FSU Seminoles

Florida State will still hit the practice field five more times before the opener, so Jimbo Fisher isn't making any promises that things won't change by the time the Seminoles take the field against Murray State on Saturday.

As it stands, Fisher has his starting lineup set, and Florida State released its first depth chart of the fall Monday with few surprises.

The two biggest position battles were at right tackle and field corner, and in both cases Fisher went with the player most fans were already expecting, with junior college transfer Menelik Watson nailing down the final spot on the offensive line and sophomore Nick Waisome taking over the corner job held by Greg Reid for the past three seasons.

Watson split time with Daniel Glauser throughout fall practice, and while Fisher said it was a particularly close battle, the reason Watson won the job was simple.

"He played better," Fisher said. "Glauser made tremendous strides, and I'd feel very comfortable putting him in the game and playing him, but I thought Menelik was definitely the most efficient and has a very big upside."

While both Glauser and Watson are in their first year at Florida State, it was experience that may have given the edge to Waisome in the battle for the cornerback job.

Waisome played only sparingly a year ago, but he showed a more consistent understanding of the playbook this fall than true freshman Ronald Darby, who opens the season at No. 2 on the depth chart.

"Nick's been around, played very well, made a lot of good plays, is an intelligent guy who's been in the system," Fisher said. "He had a very solid camp, and I look forward to watching him play on Saturday."

Fisher said Darby will get a chance to play against Murray State, and there remains a real possibility that both the tackle and corner jobs could see more fluctuations after the coaches get a chance to see players in a real game.

Meanwhile, the rest of the depth chart offered few serious competitions.

Rashad Greene will take over Reid's duties as the primary punt returner, a move Fisher announced last week. Lamarcus Joyner and Karlos Williams will continue to share kick return duties.

Chris Thompson is the official starter at tailback, and Fisher said the senior, who missed the bulk of 2011 with a broken back, will get the chance to run the ball often. Still, Fisher expects all three of his running backs to play.

"I feel very good about all three guys," Fisher said of his running back rotation, which includes Thompson, and sophomores Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. "Chris is our starter and he'll get plenty of reps and plenty of carries, but we'll get Devonta and Wilder in. I've been really impressed with Wilder the last week, week-and-a-half."

Only a handful of true freshmen were even listed on the initial depth chart, but Fisher said several will get a chance to see significant action against Murray State.

Darby will get work at corner, and Eddie Goldman will back up Everett Dawkins at defensive tackle.

Reggie Northrup is currently listed as the No. 2 weakside linebacker, while Christo Kourtidis is listed as the No. 3 tight end behind starter Nick O'Leary and Penn State transfer Kevin Haplea.

Receiver Marvin Bracy is also listed as the No. 3 receiver at the Y position and as a backup in kick return duties, but Fisher said the freshman may be brought along slowly after missing significant practice time with a nagging hamstring injury.

"We're still working because he hasn't gotten as many reps," Fisher said. "But we feel very pleased because you can see his ability. He catches the ball on kickoffs very well, working on punts. But we'll have to judge this week how much progress he makes."

Every Sunday, NoleNation will take a look back at the week that was around Florida State, recapping the top stories and shedding a little light on a few that might have fallen between the cracks.

Florida State held its second and final scrimmage of the fall Thursday, and after Jimbo Fisher addressed the team at its conclusion, the mood among the players was clearly different.

"It's game week," quarterback EJ Manuel said.

In six days, Florida State's season will be under way, and Manuel and Co. are eager to start playing some real football.

But with the anticipation high and expectations even higher, there are still some questions surrounding this FSU team that Fisher couldn't find answers to during practice, questions that can only be answered through the grind of a full season.

Here are five key issues that still loom over the Seminoles as they get set for Murray State.

1. The battle at right tackle

To hear Fisher tell it, it really doesn't matter which of his two junior college transfers -- Daniel Glauser or Menelik Watson -- wins the starting job here, as both have looked solid during fall practice. But it was also just a year ago that another juco transfer had a supposedly strong fall and opened the season in the starting lineup, and Jacob Fahrenkrug's 2011 didn't exactly go as planned. There's a big difference between fall practice and Saturdays in the ACC. The bottom line is that FSU has added talent to the offensive line, but last year's struggles were vast, and there's still very little experience on this year's unit. Glauser and Watson have potential, but the success of the line will largely be defined by how much they turn that potential into production.

2. The experience at punter

As is usually the case during fall practice, the specialists get relatively little fanfare and relatively limited time to perfect their craft in a game-like atmosphere. That's of particular concern when you're tasked with replacing an All-American, as freshman Cason Beatty will be this season. Given the level of talent FSU has on defense, it's imperative that Beatty help the Seminoles win key field-position battles and give the defense a chance to shine. If he can't, it will be interesting to see if Fisher gets a bit less conservative on fourth downs.

3. The health at running back

Chris Thompson and Devonta Freeman have both had impressive returns from significant injuries, so there's reason for optimism that last year's running game, which finished 10th in the ACC, can improve. It still sounds as if FSU will go with a running back-by-committee approach in the early going, with James Wilder getting reps in short-yardage and goal-line situations, too. The rotation should also help to keep the backs healthy and fresh and seems necessary since there aren't many options further down the depth chart.

4. The depth at linebacker

Christian Jones says he loves his new role at weakside linebacker. Nick Moody says he's made a smooth transition from safety to the strong side. Vince Williams says he and Telvin Smith will continue to split time in the middle but insists both players have gotten better. If they're right, this could be a solid unit. If they're wrong, however, it could get ugly. Of every name on FSU's depth chart at linebacker, only Williams and Smith have taken significant reps at their current position, and true freshmen Reggie Northrup and Markuss Eligwe could be counted on to play a bigger role than coaches would like if there are any injury issues among the starters. It's a house of cards at linebacker right now, and defensive coordinator Mark Stoops needs to keep his fingers crossed that it doesn't all come tumbling down.

5. The questions at corner

Greg Reid's departure was probably the biggest story entering fall camp, but Nick Waisome and Ronald Darby appear to have soothed the bulk of the concerns. Both players have performed well throughout practice, and while neither has officially earned starting role yet, Fisher seems to be pleased with his options. Still, Waisome has little more than a handful of game reps under his belt, and Darby has been on campus for just two months. Will they really be ready to take over for one of FSU's most experienced veterans at a key position on the field?

"They don't have a choice," Manuel said. "Those guys have to step up and we expect them to do that. They understand the situation and I think they're excited about it."

Florida State is a week away from its first game, and while the veterans are counting down the minutes until there is real football to be played, it's getting a bit anxious for the freshmen.

"There are a lot of these young guys that still have a lot of work to do," Jimbo Fisher said. "They need to come on, because we're going to need them. A lot of them are doing good, but we've got to get them game ready."

Unlike last season, when FSU had freshmen in a number of prominent roles -- including four starters on the offensive line -- that need isn't quite so great this season. The advantage of Florida State's depth is that it isn't reliant on inexperienced players at most key positions.

That means Fisher can be somewhat cautious with which freshmen he puts on the field, and that's a decision he'll need to make soon.

"I think quite a few of them will get in there," Fisher said. "Some might be ready, but have a good quality number of guys in front of them, and you want to be careful not to waste a year on 50 plays. We've got to evaluate that, and in the next day or two, we'll make some decisions."

A year ago, 13 of Florida State's 22 true freshmen saw action, including eight as occasional starters. This year, only one freshman, Ronald Darby, appears to be in competition for a starting job, and the overall need for contributors is less. But a look at each player underscores the idea that there aren't many who can't contribute.

Here's our breakdown of which freshman are likely to see action, and which ones could be saddled with a redshirt.

(Read full post)

Earlier this week, we asked our Twitter followers to pose some questions to Florida State's linebacking corps, then we sat down with Nick Moody, Vince Williams and Christian Jones to get answers.

Here's what they had to say:

From @davidraider88: Do they feel like they have a chip on their shoulders as a position group since the media always talks about DL/DBs?

Moody: "We don't pay that stuff any mind, really. At all. If we all do good, we'll all get attention. If we all play good, they'll focus on all of us. The D-line's pressure helps us out. D-line's pressure helps the DBs out. The DBs covering helps the D-line get to the quarterback. It all works together."

From @SteveMatthews_: Which one of the O-linemen has been the toughest so far?

Jones: "They're looking real good. Tre Jackson, Josue, Menelik -- as a unit they all look real good."

From @EasySquidsJr: Which one of the young LBs has stood out the most?

Williams: "It's so funny, man, because it's been a long time since we've had some baby linebackers. … It's funny because they're just running around, don't really know what they're doing, just hitting people and -- it's like watching Pop Warner. And then they get yelled at and their eyes get big, but it's like, calm down, because you'll be fine."

OK, that's it for this week's mailbag. But follow us on Twitter at @DavidHaleESPN, @CDowlar and @ESPNNoleNation, and we'll get more of your questions answered next week.