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FSU-Louisville showdown a battle of two quarterbacks the Seminoles wanted

 
Quarterbacks Deondre Francois, left, of Florida State and Lamar Jackson, right, of Louisville
Quarterbacks Deondre Francois, left, of Florida State and Lamar Jackson, right, of Louisville
Published Sept. 17, 2016

When Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher scouted Lamar Jackson in high school, he saw all the speed, skill and athleticism that have made the Louisville quarterback one of the top players in the country this season.

That's why Fisher recruited Jackson heavily and offered him a scholarship out of Boynton Beach High. Fisher didn't panic when Jackson took his official visits elsewhere; FSU already had an oral commitment from a quarterback in that 2015 class with, according to recruiting gurus, an even higher ceiling.

Deondre Francois.

"We loved both guys," Fisher said. "We're happy with the guy we got. I'm sure they're happy with the guy they got."

The two will square off today as the No. 2 Seminoles (2-0) head to No. 10 Louisville (2-0, 1-0 ACC) in the first top-10 matchup of the season. How they fare in the biggest games of their young careers could decide which team is the early frontrunner in the ACC's Atlantic Division and, perhaps, a favorite to come to Tampa for the Jan. 9 national title game.

Both seemed destined for success early. Even when Jackson was on one of the back fields for his first few practices as a true freshman, Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino noticed how the ball flew out of Jackson's hand.

"We knew we had a guy that had some special talent," Petrino said.

Jackson proved that with a breakout freshman season that set the stage for the accolades that have poured in this September. FSU tried to simulate him in practice with walk-on defensive back Lawrence Dawsey Jr., a former quarterback at Hillsborough High.

Francois' talent was equally evident in high school. Rivals called him the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the class. He starred at the Under Armour All-America Game at Tropicana Field with a 4-for-4, 103-yard performance in the high school all-star exhibition.

"We loved Deondre from (the) get-go," Fisher said. "The first time he threw the football, the way he moved, the dynamics, watching him practice, the different things he did."

Francois' development was slightly slower once he got to college. He redshirted last season and stayed on the sideline during the Peach Bowl, even when FSU was down to its No. 3 quarterback.

But the Orlando native starred once he earned the starting spot out of fall camp. He joined Chris Rix, Jameis Winston and Land O'Lakes High product Drew Weatherford as the only four freshmen in FSU history to start at quarterback in a season opener; Francois then led a historic 22-point comeback win over Mississippi in that Labor Day debut.

His 681 passing yards through two games rank 11th nationally and lead all freshmen.

Francois could get a boost this week from a supporting cast that is deeper and more talented than Jackson's. Two starting offensive guards, Kareem Are and Wilson Bell, will return from injuries.

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"He had a few mistakes here and there that we'll continue to clean up and decisions and things like that," Fisher said. "But I love the way he's progressing, very much so."

Fisher will love it even more if Francois can knock off Jackson's Cardinals.

Contact Matt Baker at mbaker@tampabay.com. Follow @MBakerTBTimes.