FSU Seminoles

ESPN is examining each of the nation's top college football programs and projecting what the next few seasons might have in store. We've accounted for Florida State's coaching, talent, recruiting, stability and program clout to find out how the Seminoles stack up, with ESPN's experts ranking FSU seventh in their Future Power Rankings.

Here's a quick look at what could change those numbers, for better and for worse:


The Seminoles will rise if: Jameis Winston develops into a star.

For Florida State's redshirt freshman, the expectations are already so high that he might never fully reach them, but that's not the standard he should be worried about. When E.J. Manuel made an early push for the Heisman a year ago, Jimbo Fisher famously referred to his quarterback as a "hunting dog" rather than a "show dog," and that's exactly what he'll want from Winston, too.

But while Manuel arrived with an impressive track record and lofty expectations, too, there is something different about Winston, who is already being pegged by some as a future No. 1 overall draft pick. He's got a big arm, good speed and tremendous confidence that sets him apart.

For all his talent, Winston still needs some time to develop on the job, and Fisher's offense isn't designed to allow him to post huge numbers from Day 1. For FSU, the key is for Winston to keep moving forward, and if he does, the next three years could be a turning point for the program.

A lot of other things will have to fall into place, too, if FSU is to take the next step, but Winston will be at the forefront for good reason. After all, in the Seminoles' two previous national championship seasons, they had eventual Heisman winners Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke running the show.

The Seminoles will fall if: The stability Fisher has built falls apart.

There are more than a few fans eager to point out the flaws in Fisher's first three years on the job, and indeed, ugly losses to teams such as Wake Forest and Virginia in 2011 and NC State in 2012 derailed otherwise promising seasons. But while Fisher hasn't quite fulfilled mammoth expectations, he has managed a major overhaul of the organization by implementing a strict plan for recruiting, coaching and running the program.

Essentially Fisher has tried to follow in Nick Saban's footsteps by not simply coaching the Xs and Os, but working to refine even the most minor aspects of the program. But 2013 brings the first major challenge to that routine, with six new assistant coaches joining the ranks, the departure of a vast amount of NFL talent (11 players picked in 2013's draft), an increasingly arduous schedule on the horizon and a search for a new athletics director looming.

For three years, Fisher has been the captain of a relatively stable ship, but new challenges have arisen. Fisher went outside the box with his hiring of new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. His refusal to give up play-calling duties led his offensive coordinator and top recruiter, James Coley, to bolt for ACC rival Miami. He faces recruiting challenges from SEC programs with more resources in a time when FSU is trying to find a new leader for its athletics department. Whether Fisher can keep the program on the right path and follow Saban's blueprint for building a champion will be a major question during the next few seasons.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Another commitment has come in for head coach Jimbo Fisher during Florida State's first summer camp.

Rising senior Malique Jackson (Jesup, Ga./Wayne County), a long, rangy athlete at 6-foot-1, committed to the Seminoles after camping in front assistant coach Jeremy Pruitt. Jackson primarily worked out at cornerback, a place where Pruitt seems to like size.

"Yes, they recruited him as a corner," said Jackson's high school coach, Jody Grooms.

Jackson is the Seminoles' fourth commitment of this camp session, joining Ryan Sousa, Ethan Frith and Marlon Gonzalez.

Jackson attends the same school that produced current starting right guard Tre' Jackson.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Ethan Frith (Summit, Miss./North Pike) showed up to Florida State with a point to prove. And a new physique to show off.

Previously weighing in at 336 pounds, the offensive tackle this time checked in at 292 pounds. In the end, it very well could have earned him a spot on the Seminoles roster, especially given he ended up committing later in the day.

"I just wanted to compete and show Coach Jimbo [Fisher]," he said. "Since the last time I came here, I have lost 25 or so pounds.

“I just felt like it is the right place for me,” Frith said. “I love it down here. I like all of the coaches. I like all of the people down here. I just felt like it was home for me and it is where I should be.”

Right after his workout at the camp, Frith indicated he wasn't sure where he was in regard to making a decision. It certainly didn't appear imminent.

But in talking things over, Frith got the feeling that it was the place for him.

“Coach Trickett, getting to working with him and talking to him,” Frith said. “Then getting a chance to sit down and talk with him.

“He is a great coach,” Frith said. “I’ve been around [tough coaches] all of my life, so it isn’t anything new. I am looking forward to it. I plan on going to the NFL and he is the one who can get me there.”

Head coach Jimbo Fisher was expectedly happy with the news that he had a new offensive tackle coming in.

“He was excited,” Frith said. “I don’t think he expected me to, but he was excited when I did.”

As for the weight loss, Frith is in a position to stay trim. He's established new eating habits that set him up for prolonged success.

"Eating healthier, no fried foods, no cokes or Mountain Dews," he said. "My 40-yard dash has gotten faster. I'm more agile."

Frith is the Seminoles' 12th commitment of the 2014 class.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Jimbo Fisher has added another wide receiver to his 2014 recruiting class.

Ryan Sousa (Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona) committed to the Seminoles during Thursday’s prospect camp session, his coach Anthony Paradiso confirmed. The 6-foot, 177-pound Sousa joins Markell Pack (Purvis, Miss./Purvis) and C.J. Worton (Homestead, Fla./South Dade) as the other pass-catchers in the group. ESPN 150 athlete JoJo Robinson (Miami/Northwestern) also projects as a wide receiver.

Sousa chose the Seminoles over offers from FAU, Missouri, Rutgers, UCF, UCLA and Wake Forest. He is the 11th commitment in Florida State’s 2014 class.

Florida State has to get modern in its search for a new athletic director.

Modern ADs know how to connect to fans, to donors, to booster groups. Modern ADs know how to squeeze money out of places where there is no money. Modern ADs come up with innovative revenue streams, to augment the bottom line as programs compete every single day against each other for the biggest budget and, in turn, the biggest facilities.

Randy Spetman was simply not the picture of a modern AD. That is through no fault of his own. Spetman was brought in by another president, during a time of NCAA issues, and was never really seen as a strong leader. Today, athletic departments need strong leaders. Perhaps that is one reason why he is taking on another role, as senior advisor to the athletics department.

From the moment he arrived, there seemed to be a general disconnect with the fan base, too. Then when new president Eric Barron arrived in 2010, there was a disconnect between them as well. Spetman was never Barron’s guy. When the president and AD do not see eye to eye on many issues, well, you have problems. You kinda got the idea this day would become an eventuality when Spetman only got a one-year extension in February. He remains one of the lowest paid ADs not only in the ACC but in Florida as well.

Spetman, however, was putting together a five-year strategic plan for Florida State, to be presented Thursday at a board of trustees meeting. He believed in the plan, and thought that would give him more time. Give Spetman credit for his accomplishments. Florida State has had no NCAA issues since his arrival, a major plus considering the problems that predated him. He got the indoor football practice facility done. And the teams within the athletic department reached unprecedented heights.

But many times over the past several years, Florida State made headlines for issues a stronger AD may have handled better. And many of those issues surrounded one major problem -- money. The Noles had budget problems; they had home attendance problems; and, of course, they had conference problems caused by board of trustees members who saw more dollar signs in a different neighborhood.

Spetman handled the shenanigans over Big 12 speculation last year poorly, scurrying away from reporters while failing to attack the issue head on. It was Barron who took the lead in making sure the Noles were on board with the recently signed grant of rights, solidifying conference stability, not Spetman.

But that whole episode illustrated a great problem Florida State has faced under Spetman and will continue to face when a new athletic director arrives: The Noles make heaps of cash, yes. But not nearly as much as in-state rival Florida, nor other elite programs the Noles compete with for recruits and championships. Coach Jimbo Fisher has patterned his program after his experiences coaching at LSU and with Nick Saban. But he also knows reality -- he does not have the cash or the resources of a wide variety of those SEC schools.

How then to get there? Finding bigger, better more revenue streams. The best ADs today have mastered that. These days, a background in sales and marketing is almost a must. Having said that, the new AD must also be able to handle the big personalities both Fisher and Barron bring to their respective programs. Florida State needs an athletic director both coaches and Barron can listen to and trust. Fans need to believe in the new AD, too. There never was that belief in Spetman for a variety of reasons.

Essentially, Florida State now needs an AD everybody can rally around for this program to keep moving forward.

As of today, there are 100 days until the start of the college football season.

You bet we’re counting.

If you’re Scot Loeffler, Virginia Tech's new offensive coordinator, 100 days must feel like a nanosecond. The Hokies aren’t the only ones, though, with plenty of work to do before the season begins. Here’s a checklist of five things the ACC and its teams must accomplish before the opening kickoff:

1. Name starting quarterbacks. Syracuse can’t even talk about Oklahoma transfer Drew Allen yet because he’s not on campus and won’t enroll until next month, but the Orange are just one of several teams in the ACC that still have an ongoing quarterback competition. Virginia’s quarterback controversy has seemingly gone on for years, and Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher has yet to officially anoint Jameis Winston as EJ Manuel’s successor. Pitt is also still searching for a dependable leader, along with NC State.

2. Find an offense in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech has become one of the ACC’s brand-name programs, a consistent winner and a representative in the Top 25 and BCS standings. That changed last season when the Hokies bumbled their way through their most disappointing season in 20 years. Coach Frank Beamer made sweeping changes to his offensive staff, but little improvement was seen in the spring game. Loeffler said it wasn’t a true indication of the progress that was made in the other 13 practices, but also conceded there is still a lot of work to be done. With Alabama looming in the season opener, all eyes will be on the ACC in Week 1. When the Hokies are good, the ACC is better.

3. Improve defensively. With the exception of Florida State, which finished the season ranked No. 6 in the country in scoring defense, 2012 wasn’t a banner year for ACC defenses. The conference usually has some of the nation’s best defenses -- including Boston College -- but there was no Luke Kuechly and no identity for the Eagles last fall. Miami beat Duke 52-45. Georgia Tech beat North Carolina 68-50. Clemson beat NC State 62-48. Clemson took a major step forward defensively with its bowl win against LSU, but the defense must become elite in its second season under coordinator Brent Venables if Clemson is going to be a national-title contender.

4. Minimize the turnovers. Virginia Tech was No. 86 in turnover margin last year, and quarterback Logan Thomas threw three picks in the spring game. Boston College was No. 88 in the country in turnover margin, FSU No. 93, NC State No. 99, Maryland No. 104, Virginia No. 110. That’s almost half the league ranked among the worst in the country in turnover margin. The Hokies play Alabama. Virginia plays Oregon. BC plays at USC. FSU is at Florida, and the Seminoles turned it over five times versus the Gators in FSU's 37-26 loss last year. The Gators scored 10 points off turnovers in that game. If the ACC is going to stand a chance, it can’t give away freebies.

5. Stay out of the trainer’s room. Virginia Tech standout corner Antone Exum is still rehabbing from the torn ACL he suffered in a pickup basketball game. The bulk of Wake Forest’s offensive line was walking wounded all spring, and that group will make or break the Deacons' season. Clemson backup quarterback Chad Kelly and starting tight end Sam Cooper both tore their ACLs this spring. If the ACC is going to beat the best this fall, it needs its best players on the field. For some programs, like Boston College, the depth isn’t there to afford injuries.

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."