grade of the season in the win over the Gators.

In fact, Vance finished only behind Jammie Robinson, Jared Verse and Fabien Lovett in PFF grades for the season for the Seminoles’ defense. He has played in 30 games in his college career heading into the 2023 season.

Individual rankings — Gene (13), Ira (17), Corey (25), Jeff (29), Aslan (13), Tom (23).

Talk about this story with other die-hard FSU football fans on the Tribal Council.