Report: Florida State's Francois out for season with patella tendon injury

Florida State's defeat to Alabama on Saturday came at a huge price, as sources told Jim Henry of the Tallahassee Democrat that star quarterback Deondre Francois is out for the season with a patella tendon injury.

Francois suffered the injury late in the contest as he was trying to scramble away from pressure in the pocket and got hit by Ronnie Harrison. The standout sophomore had taken a battering all game behind a struggling offensive line, and will now be forced to sit out the season after surgery this week.

Freshman backup James Blackman came on in relief of Francois and is expected to get the start for the Seminoles next week against Louisiana-Monroe.

It's a massive loss for one of the preseason title favorites, as Francois was among the top returning quarterbacks in the country. The Florida native threw for 3,350 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first campaign as starter last season.