Spring 2011 - Key
Questions
Florida State
What's happening this spring season? Several Scout publishers
provide their insider info on the key questions that matter to the real
world of college football.
Spring Questions
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Will
Illinois QB Nathan Scheelhaase Throw More?
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Will
Boise State's Move To The Mountain West Matter?
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Have Things Changed At Colorado Under Jon Embree?
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Who's
California's Next Superstar?
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Is
Florida State's E.J. Manuel Ready?
Q: Is E.J. Manuel really good enough to be an ACC Champion quarterback? What's Florida State’s early goal when it comes to getting all the young talent involved?
From Geoff Vogt, NoleDigest.com … Everything has gone according to plan for E.J. Manuel since he signed with FSU. He was considered "raw" as a QB coming in and he was able to redshirt. He then started games as a redshirt freshman and a redshirt sophomore when Christian Ponder went down to injury. It’s now his team for the next two years and all signs point to him being one of the top signal callers in the nation. He improves every day and being a dual-threat type makes him a perfect fit in Coach Jimbo Fisher's system. Fisher has developed NFLers Jamarcus Russell (No. 1 overall pick) and Ponder (projected second round), our guess is that Manuel also hears his name called on draft day.
The roster has improved dramatically in terms of overall talent and there is no question that a lot of it is in the younger classes. This FSU staff has proven that they are not afraid to play youngsters and everyone has a chance to compete. We think that you will see some of these youngsters really establish themselves by mid-season when FSU gets to the heart of their ACC schedule.
Position-wise, we’re keeping our eyes on the safeties. Despite returning both starters from a year ago, there figures to heavy competition throughout spring ball and the rest of the off-season. One starter, Nick Moody, who’s out with injury is a hitter who makes his presence felt with at least one big shot a game, but he struggles in coverage. The other starter, Terrance Parks, is entering his senior year, but he didn’t make enough impact plays last year. Sophomore Lamarcus Joyner has moved to safety and will try to establish himself there after a solid freshmen campaign at CB(he was the dime). Terrance Brooks and Chad Abrams are also expected to make a move in the spring. Of course, highly touted Karlos Williams arrives in the summer and he will be yet another player that is supposed to contribute early. Bottom line, there are a lot of options at this position for 2011 and it will be interesting to watch it play out. Do they go with the experience or turn it over to the youth?