Francois will gauge NFL interest, could return to Florida State

Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois plans to evaluate interest from NFL officials but is leaving the door open for a 2019 return to the Seminoles, he told Chris Hays and Chaunte'l Powell of the Orlando Sentinel on Wednesday night.

Francois, a redshirt junior, refuted an initial report from the Sentinel that he plans to declare for the 2019 NFL Draft or transfer schools next season. He earned his bachelor's degree earlier this month and would be eligible to play elsewhere right away as a graduate transfer.

Head coach Willie Taggart said earlier Wednesday that James Blackman would be able to handle the starting job moving forward if necessary.

"I have all the confidence in the world in James," Taggart said. "... Great football player. He's a good leader, shows that he can play the game of football, and I'm confident that he can continue to play football and continue to get better."

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Francois completed 57.3 percent of 396 pass attempts for 2,731 yards with 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this past campaign, adding three scores on the ground. He was limited to just one game in 2017 after suffering a season-ending injury in the opener.