Jimbo Fisher didn’t want to say anything until an official diagnosis came in, but he certainly seemed prepared late Saturday for the possibility of a season without Deondre Francois. Asked if true freshman James Blackman would be the replacement for Francois, Fisher acknowledged that would be the plan if the unthinkable turned out to be true. “As of right now we will, most likely,” Fisher said after a 24–7 loss to Alabama in Atlanta. “That’s where we are, but we’ll evaluate this week and see.”
A year after the Seminoles lost their best defensive player (safety Derwin James) for the season in Week 2, they lost their best offensive player for the season in Week 1.