Florida State’s running back room has been hit with a series of departures since the conclusion of the regular season and ACC Championship. The unit will look completely different when the Seminoles take the field in the Orange Bowl with Trey Benson (NFL), Rodney Hill, and CJ Campbell moving on from the program.

There will be at least one other running back missing from the lineup on Saturday. NoleGameday has been informed by an FSU spokesperson that redshirt junior Lawrance Toafili won’t be able to play against the Georgia Bulldogs after undergoing season-ending surgery. That means the Seminoles will be without their top four rushers, and five of the top six, in South Florida.

Toafili was the leading remaining rusher on the team after rushing 69 times for 463 yards with four touchdowns on the ground during the season. He also caught 21 passes for 186 yards and another score. Toafili was named the MVP of the ACC Championship after rushing 10 ten times for a career-high 118 yards and the lone touchdown of the game.

With Toafili recovering from his injury, redshirt junior Caziah Holmes and redshirt junior Ja’Khi Douglas were listed as the two starters at running back. True freshman Samuel Singleton and redshirt sophomore Joshua Burrell are the primary backups.

Holmes steps into the lead role after contributing as a reserve for the majority of the season. He’s rushed 21 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns while catching four passes for 56 yards and two more scores. Holmes did not record a carry during Florida State’s victories against Florida and Louisville. Singleton has only rushed six times this season while Douglas and Burrell have yet to record an attempt on the ground.

Toafili has already announced that he plans to return to Florida State for his fifth season of eligibility in 2024. He’s appeared in 43 games, with 15 starts, while totaling 231 rushes for 1,439 yards with 12 touchdowns on the ground while catching 67 passes for 690 yards and four more scores with the Seminoles. Toafili is the fifth player in program history to record a 70+ yard rushing and receiving touchdown.

Florida State will take on Georgia in the Orange Bowl to conclude its 2023 campaign. The game is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 30, and will be televised on ESPN.

Florida State has lost a major number of starters on both sides of the ball leading up to the Orange Bowl against Georgia. There have been a ton of Seminoles to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft or decide to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.

That was reflected on the depth chart that the program released on Tuesday evening as a ton of names were missing from the two-deep. The absences included a pair of redshirt senior defensive backs who were originally expected to play in the game.

NoleGameday has been informed by an FSU spokesperson that cornerback Renardo Green and cornerback Jarrian Jones have decided to opt out and focus on preparing for their transition to the professional level. A short time later, Green took to social media to express his gratitude for his time in Tallahassee.

“First and foremost, I would like to thank the Lord for blessing me with the opportunity to represent this great program and play for the greatest fans in college football. To my family, thank you for always supporting me and being there for me every step of this journey. To the Seminole faithful, I want to thank you for embracing a kid who wanted to play at FSU since he was five years old and providing me with the best environment in college football and allowing me to grow and mature into the man I am today.”

“Thank you to coach Norvell for believing in my abilities since you stepped foot on campus and giving me an opportunity to represent FSU. I would also like to thank coach Fuller, coach Surtain, and coach Shannon for ensuring I reach my potential.”

“Lastly I cannot thank everyone in this note but coach Storms, Anthony Midget, Corey Fuller, and the entire staff at FSU must be acknowledged for their unwavering support and helping along the way. To my teammates, I will never forget the memories made on and off the field with the greatest guys anyone could ask for, I will cherish them forever.”

“After much time and prayer with my family, I have decided to forego the bowl and enter the 2024 NFL Draft.”

Jones (90.5) and Green (84.3) graded out as Florida State’s two best players on defense, according to PFF. Jones played in 12 games, finishing with a career-high 25 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, three pass deflections, three interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one defensive touchdown. Green started in all 13 games, recording 43 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 13 pass deflections, and one interception.

Following the season, Green was named Second-Team All-ACC while Jones was regarded as an honorable mention. They both have accepted invitations to participate in the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl after the new year.

The pair of starting defenders join safety Akeem Dent as members of the defensive backfield to opt out. The list of Seminoles on defense not expected to play in the game includes Dent, Green, Jones, Jared Verse, Fabien Lovett, Malcolm Ray, and DJ Lundy.

Florida State and Georgia will meet in the Orange Bowl on Saturday, December 30. The game will kick off at 4:00 p.m. and is set to be televised on ESPN.