Florida State kicks off spring practice today and will hold two more practices this week before taking a week off for spring break. Practices will resume on Monday, March 20, and conclude with the April 8 spring game in Doak Campbell Stadium.
Here are five things to watch for this spring as the Seminoles prepare for the 2017 football season.
Who will line up with the first team offensive line?
The starting five on Florida State's offensive line this spring should look very different from the group that lined up against Michigan in the Orange Bowl.
Starters Kareem Are and Roderick Johnson have moved on to the NFL and two other starters, center Alec Eberle and guard Landon Dickerson, will be out or limited while they recover from injuries (Dickerson missed the last five games of the 2016 season with a torn ACL). That leaves part-time starters Brock Ruble, Rick Leonard, Wilson Bell and Cole Minshew as the only returning players with any real game experience from last season.
There are rumors that Wilson Bell is considering a transfer for his senior season. If true, that would leave one of the guard spots wide open with several potential candidates to fill his spot. It's also possible that Rick Leonard could move over to left tackle to take the spot vacated by Johnson. And with Eberle out this spring after hip surgery, sophomore Andrew Boselli, junior Corey Martinez and redshirt freshman Baveon Johnson are the top contenders to step in at center.
Related: *Spring Question 2: What will FSU's offensive line look like in 2017?
Who will be the impact newcomers?
Florida State will break in seven new scholarship players when it hits the field for the first time on Monday. This group of newcomers includes two former five-star recruits and two others that were highly ranked in the Rivals100.
At least four of these early enrollees should have a chance to make an early contribution. Five-star standout Cam Akers, who many felt was the top running back prospect for the 2017 recruiting class, appears to be physically ready to compete at the college level. Fellow five-star Josh Kaindoh was the top-rated defensive end for the 2017 class. As evidenced by Brian Burns last year, a skilled true freshman defensive end can earn immediate playing time on FSU's defense.
With the Seminoles lacking depth at linebacker, junior college transfer Adonis Thomas should get the chance to work into the rotation behind starters Matthew Thomas and Ro'Derrick Hoskins. And even though he won't be competing for the starting job, freshman quarterback Bailey Hockman will throw his hat into the ring as a possible backup to Deondre Francois (see the next section).
The other newcomers are cornerback Stanford Samuels, safety Cyrus Fagan and tight end Tre McKitty.
Related: *Scouting Report for the Seminoles' seven early enrollees
Which quarterback will get the bulk of the reps with the second team?
For the first time since 2014, when Jameis Winston held down the position, there is absolutely no competition for the starting quarterback job. Deondre Francois started all 13 games last season and went on to earn ACC offensive rookie of the year honors. With primary backup Sean Maguire now graduated, J.J. Consentino is the only other signal-caller on the roster that has seen playing time in college. Considering he has been shaky in his five career appearances, the backup spot behind Francois is probably wide open.
Unfortunately for head coach Jimbo Fisher and quarterbacks coach Randy Sanders, there are few options to fill that No. 2 spot. In addition to Cosentino, freshman Bailey Hockman will be the only other scholarship quarterback on campus this spring. Considering he started four years in high school and is a coach's son, he should be well-equipped to learn an offensive quickly. Whether it will be quick enough to make him a viable contender for the backup job remains to be seen.
The final candidate could be walk-on Jake Rizzo. The redshirt sophomore, who led national power Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas to a Class 7A state title, is entering his second full season at Florida State.
Related: *Spring Question No. 1: What is FSU's backup plan at quarterback?
Replacing two key starters on defense
One again, expectations are high for Florida State's defense. With nine of 11 starters back, plus the return of all-world safety Derwin James, there's every reason to expect a dominating defense in 2017.
Even with the bulk of the defense returning, though, coordinator Charles Kelly will have two pretty big holes to fill. The biggest will be finding a replacement for defensive end DeMarcus Walker, who racked up a whopping 26.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Josh Sweat and Brian Burns have proved to be capable pass-rushers, but replacing Walker's incredible production could prove difficult.
Kelly must also find a replacement for underrated cornerback Marquez White, who graduated after starting 26 straight games. With Tarvarus McFadden leading the nation in interceptions last year, you can bet that opposing quarterbacks will attempt to pick on White's replacement. The most likely candidates to compete for the vacated spot are former five-star recruit Levonta Taylor, Kyle Meyers and Marcus Lewis.
Related: Spring Position Preview - DL | Spring Question No. 4: Could this be FSU's best defense since 2013?
Battles at receiver and running back for playing time
There will be a very different group of offensive skill players for Florida State this season. Tailback Dalvin Cook is preparing for the NFL draft, starting fullback Freddie Stevenson has graduated and the trio of wide receivers that started the majority of games last season have all moved on as well.
At running back, Jacques Patrick will enter spring practice as the only tailback with significant game experience, including two career starts. There are plenty of talented players behind him, including true freshman Cam Akers and sophomore Amir Rasul. At fullback, redshirt freshman Gabe Nabers and possibly senior Johnathan Vickers could see the majority of the action.
Even with Travis Rudolph, Kermit Whitfield and Bobo Wilson no longer on the roster, Nyqwan Murray and Auden Tate saw significant action during the second half of the 2016 season. The young duo not only saw increased playing time, but they were very productive with one of the two leading the offense in receiving yards in five of FSU’s final six games. There will also need to be an influx of other players to work into the wide receiver rotation and provide depth. Players to watch for include George Campbell, Keith Gavin and Da'Vante Phillips.
Related: Spring Position Preview - WR | Spring Question No. 3: With Dalvin gone, what happens next at RB? | Spring Question No. 5: FSU's lack of depth at WR
What's coming on Monday?
Morning: Wake up Warchant previews FSU's 2017 spring football practice
1:00 p.m. ET - Jimbo Fisher's pre-spring practice press conference (follow along with updates on the Tribal Council)
3:30 p.m. ET - Practice begins. Look for a photo gallery and video highlights to follow.
6 p.m. ET - Jimbo Fisher addresses the media following practice. Post-practice interview to follow on Warchant TV
All day: Features and stories on FSU kicking off spring football practice
