The player that looked like a future star at the end of the 2023 season is still inside Gavin Sawchuk.

The Valor Christian graduate believes it deep to his core.

From the start of November through the Alamo Bowl of that season, Sawchuk rattled off five straight games with over 100 yards rushing and six touchdowns for Oklahoma. He looked like the future at running back for the Sooners and someone who could carry the program in its first season in the big, bad SEC.

Despite being at or near the top of the depth chart the entire season, the two-time Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year didn’t see more than six carries in a single game during the regular season for an Oklahoma offense that ranked second-to-last in the SEC in scoring and third-last in yards per game.

He stuck around for spring practices in Norman, but the Sooners brought in California star transfer Jadyn Ott, as well as four-star freshman Tory Blaylock, and Sawchuk decided it was time for a fresh start.

The Aurora native has found it at Florida State.

“One of the biggest things for me is I wanted to continue to compete at a high level. I know I could and I’ve done it before,” Sawchuk told The Denver Gazette. “That definitely came into play when choosing FSU. They just have a historic program and have done it in the past and continue to do it now, so just being able to be a part of a program that not only just speaks about how great they wanna be but actually backs it up year after year, that was important to me.”

No better place to start than Saturday’s season opener against No. 8 Alabama (1:30 p.m. ABC) in Tallahassee, Fla.

“I mean, whoever it is, it’s important to be ready to play,” Sawchuk said. “But, just the fact that it is Alabama Week 1, coming off the season that they did last year with a new coaching staff, a lot of new players, we’re trying to get back to that standard, that level at Florida State that we’re used to and that the program is used to. Regardless of who we would play, that intensity is gonna stay up there, throughout the rest of the season because we got a lot to prove.”

Sawchuk isn’t joining the Seminoles after a banner season. Despite entering 2024 ranked No. 10 in the preseason Associated Press poll and with expectations of making the College Football Playoff, FSU went on to win two games all season, a major letdown after the 13-1 campaign that preceded it.

Maybe that’s why it’s a good fit for Sawchuk. He’s trying to prove the 2023 version of himself is still there, just like his new team is. That’s why he didn’t mind playing catch-up this summer, getting adjusted to a new team, a new offensive system and a new environment.

“Coming to Florida State, it was a little different, but just learning to do the same things that I did back there, continuing to work hard, stay in my playbook,” Sawchuk said. “That’s one of the biggest things, learning the new offense, learning the new coaching staff and some of the expectations, some of the standards that they have. But, it’s a big program as well, their standard is excellence. So, having that same mindset and being able to come into a culture that really agrees with that and believes in that as well, that made it a little easier of a transition.”

The new offense Sawchuk is learning is that of veteran coach Gus Malzahn, who left the head coach position at Central Florida to be the offensive coordinator for the Seminoles. Malzahn’s famous up-tempo, no-huddle offense is one that excites Sawchuk, especially given all of the running backs he’s sent to the NFL — most recently Broncos rookie RJ Harvey.

“He’s produced great running backs in the past, and having that opportunity to be a part of a system like that where he likes to run the ball, he likes to get creative with the running back in space and in the passing game… I’m excited for it,” Sawchuk said. “He does a lot of film study, a lot of game planning that goes behind a lot of what he calls, and I love it. It’s just been great to be able to learn how he thinks about attacking a defense and attacking certain parts of the field.”

Sawchuk is fully in “prove it” mode ahead of an important junior season.

“I think we have an opportunity to do something special,” Sawchuk said.

5 Games to Watch

No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Texas (10 a.m. FOX)

The long-awaited debut of Arch Manning as the full-time starting quarterback comes on the road at the home of the defending national champions in a rematch of last year’s Cotton Bowl. No pressure, kid. But actually, the pressure might be on the Buckeyes, who have a new starting quarterback (Julian Sayin) and two new coordinators to break in against the preseason No. 1 team in the land. There’s no better game to kick off what should be a fun and eventful 2025 season of college football.

King’s pick: Texas +1 (Odds via BetMGM)

Florida State vs. No. 8 Alabama (1:30 p.m. ABC)

There might not be a bigger mystery in the country than the Seminoles, who have a revamped roster and coaching staff after last year’s disaster 2-10 season. They might not make a bowl game again or they might be sneaky contenders in the ACC. Still, this opener against a Crimson Tide team, despite a new starting quarterback in Ty Simpson, with College Football Playoff aspirations is a tall task.

King’s pick: Alabama -14

No. 4 Clemson vs. No. 9 LSU (5:30 p.m. ABC)

The first full Saturday of the season starts with a top-5 matchup and ends with a top-10 showdown between two different Tigers teams from two different versions of ‘Death Valley.’ Clemson returns a star at QB in Cade Klubnik and two future top 10 NFL draft picks on the defensive line (T.J. Parker and Peter Woods), while LSU has a star QB of its own Garrett Nussmeier and a reloaded defense, although Brian Kelly is yet to win a season opener in three years in charge.

King’s pick: Clemson -4

No. 10 Miami vs. No. 6 Notre Dame (5:30 p.m. Sunday, ABC)

Yet another fascinating top-10 matchup in Week 1. The Fighting Irish return to the sight of January’s magical Orange Bowl win that sent them to the national championship game, but Marcus Freeman’s team will look very different Sunday night. Notre Dame has plenty of production to replace, most notably at quarterback with redshirt freshman CJ Carr getting his first start. On the other sideline, Miami welcomes new starting QB Carson Beck to town after his stellar career at Georgia and hopes he can do what Cam Ward did during his lone year with the Hurricanes in 2024.

King’s pick: Miami +2.5

North Carolina vs. TCU (6 p.m. Monday, ESPN)

Bill Belichick, North Carolina head coach. It still doesn’t feel real that one of the greatest coaches in NFL history is making his college head coaching debut at age 73, but it’s a reality Monday night. Just like two years ago with Coach Prime and Colorado, it’s TCU on the other sideline of a hyped-up coaching debut. The Horned Frogs are sneaky Big 12 contenders behind QB Josh Hoover.

King’s pick: TCU -3.5

King’s Top 5 Preseason Heisman Candidates

1. Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson

After a strong end to his sophomore season, Klubnik enters 2025 with all of the same expectations he had when he first stepped on Clemson’s campus. The Tigers QB is the projected No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL draft and has a fan base that hopes he hoists the Heisman Trophy in New York before leading his team into the College Football Playoff a few weeks later.

2. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State

Arguably the best individual player in the country, Smith already has an incredible resume in college football. He was the biggest star on Ohio State’s national championship-winning team last season, thanks to an incredible performance (187 receiving yards and two touchdowns) against Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Yet, college football has him for two more seasons before he heads to the NFL.

3. LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina

One of the most exciting players in the country, Sellers thrived in his first season as the starter for the Gamecocks. After a 2-3 start last season, Sellers led South Carolina on a six-game winning streak to close the regular season, capped off by a road win over rival Clemson in which Sellers announced himself as a star with his performance (330 passing and rushing yards combined and two touchdowns).

4. Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU

If there’s anyone who can de-throne Klubnik as the top pick in next spring’s NFL draft, it’s likely Nussmeier, the 6-foot-1 senior who threw for over 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns last fall. Like every Tigers QB before him, Nussmeier has an elite stable of wide receivers to throw the ball to and a chance to be the biggest reason LSU gets over the hump and back to the playoff for the first time since 2019.

5. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

The top running back in the country, Love is the biggest name returning for the Fighting Irish after last year’s appearance in the national title game and he’s the biggest reason for optimism Notre Dame can get back there this season. Injuries hampered him in some of the biggest games in 2024, but Love is healthy and ready to top last season’s stats of over 1,100 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.