Mavin Saunders

Florida State Seminoles' tight end Mavin Saunders will have to be special and productive in the offseason if he wants to impress Head Coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff, and see an increase in his playing time.

Despite having a tight end unit that returned all of its players, the Seminoles look to add Naseir "Pop" Upshur, a 4-star tight end recruit from Philadelphia, to their roster. Upshur committed to Florida State in early September and has been a firm commitment ever since.

With National Signing Day less than a week away, the Seminoles currently hold the fifth best overall class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, and is a likely landing spot for other big-time prospects, including players like Keith Gavin, Landon Dickerson and Dontavious Jackson, just to name a few.

Upshur joins a crowded tight end group that includes, Saunders, Ryan Izzo, Jeremy Kerr and Jalen Wilkerson, a 4-star recruit from last year. Although Saunders showed signs of the mismatches he could create with his size and speed a few times last year, he has yet to perform consistently enough to warrant more playing time. Izzo is the only one of the bunch who's been a regular option in the Seminoles receiving game. Kerr, who has only one career catch, is used primarily as a blocker, and Wilkerson has yet to suit up for the Seminoles, redshirting his first year on campus due to a shoulder injury.

Saunders, who hails from Bimini, played in eight games, starting two. He had six receptions for 52 yards. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end, missed a good opportunity to solidify his spot on the roster in the 2015 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year's Eve, when the Seminoles were easily upended by fellow Bahamian Alex Cooper and the Houston Cougars.

Saunders, who had been banged up prior to the game, was sidelined, although no official reason was given for him sitting out. Fortunately for him, he's only a redshirt sophomore and still has a few years left to learn the position. He was originally recruited as a basketball player. If Saunders can improve his blocking, the athletic tight end could finally fill the role that Fisher wants him to.

Saunders committed to Florida State during his high school junior season with the Kinkaid Falcons in Houston, Texas. He chose the Seminoles over Arkansas, Houston, Illinois, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Utah.

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