Offensive Line: Five things to know about FSU's OL in 2017

The dawn of a new season leads to a new set of questions for Florida State and its offensive line.

FSU’s line kept some of its critics at bay near the end of the 2016 season, showing improvement in pass protection and in the running game. Any hopes of carrying last year’s progress into 2017 must come with what will be a shuffled cast.

Junior left tackle Roderick Johnson, a three-year starter, left early for the NFL; redshirt senior left guard Kareem Are graduated; and redshirt junior Wilson Bell, a part-time starter at guard, transferred to Auburn. And while the Seminoles do have returning players available at four of five positions, there are areas of concern.

Redshirt junior center Alec Eberle is a two-year starter and the team’s most experienced lineman, but he struggled at times last year and is coming off of hip surgery. Sophomore right guard Landon Dickerson earned seven starts as a freshman yet spent the offseason rehabbing from knee surgery. Senior right tackle Rick Leonard made six starts, although he’s not yet reached the heights set for him by Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher and offensive line coach Rick Trickett.

FSU likely will tap further into its highly touted group of 2016 signees to shore up any weak spots. The Seminoles signed six offensive linemen in that class, which is believed to be the most impressive set of line prospects in school history. Five of the group’s six signees were four-star prospects while the sixth, Andrew Boselli, is the son of former NFL Pro Bowl selection Tony Boselli.