Outgoing defensive assistant D.J. Eliot has been juggling his duties as Florida State’s defensive coordinator for Tuesday’s Orange Bowl against Northern Illinois and the newly minted coordinator at Kentucky.
Eliot is replacing Mark Stoops as the coordinator for one game before leaving and working for Stoops, who is fully immersed as Kentucky’s new coach. Eliot, though, chose to stay on at FSU through the bowl.
“My players mean so much to me and the opportunity that coach (Jimbo) Fisher gave me, I really wanted to finish this thing off on a high note,” Eliot said. “I wanted to do everything I could for the program.”
Eliot has started working for Kentucky in his down time, familiarizing himself with their recruits among other aspects of the program. He was heavily involved in recruiting for the Wildcats before FSU started practicing for the Orange Bow.
“It’s been challenging to manage two jobs, but I’m fully committed, fully focused on winning this game,” he said.
Eliot’s players appreciate him sticking around.
“I always knew he wanted to be a defensive coordinator,” All-American defensive end Bjoern Werner said. “I’m so happy for him that it worked out. I’m so happy he’s going to go with coach Stoops because they’re really close. I’m happy that he’s staying. He coaches exactly the same way as coach Stoops. It wasn’t a big change for us. He’s going to leave on a good note.”
NFL beckoning: Werner and cornerback Xavier Rhodes are almost certain to jump to the NFL, with both being projected as first round picks. But safety Lamarcus Joyner and linebacker Christian Jones have tougher decisions to make.
Joyner, a first team All-ACC pick, lacks size (5-foot-8, 195) and is a mid-rounder at best. The problem is he isn’t going to get bigger so his stock may not improve by coming back.
The 6-4, 240 pound Jones, a second team All-ACC pick who led the Seminoles with 85 tackles, has been told he’ll likely be taken in the third or fourth round.
All the juniors got an up-close look at the worst case scenario. Defensive end Brandon Jenkins returned for his senior season despite being projected as a late first round pick. Jenkins then broke a bone in his foot in the season opener and missed the rest of the season.
“You can’t worry about stuff like that,” Rhodes said. “Once you worry about injuries and getting hurt, that’s when it happens. That comes with the territory.”
