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The Florida State Seminoles lucked into a pair of true freshmen contributors last season.
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FSU’s dynamic duo of twins, Mandrell and Darryll Desir, came seemingly out of nowhere to assume big roles in the trenches. A pair of three-star prospects who chose the Seminoles the day after tying the program record for the largest margin of defeat in a regular-season game, as Florida State fell 52-3 to Notre Dame.
Maybe that shows another part of how special the Desir’s are. They committed to FSU during a period of major uncertainty. When they jumped on board, the Seminoles had just fired Alex Atkins and Adam Fuller, and had yet to hire Tony White or Terrance Knighton.
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Mandrell and Darryll rolled with the punches, and brought their lunch pail to work each day. They looked the part physically during the Tour of Duty. That didn’t stop when spring practice began in Tallahassee, as the coaching staff started to realize just how impactful both of the twins could be.
Though it was Mandrell Desir who generated the most production on the field, earning Freshman All-American Honors, Darryll quietly had a solid campaign.
Going into year two, Florida State expects both of them to take another step.
Terrance Knighton, FSU Challenging Desir Twins To Reach Potential
The twins nearly entered the transfer portal but the Seminoles made a big play to retain them.
Following the dramatic situation, the Desir’s went right back to work. Mandrell put on eight pounds over the offseason, with Florida State counting on him along the interior. Meanwhile, Darryll dropped a few pounds, as he’s expected to earn snaps off the edge.
Each player remains in the mix for a starting role. It feels like they’ve brought a certain mentality to fall camp.
Knighton has challenged the set of twins, letting them know that last year wasn’t good enough and that he expects more.
“I think the good for them was, I told them last year, it still wasn’t good enough. Mandrell, he was making a lot of plays and still didn’t know what the hell he was doing,” Knighton said on Sunday. “Now that he understands the scheme, he understands where guys fit, it’s allowing him to play faster.
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“A lot of plays he made last year were just off of raw talent, effort, and physicality,” Knighton added. “Now that those two guys understand the playbook, and understand the defense, and can play fast, and don’t have to think, good luck to whoever has to run in front of them.”
It’s definitely a good sign that the Desir’s were able to consistently make a presence despite still learning the playbook. They should be even more comfortable this fall.
Redshirt junior center Bradyn Welch-Joiner has first-hand experience facing Mandrell Desir. He’s pretty high on Desir’s future.
“I feel like Mandrell is going to be a first-round draft pick, no-brainer,” Welch-Joiner said. “I feel like he’s a guy that gives us a lot of work, and we’re not going to see a guy like him in the season, I bet you that.”
Last season, Mandrell totaled 30 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass deflection. Darryll racked up 23 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.
Florida State returns to practice for day five on Monday, August 3, with the first preseason scrimmage scheduled for Tuesday evening.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/fsu as Florida State Challenging Dynamic Desir Twins To Reach Another Level.
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