The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Florida State Seminoles football programme won the Capital One Orange Bowl weeks ago and with the 2017 season still months away, local media in Talahasee, Florida, are already projecting the impact of Mavin Saunders.

Brendan Sonnone, who has covered the Seminoles for the Orlando Sentinel, Noles247 and CBSsports.com, said the progression should continue next season in Saunders’ junior season.

“Saunders’ improvement from 2015 to 2016 was clearly visible to the eye and is reflected in his metrics. The former basketball recruit led all FSU players with 18.2 yards-per-catch and 13.0 yards-per-target after averaging just 4.7 yards-per-target in 2015. His jump in catch rate (54.6 per cent to 71.4 per cent) and success rate (27.3 per cent to 64.3 per cent) was equally impressive,” he said.

The combination of Saunders and fellow junior tight end Ryan Izzo will be leaned on heavily to fill the holes vacated by players leaving via graduation or the NFL Draft.

“Izzo and Saunders combined for 29 catches, 409 yards and two touchdowns this season, a year after recording 20 catches, 262 yards and two touchdowns as sophomores. The uptick in production is mild when spread throughout the course of a season, but the second-year players each were more efficient in 2016,” Sonnone said. “Izzo and Saunders both made the case to be used more frequently in FSU’s passing attack next season. It would be a natural progression given how both tight ends produced when given opportunities and it could be needed as FSU looks to supplant receiving production from Travis Rudolph, Kermit Whitefield, Jesus Wilson and Dalvin Cook.”

Saunders finished the season with 10 receptions for 182 yards, both career highs. After seeing action sparingly in the first three games of the season, Saunders saw increased minutes against USF when he caught his first pass of the season, a 12-yard reception.

In the following game Saunders finished with three catches for 74 yards - both career highs - in the Seminoles’ 37-35 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels.

He caught one pass for 11 yards the following week against Miami, which marked his third consecutive game with a reception and saw that streak come to an end against Wake Forest.

The Capital One Bowl win marked Saunders’ second bowl appearance with the programme in as many years.