Spring practice is underway in Tallahassee as Florida State aims for its fourth straight ACC title. The Seminoles have put together consecutive undefeated regular seasons and it appears that FSU is once again on the verge of becoming a national power on a perennial basis.
Florida State remains one of the more talented teams in the ACC and arguably the country, but with very few seniors, the Seminoles will rely heavily on a number of new faces in 2015. With spring practice underway in Florida’s capital city, here are five questions FSU faces heading into spring:
1. Who Succeeds Jameis Winston?
Determining who replaces former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston may be the most intriguing and perhaps most important battle of the spring. The only quarterback on the roster to make a collegiate start is redshirt junior Sean Maguire, who passed for over 300 yards and a touchdown in last September’s 23-17 win over Clemson. Maguire is the most seasoned of the Seminole signal-callers, but redshirt freshman J.J. Consentino and early enrollee De’Andre Johnson have more God-given physical ability. Redshirt sophomore John Franklin III is also a very good athlete and come fall, the Seminoles will have the services of Deondre Francois — the highest ranked quarterback recruit on the roster according to some outlets.
2. How Big an Impact Can Freshmen Have?
Florida State racked up a top-5 recruiting class last month and fortunately for FSU, a number of its biggest recruits are already on campus. 5-star safety Derwin James and 5-star defensive end Josh Sweat are already on campus as is running back Jacques Patrick, wide receivers Da’Vante Phillips and George Campbell and Florida’s 2014 Mr. Football in De’Andre Johnson. Coming off a knee injury, Sweat isn’t likely to be involved in much full contact action this spring, but arriving early will be a chance to learn and a chance for the others who enrolled early to show they’re ready to play at a high level.
CHARLOTTE, NC – DECEMBER 06: Roderick Johnson #77 of the Florida State Seminoles calls out his blocking assignment against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the 2nd half during the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game on December 6, 2014 in Greenville, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
3. Can the Seminoles Get the Job Done Up Front?
The offensive line that took the field for last season’s opener against Oklahoma State have all graduated and four of the five are expected to be selected in next month’s NFL Draft. Ryan Hoefeld and Roderick Johnson did each make starts for Florida State last season after Austin Barron went down with an arm injury, but the offensive front for FSU will be one with very little experience. With a new face at quarterback, the Seminoles will likely rely more this year on standout running back Dalvin Cook, but whether there will be holes for him to run through will be a major question. Hoefeld and Johnson are both expected to be part of the starting line in 2015 as are Kareem Are and Chad Mavety. Wilson Bell and Corey Martinez are among those expected to compete for a starting guard position.
4. Is Young Receiving Corps Ready to Take Next Step?
Florida State looks to be very deep at wide receiver, but experienced, it is not. FSU is having to replace a pair of legendary pass-catchers this season in all-time leading receiver Rashad Greene and consensus All-American and John Mackey Award-winning tight end, Nick O’Leary. Travis Rudolph, who finished with 555 yards receiving and four touchdowns in 2014, is expected to be the team’s No. 1 target, but guys like Ermon Lane, Ja’Vonn Harrison and Isaiah Jones, who was academically ineligible last season, will need to make significant strides. Juniors Jesus “BoBo” Wilson and Lavonte “Kermit” Whitfield are the veterans of the corps, but Wilson struggled with drops last season and Whitfield is a speedster, but a work in progress when it comes to playing receiver. True freshman receivers George Campeball and Da’Vante Phillips are both on campus for spring practice to make early cases for playing time. At tight end, Ryan Izzo, Jeremy Kerr and incoming freshman Jalen Wilkerson will compete to replace O’Leary.
5. Who Emerges at Cornerback for FSU?
Florida State’s four starters lost on the defensive side of the ball are all players who declared early for the NFL Draft. The Seminoles have a number of freshmen and sophomores who collectively hope to be able to replace the production of defensive tackle Eddie Goldman and end Mario Edwards Jr., but replacing cornerbacks P.J. Williams and Ronald Darby may be a tougher task. There is speculation that Jalen Ramsey will again be a cover corner as he was early in his FSU career, but the Seminoles lack experience in man coverage on the outside. Lamarcus Brutus could find himself playing cornerback this spring as could junior Marquez White and senior Keelin Smith. Florida State has a number of promising young safeties and some believe that a few could convert to cornerback including sophomore Trey Marshall. Freshmen Tarvarus McFadden and Marcus Lewis could have a chance to earn playing time when they arrive in August. It is also worth noting that senior safety Tyler Hunter began his Florida State career as a corner.
