FSU Seminoles

Each season brings with it new expectations, and a handful of Seminoles will bear the brunt of the pressure to perform in 2013. We're counting down the top 10 FSU players being counted on the most to help the Seminoles live up to expectations.

No. 7: RB James Wilder Jr.

2012 performance: Wilder rebounded nicely from a slew of off-field distractions to become a consistent producer in FSU's backfield. He topped 100 yards in his first game of the season and finished as perhaps the Seminoles' most consistent performer in the backfield, rushing for 635 yards and 11 touchdowns and hauling in 19 catches for 136 yards and two TDs.

Pressure point: Wilder finally quieted the critics who thought he wasn't suited for offense, but there's still plenty more to accomplish, and the weight of this year's offense rests largely on his shoulders -- both on and off the field. Wilder still figures to split carries with Devonta Freeman, but with a first-year starter at quarterback, there's likely to be a major emphasis on running the ball successfully. Moreover, Wilder has quickly embraced the role of vocal leader on offense, and he'll need to show he's matured beyond the off-field problems that dogged the early part of his career.

If he succeeds: Life gets a lot easier for Jameis Winston (or whoever wins the QB job) if the running game is producing, and Jimbo Fisher figures to put the onus for that on Wilder and Freeman in the early going. Fisher has raved about Wilder's ability -- not just to run between the tackles but to get outside for big runs, pick up blitzes and work as a receiver out of the backfield. He arrived at FSU as a five-star prospect and he hasn't quite reached that potential yet -- but there's ample reason for optimism. While FSU will need its new quarterback to rise to the occasion from time to time, Wilder can do a lot to minimize the occasions on which the game falls entirely on the QB's shoulders.

If he fails: Wilder and Freeman enjoyed relative success in 2012 even after Chris Thompson's season ended abruptly, but there were some troubling games, too -- such as the debacle at Virginia Tech. The Hokies stacked the box and rendered FSU's ground game completely ineffective, and with an offseason of film study and a new QB running the show, odds are more defenses will take a similar approach this year. The onus for overcoming that will likely fall to Wilder, who embraces the opportunity to get the hard-earned yards through contact. If he can't do it -- or if the pounding takes its toll on his body -- the rest of FSU's backfield lacks anything close to that same physicality or blocking ability, and Fisher's options would be far more limited.

Projection: It's tough to predict a 1,000-yard type of season for Wilder because he'll likely share the workload with Freeman and, of course, no FSU runner has reached that mark in nearly two decades. Still, Wilder has an NFL skill set and he'll get his chance to show he's on that path. Staying healthy will be a big key -- he was bruised and battered throughout 2012 and missed this year's spring game -- and he'll need to show he's more versatile outside the tackles. If Wilder can do both, he should easily exceed last year's totals, be FSU's best red-zone threat and, with a little luck, he might even be able to finally put an end to that inexplicably long drought of 1,000-yard runners.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher has no problem with quarterback Jameis Winston continuing to play both football and baseball, even now that it appears the highly touted redshirt freshman has the inside track to win the starting job.

Though Fisher maintains the quarterback competition remains open, Winston seemingly emerged as the front-runner to win the job following a spectacular spring game and the eventual transfer of veteran Clint Trickett.

"I’m not going to limit what he does," Fisher said Tuesday during ACC spring meetings. "If that’s something he helps that team with -- he loves football, he loves baseball and we’ll continue to monitor and do the same things we do."

He later added, "You don’t put parameters on people just because somebody else didn’t do it. Charlie [Ward] did it, Deion [Sanders] did it, Sammie Smith did it. Florida State’s had quite a number of them. And [Jameis] continues to do it very well."

Winston juggled both sports throughout spring practice with no problems. He has appeared in 31 baseball games with 26 starts and is batting .293. He also has made 14 appearances as a relief pitcher with a 1.80 ERA.

Fisher has never had a quarterback play two sports. In fact, two-sport athletes are becoming increasingly rare as players become more specialized in one sport.

But Fisher says, "I think the relationship’s gone very well. Testing the waters in spring I thought he handled it extremely well and did very well with it. It goes back to the individual. Is he capable of handling it? And he’s handled it with ease. He’s excelled in both things that he’s done."

A few more notes from Fisher:

• Fisher didn't want to publicly comment on signee Matthew Thomas, who made headlines last week when he said he wanted out of his letter of intent. Athletic director Randy Spetman told The Tallahassee Democrat the school wouldn't release Thomas. Coaches continue to have discussions with his mom to see whether they can get Thomas to come up to Tallahassee. "We're working behind the scenes and I'm not going to comment publicly," Fisher said.
• Fisher also seemed a little surprised that receiver Marvin Bracy decided to quit football to focus on track. "We had a great conversation," Fisher said. "Just he was more undecided about what he wanted to do. I just wanted him to make sure if you’re going to go pro track, is it what’s best for you? Are you going to maximize the money you can make or the opportunity for your life or what’s your education down the road, what’s the big picture? I hope he’s done that."

Each season brings with it new expectations, and a handful of Seminoles will bear the brunt of the pressure to perform in 2013. We're counting down the top 10 FSU players being counted on the most to help the Seminoles live up to expectations.

No. 8: K Roberto Aguayo

2012 performance: Aguayo's first season in Tallahassee proved to be an ideal scenario. Originally set to grayshirt, a late scholarship opened and Jimbo Fisher was happy to hand it to his kicker of the future. Aguayo spent the season watching and learning from Dustin Hopkins, getting a feel for the demands of the job from one of the best to put on a Seminoles uniform.

Pressure point: For kickers, the pressure is always on, but Hopkins spent four years at FSU doing the job as if he hadn't a care in the world. That consistency set a high bar, including the NCAA scoring mark for kickers, and Aguayo has some big shoes to fill. Hopkins didn't bother trying to temper expectations of Aguayo, either. Hopkins, drafted by the Buffalo Bills, has already predicted Aguayo would break many of his records over the next four years.

If he succeeds: Aguayo will be well on his way toward toppling some of those records Hopkins set along the way, and Florida State fans can relax and enjoy the fact that the kicker spot is set for another four seasons. Aguayo showed plenty of leg in the spring game, including drilling a 58-yarder as time expired, and if he can gain Fisher's trust early, he could be a major weapon for a team that might struggle to find its offensive footing with a new quarterback.

If he fails: There is no Plan B. Aguayo was tabbed as the successor to one of the nation's top kickers from Day 1, and that comes with its own set of pressures. And in a season in which the margin for error for the Seminoles figures to be far less than it was a year ago, it's hard to believe there won't be at least one game that comes down to a big kick. While Aguayo talks a good game about embracing the role, there's a big difference between watching from the sidelines and drilling a big kick in a key moment. And, of course, FSU fans probably understand that distinction better than anyone.

Projection: The future appears bright for Aguayo, who certainly has the leg for the job and appears to have the confidence to go with it. Still, it's worth remembering that even Hopkins wasn't a star from Day 1. As a freshman, he connected on just 70 percent of his field goals (and just 8 of 14 longer than 40 yards), and along the way he missed a few big ones. It would be surprising if Aguayo completely fell apart under the pressure this year, and topping Hopkins' freshman-year performance seems an appropriate standard, but the biggest tests won't come until he's faced some adversity and is forced to rebound. Projecting how a kicker responds to that is tough to do.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- A year ago today, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher was asked exactly zero questions about his football team when facing the media contingent at ACC media days.

All anybody cared about was whether the Seminoles were joining the Big 12.

His athletic director, Randy Spetman, did not even stop to talk with reporters, walking -- nay, sprinting -- to the tune of a no comment.

On Tuesday, Fisher smiled and leaned on a desk when he was asked to recall the maelstrom surrounding last year's meetings, with Florida State squarely in the center.

No such drama this year. A much different vibe permeated the Ritz Carlton Resort, one that had coaches and athletic directors speaking positively about the conference's future, with a grant of rights signed and the possibility of an ACC Network being discussed.

"When you have a definite plan of where things are going and where you're going, I think you definitely do [have a different vibe]," Fisher said. "When there's indecision, you're always wondering what's going on from that standpoint. But yes, I think it's a clear-cut picture of where Florida State's going, where the ACC's going and to me it's a very exciting path. It sounds very good. I don't know all the details but our president and Board of Trustees did an excellent job of researching and making decisions. What's been explained to me, I'm very excited about it and looking forward to the future."

A future in the ACC, of course. Last year, Fisher fanned Big 12 speculation when he said his school should explore all conference options, following comments made by a member of the Florida State board of trustees. That ended up triggering a storm that painted a doom-and-gloom scenario in the ACC, one that grew with Maryland's departure, as the league had to bat down speculation it was on the verge of being raided.

Of course, reports of the league's demise were greatly exaggerated. League officials remained confident in the future, even after Maryland left. Louisville and Notre Dame have been added, and the all-important grant of rights is in the books. Now league members can move forward together. Indeed, the future 15-member contingent is completely represented here, with reps from the Cardinals and Irish attending meetings.

And the league schools have wanted to promote that message: They are united, as one, moving forward. Phase I begins in the fall with Pitt and Syracuse beginning ACC play, and Notre Dame joining in all sports but football.

"Knowing our footprint is so vast, you can really see this thing taking off and giving us an opportunity to take the ACC and compete across the board with every conference and take it into all those households," Syracuse coach Scott Shafer said. "It's an exciting time to be a part of that."

Phase II begins in 2014 when Louisville enters and the Terps depart. Louisville is at an incredible high with success across virtually all its sports, football included.

From his seat watching it all, Louisville coach Charlie Strong said, "You're going to get in a conference already rich in tradition with academics and athletics. With the University of Louisville coming, you feel there's stability there. Now with your programs, you feel you have a chance to go compete. We know we'll be able to compete at the highest level."

If you count Louisville, the ACC has a chance to have three top-15 programs start the 2013 season, something the league needs to help its national credibility. Clemson and Florida State are the other two.

And that brings us back to Fisher. Fresh off a BCS win and top-10 national finish, Fisher spoke for roughly an hour at this year's ACC media gathering, touching on topics related to the league and greater issues surrounding college football, dropping one-liners and one anecdote after another -- spending far more time than the three uncomfortable minutes he had with reporters last year.

Even better for him? There were many, many more questions about his team than he fielded a year ago.

Each season brings with it new expectations, and a handful of Seminoles will bear the brunt of the pressure to perform in 2013. We're counting down the top 10 Florida State players being counted on the most to help the Seminoles live up to expectations.

No. 9: TE Nick O'Leary

2012 performance: Those expecting a marked improvement from O'Leary's freshman season in which he caught 12 pass were disappointed as the talented sophomore managed just 21 catches for 252 yards and three touchdowns. It's not that those totals were awful -- O'Leary, in fact, enjoyed one of the most productive seasons by an FSU tight end in a while -- but they certainly didn't match rather lofty expectations. O'Leary also seemed to disappear for long stretches.

Pressure point: O'Leary arrived amid much hype, and for good reason. He's got the size to be a solid blocker, but his athleticism and pass-catching ability should make him a major mismatch against linebackers and defensive ends. Through two seasons, however, FSU hasn't enjoyed many fruits of those mismatches. The pressure to find more success as a junior will be ratcheted up even further in 2013. With fullback Lonnie Pryor gone, Jimbo Fisher has said he plans to use O'Leary at halfback and will scheme numerous sets with two tight ends. That's a potentially successful wrinkle to the FSU offense -- but only if O'Leary blossoms into the star he's been projected to become.

If he succeeds: Several potential stumbling blocks for FSU's offense could be instantly solved if O'Leary puts together an all-conference-caliber season. If O'Leary's blocking improves, he could help ease the loss of Menelik Watson on the right side. If he becomes a more consistent threat in the passing game, he could provide a valuable safety valve for a young quarterback. If he can avoid making dumb mistakes -- such as fumbling while trying to hurdle defenders -- he could supply the same type of consistency that made Pryor such a valuable part of FSU's offense. Those are all big ifs at the moment.

If he fails: Fisher raved about the progress of senior Kevin Haplea this spring, and the Penn State transfer at least provides FSU with a solid Plan B at tight end. Haplea will never be the receiving threat O'Leary already is, but after a year in the program, he's at least consistent as a blocker and can do enough in the passing game to be an asset. Still, Haplea is the safe option. O'Leary is the potentially explosive one. If O'Leary fails to develop, FSU misses out on a major weapon who could be even more valuable with a young quarterback running the show. More importantly, struggles from any of FSU's tight ends ties Fisher's hands in terms of scheme.

Projection: The first step in meeting expectations for O'Leary would be to simply stop making so many ugly plays. It's one thing to disappear in the offense (something O'Leary has done at times) but it's another to turn a potentially big play into a disastrous one (something O'Leary has become known for among frustrated fans). New tight ends coach Tim Brewster knows he has a potential gold mine in O'Leary, though, and those struggles in 2012 might have served to light a fire under a player who was No. 20 in the ESPN 150 in the 2011 class. O'Leary will be given plenty of chances to shine, and a solid step forward -- 30 catches, more looks in the red zone -- would be a welcome addition. Anything more, and FSU's offense could become a lot more dynamic than many are projecting.