FSU Seminoles

FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
2012 record: 12-2
2012 conference record: 7-1
Returning starters: Offense 6, Defense 5, Kicker/Punter 1

Top returners

WR Rashad Greene, LT Cameron Erving, C Bryan Stork, LB Christian Jones, LB Telvin Smith, DB Lamarcus Joyner, DT Timmy Jernigan

Key losses

QB EJ Manuel, RT Menelik Watson, RB Chris Thompson, DE Bjoern Werner, DE Cornellius Carradine, CB Xavier Rhodes, K Dustin Hopkins

2012 statistical leaders (*returning)

Rushing: Chris Thompson (687 yards)
Passing: EJ Manuel (3,392 yards)
Receiving: Rashad Greene* (741 yards)
Tackles: Christian Jones* (95)
Sacks: Bjoern Werner (13)
Interceptions: Xavier Rhodes, Tyler Hunter* (3)

Spring answers:

1. Changes on D: New coordinator Jeremy Pruitt brought a slew of new schemes with him from Alabama, meaning the FSU defense won't look all that much like the one that finished second in the nation in 2012. With the loss of five former starters from the defensive line, that's probably a good thing. Pruitt's scheme will be more aggressive and bring a lot more blitzes, allowing FSU to get pressure from other areas.

2. Beating Hart: When right tackle Menelik Watson made the somewhat surprising decision to leave FSU after just a year to enter the NFL draft, all eyes turned to junior Bobby Hart, whose turbulent career with the Seminoles was already well documented. Hart started as a 17-year-old freshman in 2011, but problems with his work ethic derailed his sophomore season and he found himself on the bench. He appeared to work his way back into line coach Rick Trickett's good graces by the end of the spring, however, and he'll be crucial to maintaining the continuity of the line without Watson.

3. Famous Jameis: Jimbo Fisher still isn't calling the contest over, but it certainly looks like redshirt freshman Jameis Winston is in the driver's seat to take over for Manuel as FSU's new starting quarterback. Winston shined throughout the spring and delivered a monster performance in the Seminoles' Garnet and Gold game, completing 13 of 15 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns. A week later, junior QB Clint Trickett announced he was transferring.

Fall questions:

1. Winston, Part II: Yes, the spring was impressive for Winston, but as Fisher was quick to point out, he'll need to pick up right where he left off in the fall if FSU is going to make a smooth transition at a position that's been remarkably stable for the past five years. Jacob Coker remains in competition -- and he should be fully healed after breaking a bone in his foot that limited this spring -- but the loss of Trickett puts a lot of pressure on Winston to step up, particularly with a daunting road contest at new ACC member Pittsburgh looming in the season opener.

2. New-look secondary: Lamarcus Joyner appeared to make a relatively smooth transition from safety to corner, but FSU didn't get much of a look at what will constitute the secondary in 2013. Key players such as Tyler Hunter, Nick Waisome and Ronald Darby were all hurt, while promising freshman Jalen Ramsey had yet to arrive. The group will finally all work together during fall camp.

3. Just for kicks: Redshirt freshman Roberto Aguayo showed off his powerful leg during FSU's spring game, connecting on three long field goals, including a 58-yarder to close out the game. Still, replacing the NCAA's all-time leading scorer among kickers won't be an easy task. Dustin Hopkins was as reliable as it gets for FSU, and Aguayo still needs to show he can handle the pressure of making a big kick with the game on the line.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Spring practice arrived with some significant questions, and it ended with at least a slightly clearer indication of some answers. This week, we'll take a look at five of the biggest question marks of the spring and decipher what we learned and how much further the Seminoles have to go before the season kicks off.

Next up: The expectations

The question: The offseason saw six assistant coaches depart and a host of talented veterans head for greener pastures in the NFL. So with so much turnover, can Florida State still be considered a championship contender?

The possibilities: Jimbo Fisher is an optimist by nature, but even he admits this spring was just the start of a significant project. A new starting quarterback, a complete overhaul of the defensive line and a host of new voices running practice doesn't make things easy. But there's still plenty of talent in the coffers, which could mean either a season of growing on the job or, potentially, a year in which FSU's game against Clemson once again decides the conference.

What we learned this spring: From the outset, Fisher has raved about the potential of the team -- which, to be fair, is a distinct difference from a year ago when he unflinchingly declared the Seminoles ready to contend. But just because there's still room for growth with this year's group doesn't mean his expectations for the finished product are any lower.

While that enthusiasm was largely demonstrated in glowing post-practice reviews, perhaps the most jarring and significant moment of the spring came in the final week, when Fisher cut a practice short because he wasn't pleased with the effort level. It was a low point for the team, but it was a perfect chance for Fisher to deliver a message about what he expects going forward.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Jameis Winston had already reached cult status before he arrived at Florida State, but for the past year, the legend has been glimpsed only from afar, burnished by tall tales from secondhand sources and, of course, the occasional YouTube video of the highly touted quarterback chucking footballs over fraternity houses.

But Saturday's spring game at Florida State was different. The legend took the stage in front of fans for the first time, and Winston didn't disappoint.

On his first play from scrimmage -- just a few seconds into the second quarter -- Winston found walk-on receiver David Tyrell for a 58-yard touchdown pass, the first of three scoring drives he'd lead the No. 1 offense on in the game. It was a show-stopping debut on the big stage and also an emphatic exclamation point on a spring that vaunted the redshirt freshman to the forefront of FSU's quarterback competition.

"You have no choice but to see the talent and the uniqueness he has," said cornerback Lamarcus Joyner, who was beat twice on touchdown throws by Winston on Saturday.

Jimbo Fisher still isn't naming a starting quarterback. In fact, he didn't so much as reshuffle the depth chart in the immediate aftermath of Saturday's spring game, but it's impossible to ignore what Winston is capable of becoming if he's given the opportunity.

In all, Winston finished the day having completed 12 of 15 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns, and he might have scored a third on the ground had referees not blown an early whistle on a scramble to avoid any significant contact from defenders.

Winston's day ended a bit early, too. He wasn't on the field during the latter half of the fourth quarter, but he still managed to add to the legend by quickly changing clothes and darting across the parking lot to join the baseball team for Saturday night's game against Duke.

Winston's presence, his personality and his potential make him the center of attention regardless of whether Fisher is ready to name him the starter.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- For all the buzz about new schemes and aggressive tweaks to the defense, odds are Saturday's Garnet and Gold game will feature a relatively vanilla approach as Florida State defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt winds down the spring.

The quarterback battle has been the hottest topic in years among Florida State fans, but coach Jimbo Fisher has yet to draw any lines of demarcation on the depth chart, and he insists the four men vying for the job will again rotate reps Saturday.

And after four weeks of intensity, the battle scars are showing. As many as a dozen key members of the 2013 Seminoles team won't be available for the spring game due to injuries.

So, what's there to be excited about as Florida State's spring practice comes to a somewhat anticlimactic conclusion? Actually, there's still plenty worth watching, even if some of the biggest curiosities will remain just that until fall camp begins in August. Here's a rundown of some of the most noteworthy items of intrigue on display Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium.

The QBs, of course

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State opened the spring with more significant questions looming over the team than in any season since Jimbo Fisher took over as head coach. The past four weeks certainly haven't provided answers for them all -- including some of the most hotly debated -- but there have been some clues as to what the Seminoles will look like in the fall.

The defensive scheme: Fisher opened spring by assuring there would be few changes on defense despite three new coaches, including a new coordinator. It didn't take long to see he was bluffing. Jeremy Pruitt had players watching game film of his old Alabama teams during the offseason, and he's installed an aggressive new scheme that includes shifting players around, dropping linemen into coverage, bringing linebackers to the line of scrimmage, and blitzing early and often. "I love this defense," safety Terrence Brooks said. "It's amazing. A lot more blitzing, a lot more chances to make plays, moving guys around. Everybody's learning but we're picking it up every day and it's getting a lot better."

The right tackle job: Fisher might never offer Bobby Hart a full-fledged endorsement after the young lineman squandered his starting job with a lackadaisical approach last spring, but there was clear improvement for Hart this time around, and he managed to hold on to his spot atop the depth chart throughout. Moving Bryan Stork to right tackle and giving Austin Barron the starting job at center remains a possibility -- or a threat, depending on how much of the debate is based around motivating Hart -- but for now, Hart looks to be on solid ground.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A hundred yards of green spread out ahead of him, and Terrence Brooks saw himself galloping across each hash mark along the way.

Even now, more than six months after Brooks mistimed a jump that would've inevitably led to a late -- albeit unnecessary -- touchdown against Clemson, he can still see the ball hanging in the air, picture himself snagging it from the receiver and darting toward the end zone at the opposite end of the field.

"I have dreams about it," Brooks said of the Tajh Boyd pass that sailed just out of reach and into the arms of Brandon Ford for a touchdown.

For a player who started every game, finished with 52 tackles and picked off two passes in 2012, it's that play that was the most memorable.

That's OK, Brooks said.

After that game, Brooks sat on the bench with his head hung while teammates celebrated, but now he celebrates it, too. After that game, his teammates begged him to forget the performance, but now he's glad to remember. Before that game, he questioned himself, but afterward, he knew.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Tim Brewster is excited to be at Florida State, and he's not interested in tempering his enthusiasm -- particularly on the recruiting trail.

Just days after taking over as FSU's new tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator, Brewster took to Twitter to lay the groundwork with some top targets.

"All the ballers in Miami just know I'm coming to getcha," Brewster tweeted as part of a flurry of excitement aimed at south Florida recruits.

It might have been an ostentatious opening salvo in the recruiting battles with his in-state rivals, but Brewster is making no apologies. That's how he does business.

"I'm not bashful, and I'm extremely proud of the university I represent," Brewster said. "I just want to make sure that people understand, we're going to take an extremely aggressive approach to getting the best players in the state of Florida to come to Tallahassee. We're going to recruit relentlessly."

It's an infectious enthusiasm, and it's a big part of what caught Jimbo Fisher's attention after former FSU recruiting coordinator -- and south Florida expert -- James Coley departed to join the Miami Hurricanes.

Still, Brewster knows that all his in-person excitement doesn't always translate well to social media. It's just that when he's excited about something, he just can't help himself.

"If you're not using social media, you're missing the boat. It's a tremendous way to reach out, because young people today, that's how they communicate," Brewster said. "I try not to go overboard, but it's hard sometimes, because I enjoy it."

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- In Florida State's penultimate game of 2012, Karlos Williams finally reached his potential. It's just that his breakthrough performance didn't exactly come in the fashion anyone had anticipated.

Williams, a safety during his first two seasons with the Seminoles, was an emergency substitute at linebacker in FSU's ACC Championship Game win over Georgia Tech, racking up a game-high 11 tackles in the process. Immediately fans wondered if he'd finally found a niche. Williams wasn't so sure.

"I definitely didn't want to end up playing linebacker," Williams said.

Williams said his height wasn't ideally suited to the position, and as one of the team's faster players -- and starting kick returner -- he wasn't all that interested in adding any significant weight.

As it turned out, however, Williams didn't need to make the switch to find a chance at a full-time job.

With Lamarcus Joyner's unexpected switch from safety to corner, Williams is finally on the verge of locking down significant playing time, and he didn't have to move from safety to do it.

"I've been preparing myself for the past two years to be in the starting position if I've earned the right," Williams said. "So this spring I'm trying to earn the right to start."

Ironically though, Williams' new role might not be limited exclusively to safety. With new coordinator Jeremy Pruitt taking a more aggressive approach on the pass rush, Williams could still find himself playing some nickel and, of course, some linebacker on a part-time basis. And that, Williams said, is just fine.

"Hopefully, in this system, playing the money linebacker a little bit," Williams said. "I hope I get a little more experience with that."

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From the impending quarterback competition to finding replacements for departing juniors, Jimbo Fisher will have his work cut out for him during the next few months as he lays the groundwork for 2013.

With that in mind, we're going to go position by position, looking at Florida State's strengths and weaknesses as the Seminoles prepare for the start of spring practice.

Previous entrees can be found HERE.

Next up: Safety

2012 recap: For all the questions surrounding Terrence Brooks' move to safety or Karlos Williams' role in the rotation, it turned out that 2012 was a remarkably quiet and consistent season for FSU at the position. Lamarcus Joyner was once again exceptional, earning All-ACC honors, Brooks struggled a bit against Clemson but overall found solid footing in his new role, and Williams made strides but never quite cracked the starting lineup. As a unit, the secondary helped Florida State finish tops in the nation in pass defense, and the safeties were exceptional at avoiding the big play. The Seminoles allowed just 41 passing plays of 15 yards or more in 2012, the fewest in the nation.

Departures: Does Joyner count as a departure? He certainly toyed with the idea of leaving altogether, entering the NFL draft where he figured to be a mid-round selection, but ultimately the undersized safety chose to return for his senior season. As it turns out, however, he won't be returning as a safety. Joyner will move to cornerback for 2013, where his size becomes less of a question and he can take a crack at making a bigger impression on NFL scouts. Still, Fisher expects Joyner to be something of a jack of all trades in the secondary, playing some nickel and safety along the way, too.

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