Florida State football needs a healthy Winston Wright Jr. to lead its receiver group

The countdown to the 2022 Florida State football season is underway.

Mike Norvell’s third season atop the Seminoles will be a critical one to his long-term chances in Tallahassee. The roster continues to be shaped more in his desired image as he looks to guide FSU to a bowl for the first time in his tenure.

To begin that look ahead to the upcoming season, it’s time for the Democrat’s annual list of the 40 most important FSU football players, continuing today with No. 13.

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Our list of the 40 most important FSU football players was compiled on June 9 by aggregating the rankings submitted by beat writers Curt Weiler and Carter Karels. Any players added to the roster after that date were not considered for this list. All ties were broken by discussion.

No. 13: Redshirt junior wide receiver Winston Wright Jr.

West Virginia wide receiver Winston Wright Jr. runs in for a touchdown against Kansas during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Had he not recently suffered a significant leg injury, Winston Wright Jr. would have likely appeared in the top five of our most important player list.

The West Virginia transfer came to FSU this offseason with the expectation of being its No. 1 wide receiver. Then he was involved in a car accident in March, which prompted him to undergo surgery and an extensive rehabilitation process.

When Wright will be available again remains unclear. And even if Wright returns soon, there’s no guarantee he will play like his former self. Still, Wright deserved a high spot on our list. He has the potential to be a dynamic receiver for the Seminoles, which is something they have lacked in recent years.

Besides Wright, no player on FSU’s roster has eclipsed 400 receiving yards in a season. Wright accomplished that feat twice in his three seasons with the Mountaineers. Last season, he recorded a team-high 688 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 63 catches while claiming second-team All-Big 12 honors.

Story continues

The 5-foot-10, 183-pound Wright has been nicknamed “Jet” for an obvious reason. At Savannah (Ga.) Memorial Day School in 2019, Wright broke the Georgia Independent School Association record in the 200-meter dash at 21.6 seconds. He also clocked a stellar time of 10.6 seconds in the 100-meter dash.

Wright has translated his blazing speed to kick returning. He accumulated 618 yards and a touchdown on 23 kickoffs last season, which comes to an average of 26.9 yards per return. That mark ranked No. 19 nationally.

The Seminoles needed to improve their kick returning. They finished last season ranked 11th in the ACC and 66th nationally in yards per kick return (20.36). FSU also has not returned a kickoff for a touchdown since Kermit Whitfield in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game.

It’s possible that all of Wright’s numbers won’t mean much after his injury. But even if he’s 80% of his former self or misses time, Wright should make a difference at a position that needs it. His availability and status will have a significant impact on this receiver group.

Florida State most important player countdown

No. 40: Defensive tackle Jarrett Jackson

No. 39: Safety Shyheim Brown

No. 38: Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald

No. 37: Defensive end Patrick Payton

No. 36: Defensive back Sam McCall

No. 35: Defensive back Azareye’h Thomas

No. 34: Wide receiver Ontaria Wilson

No. 33: Wide receiver Ja’Khi Douglas

No. 32: Defensive tackle Malcolm Ray

No. 31: Linebacker Amari Gainer

No. 30: Linebacker DJ Lundy

No. 29: Offensive lineman Maurice Smith

No. 28: Running back Lawrance Toafili

No. 27: Offensive lineman Bless Harris

No. 26: Quarterback Tate Rodemaker

No. 25: Defensive end Dennis Briggs Jr.

No. 24: Wide receiver Johnny Wilson

No. 23: Cornerback Renardo Green

No. 22: Offensive lineman Kayden Lyles

No. 21: Tight end Camren McDonald

No. 20: Wide receiver Malik McClain

No. 19: Offensive lineman D’Mitri Emmanuel

No. 18: Linebacker Kalen DeLoach

No. 17: Defensive back Kevin Knowles II

No. 16: Running back Treshaun Ward

No. 15: Safety Akeem Dent

No. 14: Defensive end Derrick McLendon II

Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football Most Important Player Countdown: No. 13, Winston Wright Jr.