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Special Guest: Athlon's Senior Editor on the '08 Noles and the underachieving ACC

As usual, Athlon's college football magazine is the first to hit the newstand. So we hooked up with Senior Editor Mitch Light to get his 4-1-1 on this year's Noles.

Where does Athlon see FSU finishing this year?
We've got the Seminoles 26th overall, obviously knocking on the door of the top 25, and third in the Atlantic. It's still a program with a lot of talent, but also a lot of issues, most notably on the offensive side of the ball. They  finished 80th in the country last year (in total offense), and have quarterback concerns and questions with Drew Weatherford coming back. I know Ponder played well in the spring, and the offensive line will be young again. So I'm sure this program will be very, very good again, but probably not this year.

Who finishes better this season, FSU or Miami?
FSU. We've got Miami 43rd overall. They've got to find a quarterback -- and some heart too. I don't know what happened last year, but they lost their last four or give games and imploded down the stretch.

How do you see the Noles in some of the key games...

Cross your fingers: FSU's three JUCO signees still haven't officially graduated

Here are updates on three major pieces of the recruiting puzzle that the Noles need to help ensure a successful '08 season.

El Camino CC's academic counselor for athletes tells us that Tavares Pressley and Corey Surrency are both taking a full load to ensure enough credits to graduate. But that she'll "need to see their final grades" to be sure they qualify for diplomas. Graduation day is June 6th, also the last day of classes, and the final word won't be until a week or so after.

At least Markus White has already gone through graduation ceremonies at Butler CC (on May 17th). However the Butler Registrar's office says his graduation won't be official until the second week in June when all grades and requirements have been checked.

Looks like it's back to nail biting for a few more weeks.

Tony Barnhart beats the college football magazines to the punch

"The best
possible season I see
for Florida State is
8-4 with losses to
Virginia Tech, Clemson, Florida and
maybe Wake Forest."

Fisher hoping to reel in two or more at his favorite Carolina talent pool

Last week, Byrnes (SC) High Safety Justin Bright committed to FSU. But Jimbo Fisher isn't finished yet. He's in a tug of war with the evil one at South Carolina for Byrnes running back Marcus Lattimore. The 6-foot, 210-pounder rushed for 1,884 yards and 26 touchdowns last year. 

Right now, the Gamecocks are at the top of his list. But Lattimore says it's not a done deal. “It’s a little too early. South Carolina will still be up there, but I’m very interested in Florida State right now. Jimbo Fisher came out to practice, and I could tell he was very interested in me. There could be a change down the road.”

Wide receiver Ricco Sanders is also reported to have an offer from the Noles.

Fisher has been spending much of his time at Byrnes, including speaking at the school's football banquet back in February. And for good reason. The Byrnes Rebels have won five state titles in six seasons.

T.K.: "I kind of don't give a damn if we go to the NCAA Tournament"

Good thing T.K.'s shooting from the hip didn't involve a gun, or he'd be up on charges for wounding FSU's basketball hopes. Yeah, that's just what blue chip hoop prospects want to hear when choosing a school.

So what does Seminole basketball analyst Bill from Tampa think of T.K.'s comments that made FSU fans everywhere utter a collective "Doh!"?

BFT: Everything he said has some fact in it. Certainly you don't want to win at all costs like say a Kelvin Sampson, Clem Haskins, or Dave Bliss wanted to win. But apparently in TK's list of priorities for basketball, going to the NCAA is well down his list. We know that he would not tolerate that same standard with football with as much time as he devotes to managing that program.

Of course it was a clear indication of TK's position when he gave Leonard an extension through 2012 before last season began. So his statements should come as no surprise. Except for the part about not giving a damn about the NCAA tournament. That one is just stunning. I don't know how the players might react to that. But as a fan I just cannot agree with TK.

Does this give Hamilton a pass on building a strong program?

BFT: Based on his statements, you'd be inclined to say he feels the program is in strong shape now. His criteria is academics, graduation, players with character (which they all have), and a coach involved in the community. Those are his priorities. Winning is in there obviously as the 20-win mark appears to satisfy him. And to be honest, all that is true. It's that one benchmark, making the NCAA tournament, that muddles the answer to that question. If FSU had made the NCAA in either of the last two seasons, you aren't asking that question. But after ten years of futility, FSU fans are bound to be antsy, frustrated, and just won't see it the same way as TK does.

Is the talent there in the next few years to earn an NCAA berth?

BFT: Well, it's always hard to say for sure when you have so many freshmen coming in this year and how their games will translate to the college game. Certainly several players come with high accolades, such as Chris Singleton. A couple of them I've seen play at the high school level, and they played quite well. There are aspects they will need to improve upon to be successful in college. But the tools are there. So, yes, as has been the case the last few years the talent is probably there to get to the NCAA. But for various reasons FSU has just not been able to get it done. You'd think the law of averages would eventually favor FSU at some point and the breaks would start going the Seminoles' way.

Can FSU's D-Ends Bring Back the Sack?

Position Analysis by
Wild @ Heart Nole

The Players 
Throughout this decade, the FSU pass rush has disappointed. This not only led to fewer sacks, but put additional pressure on the secondary. That's in part due to changing offenses that get the pass off quicker, but if NFL scouts, GMs and coaches opinions matter, it's a drop in talent as well. Only four FSU DEs have so far been taken in the NFL draft this decade, only two of those on the first day (Kamerion Wimbley, who was drafted as an OLB for the NFL and Jamal Reynolds). In the 90s, 10 FSU DEs were taken, 7 in the first three rounds (again, a handful were drafted as or converted to OLB in the NFL).

But there is great promise in 2008. Will it live up to it? Last year, Everette Brown (6-4 246) was ranked among the nation's pass sack leaders, the first since Wimbley and Brodrick Bunkley roamed the field in 2005. Brown finished with 6.5 sacks on the season, despite the absence of another strong threat. Kevin McNeil (6-2 255) enters the fall as the other starter. McNeil was slowed last year while he continued to recover from an off-season car accident, but had an excellent spring.

What is exciting Seminole fans though is the promise of a junior college transfer named Marcus White. White, 6-2 245, was a five star rated athlete and the defensive MVP of the JUCO national title game. His athleticism makes one drool, and was coached by Butler's defensive line coach Steve Braet, who has produced 24 JUCO All-Americans and 3 NFL players. White and Brown look to be the best bookends FSU has had since the 1990s.

Historically, however, FSU's outside pass rush has been strongest when there was a strong, deep rotation, like in 1997 when Andre Wadsworth (1st round in 1998 draft), Greg Spires (3rd round), Julian Pittman (4th round) were seniors and Tony Bryant (2nd round in 1999 draft) was a junior. The deep rotation kept the defensive ends always fresh and attacking at full-speed. If the potential turns to production, 2008 may be exciting for those looking for a semblance of the old.

Besides the already mentioned McNeil, Neefy Moffet returns for his senior season. Moffet was yet another four star recruit at DE for FSU, and has at times flashed his potential. He's listed as Brown's backup. Jamar Jackson was highly rated out of high school, but redshirted last season after tearing an ACL. He enters the fall listed as second team and ready to make up for a missed season.

Other newcomers include true freshmen Everett Dawkins and Toshmon Stevens. Dawkins is yet another four star rated addition to the mix, and has the size to jump in the mix. Stevens isn't as highly rated as the rest, but that may only be because of his size. Listed as 6-5 205, he might spend the season adding weight, but he has the frame to grow and the athleticism to contribute in the not too distance future.

One Man's Projected Depth Chart (Post Suspensions)
Marcus White is projected to come in and start right away, and I won't go against conventional wisdom on that. White and Everette Brown should make for a great pair of bookends. Kevin McNeil should back White, Neefy Moffett should back Brown. Jamar Jackson should see plenty of reps as the fifth DE, and if Everett Dawkins comes in ready to learn and play, FSU may indeed have a true three deep rotation. This is one position that may be at the dynasty years' typical depth and is close to the dynasty years' mix of experience.

Defensive scheming
While the potential is great for the outside rush, the lack of interior depth and potential lack of inside pressure is a concern for 2008. Add in the depth at linebacker and common mantra of getting the best eleven on the field, a real question is will Mickey Andrews and his staff deploy some 3-4 lineups?

Certainly it is not an every down solution. Three man defensive lines typically require larger linemen and most 3-4 schemes utilize larger linebackers on the outside than FSU has on the roster. The last couple of years, DEs Alex Boston (6-2 262) and Justin Mincey (6-5 265) permitted some use of 3-4. But now Boston is trying to make an NFL roster and Mincey has moved inside permanently. McNeil and Moffett are currently the only two DEs over 250 lbs. So the use of the 3-4 is unlikely in every down situations, but might be useful on obvious passing downs where stopping the rush is not a significant concern.

Bottom Line
Certainly the sack totals will be up this year, and hopefully the interception opportunities as well with rushed quarterbacks throwing bad passes.The defensive end position appears to be one that may just be back to the dynasty level, and will likely prove to be the strongest position on the defense, and perhaps on the entire team. Will the rest of the defense compliment this position well?

Parker's apology: today's equivalent of writing 100 times on the blackboard

"First off, I want to apologize to my teammates, fans and most of all my family for placing them in the middle of this kind of predicament. I fully blame myself for being in this situation, because it could've easily been avoided. I also want you to know that whatever my consequences are, I will complete them and complete them in a respectful manner. One message I want the young people to realize is that making a sacrifice for yourself to pursue your dream is not a joke. This situation was a big eye-opener for me and made me realize how your life could be easily ruined over nonsense and lack of focus.

"This is a learning experience for me and still has a learning effect on me today as we speak. One thing I can say is that I will get through this dark road, not trying to rush through it, but taking one step at a time. This is my plan, and not just my plan for today or tomorrow, but forever. This is because there will be tons of choices I will have to make in the future in order to become a successful person, player and teammate. Finger pointing isn't a route I will take because I fully blame myself for being in the type of situation that I am dealing with right now.

"To all the kids who look up to me and see me as a role model in their lives and football careers, I speak from my heart when I tell you that I apologize for making a bad decision and also letting you down. I pray and hope that you won't look at me as a bad person, I am not a thug, I am not a gangster, and most definitely I am not a thief. I don't know what the future holds, but I promise whatever it is I will make my teammates coaches, fans, family and above all my son proud of me on and off the field. I am truly sorry and I apologize to everyone."

Parker sidesteps gun charge, suspended for first two games of season

The Palm Beach Post is reporting that Preston Parker pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon and has been suspended by the school for the first two games of the season (according to the Post).

Judging by the comments of Parker's lawyer, the talented WR can't even jaywalk without screwing up his future. "It's been made very clear to him, to his family, to me through the university that he's out of chances,'' said Jason Weiss.

"I think he understands that he's reached the end of the rope with this and he's not going to be getting any other opportunities to turn it around."

Will further punishment be forthcoming from Judge Bowden? Stay tuned for the next installment of "As The Team Turns."

FSU Coaches hit the recruiting trail looking for more than just talent

"You look at character and grades. In today's society, you want to see everything a player has to offer,
not just football."

That comment from Odell Haggins, during a recruiting trip to an Atlanta-area high school this week, appears to confirm a revised set of priorities for FSU coaches. During this non-contact period, recruiters can watch spring practice and talk to coaches, teachers -- anybody except the prospect himself. It's when the better coaches become detectives, looking for any clues that tell if a kid will be a credit or a detriment to a school's program.

Dawgs a consensus Pre-Season #1. At least FSU makes the list

Some math whiz LSU fans with too much time on their hands have compiled all the pre-season college football ratings into this handy matrix. Check out where all of the usual suspects -- the writers and broadcasters who prognosticate these critically important things -- predict where the Seminoles will finish. Surprisingly, FSU gets its highest pre-season ranking from a source that's thousands of miles from Tallahassee. Here's a tip: to decipher the abbreviations at the top of the chart, just run your cursor over the initials.