Florida State Football: Players Who Have Surprised Us in 2014

It's not a shock that Florida State is 3-0 and is still ranked No. 1 in the nation, but the way the first month of the season has gone has certainly been a surprise for the Seminoles.

After squeaking past Oklahoma State, beating FCS foe The Citadel and then weathering the storm of Jameis Winston's one-game suspension for what turned out to be a come-from-behind victory over Clemson, FSU heads to North Carolina State this weekend as its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule heats up.

The way the season has played out hasn't been the only surprising aspect of the year. Several 'Noles players have also surprised—both positively and negatively—through the team's first three games.

Eddie Goldman

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Eddie Goldman has blossomed into one of college football's best defensive tackles.

OK, so maybe "surprise" isn't the best way to describe Eddie Goldman's play through three games in 2014. After all, the former 5-star prospect was considered the nation's No. 2 defensive tackle coming out of high school during the 2012 recruiting cycle.

But prior to this season, Goldman had just been another big-name player on a star-studded Florida State roster. Goldman started 13 games a season ago but was consistently overshadowed by the star power of Timmy Jernigan.

When Jernigan decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2014 NFL draft, the pressure fell on Goldman's shoulders to step up and replace the loss of a proven playmaker in the heart of the 'Noles defensive line.

So far, so good.

Goldman has just five total tackles and one sack through three games, but he has been disruptive in his efforts to push blockers into the backfield, affect the running game and put pressure on the quarterback. Against Clemson last Saturday, Goldman had the best game of his career, and he produced the game's biggest play when he stripped Tigers tailback C.J. Davidson of the football as he was running for a first down.

Later, Goldman helped blow up Clemson's 4th-and-1 attempt in overtime that led to a game-winning Karlos Williams touchdown scamper.

For his efforts, Goldman was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week and the 247Sports National Defensive Player of the Week.

"They have a 19-game win streak with tremendous players," said NC State coach Dave Doeren, whose Wolfpack team hosts FSU Saturday, "and they have probably the best defensive tackle in college football with [Eddie] Goldman."

Cason Beatty

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Cason Beatty was the link on FSU's 2013 championship squad but had a great game last week against Clemson.

There's little doubt that Cason Beatty struggled mightily in 2013, as he was essentially the only full-time player on FSU's national-title roster to not go out and consistently play well. 

And even though Beatty has still struggled with consistency through the first three games of the season (his average yards-per-punt has fallen from 41.1 last year to 38.1 this season), Beatty's performance against Clemson can't be overlooked—and FSU's coaches surely hope it is a sign of things to come.

Against the Tigers, Beatty downed four of his eight punts inside the 20-yard line and generated a 40.4 yards-per-punt average.

In a game where every yard was critical, Beatty wasn't the weak link in the Seminoles' victory.

"I thought he really stepped up and met a challenge," FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said at his Monday press conference. "Hitting punts, three punts inside the 20, his average, hang time and almost no returns and anything he did from a guy that was in the line and pushed and challenged by myself to get better and he accepted that challenge and he was a huge part of our success the other night and I am very proud of him.”

Starting Offensive Line

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FSU's entire offensive line has surprisingly struggled so far this season.

What was supposed to be Florida State's strength in 2014 has turned into a liability so far this season.

FSU's offensive line—a group that features five senior starters—should have picked up right where it left off a year ago when it helped pave the way for a record-breaking offensive attack en route to a national championship. But through three games, Cameron Erving, Josue Matias, Austin Barron, Tre' Jackson and Bobby Hart haven't been able to consistently open holes in the running game and keep pass-rushers off the 'Noles quarterbacks.

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what is wrong with a group that has the talent and experience to be the nation's best. It's certainly surprising that FSU currently ranks 111th in the nation in rushing yards per game (109.67 per game) and is 68th nationally in sacks allowed (7.0).

"We are just out of whack," Fisher said. "They miss one, we miss a cut or the back is ready to make it and we miss a block. There is that little bit of rhythm there that we have to continually fight, scratch and claw for. We have to keep staying fundamentally sound and get it in there.

"We are just out of rhythm.”

Jesus "Bobo" Wilson

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Jesus "Bobo" Wilson has turned himself into FSU's No. 2 wide receiver behind star Rashad Greene.

Rashad Greene is unsurprisingly Florida State's No. 1 wideout, as the senior continues to play at a high level. But entering this season, there were real questions around the FSU football program about who would step up behind Greene in the wake of the offseason departures of Kelvin Benjamin and Kenny Shaw.

Despite being benched for the first game of the season, it hasn't taken Jesus "Bobo" Wilson very long to solidify himself as the 'Noles' No. 2 wide receiver.

Wilson enters Saturday's game at NC State with the second-most receptions among wide receivers on FSU's roster with seven grabs for 91 yards and one score. Greene, who already has 24 catches for 418 yards and two touchdowns, will continue to be the top option in the passing game this season, but Wilson's surprising emergence gives quarterback Jameis Winston another weapon that should continue to improve each game.

“I’m very pleased with him," Fisher said about Wilson. "One-on-one, can get open, run different routes, really [he’s] able to be moved around different positions and he’s still learning and getting better but he’s got a lot of potential. He’s going to develop into a heck of a football player. I’m proud where he is right now. I like the steps he’s taking.”

Brandon Mellor is a Florida State writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of Seminoles.com. All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @BrandonMellor on Twitter.