During Florida State’s football heyday, it wasn’t uncommon to hear things like, “Florida State doesn’t rebuild, it reloads”. For years that was true as head coach Bobby Bowden’s teams of the late 1980’s and 90’s always seemed to churn out one great season after another regardless of what had been lost from the previous season.
For the first time since a streak of 14 straight top-5 finishes ended in 2000, nationally sustained football success has returned to Tallahassee. The Seminoles have won three straight ACC titles and over that stretch, Florida State has managed to snag a third national championship, two major bowl victories, and an appearance in the first playoff — all while shattering the previous school-record for longest winning streak.
National Signing Day was another outstanding one for FSU and the ‘Noles certainly look to have the talent to reload as they begin spring practice on Wednesday, but actually doing it won’t be easy.
Florida State has had success replacing talent before, but the void entering this season may be as wide as it’s ever been. The Seminoles lose not only the youngest player ever to win the Heisman Trophy and the quarterback with the best winning percentage in school-history in Jameis Winston, but they lose all-time leading receiver Rashad Greene and FSU’s only ever winner of the John Mackey Award in tight end Nick O’Leary.
Aside from just that, Florida State has a good shot at having a school-record 12 players selected in next month’s NFL Draft including the versatile Cameron Erving, who is one of the most successful Seminoles ever to switch from one side of the football to the other.
Though fans in the state’s capital will see a number of new faces on each side of the ball, there is plenty of reason to believe that 2015 could again be special for Florida State.
With the quarterback position a glaring uncertainty, Florida State will likely turn quite often to explosive sophomore running back Dalvin Cook. After not receiving a single carry in the season-opener against Oklahoma State, Cook became the first FSU freshman ever to break the 1,000-yard rushing mark last season. Cook rushed for 1,008 yards and averaged nearly six yards-per-carry while breaking the century mark rushing five times.
On the defensive side of the ball, Florida State will be replacing four players who declared early for the draft, but defensive back Jalen Ramsey has the potential to be a consensus All-American. Joining Ramsey in the secondary will be three of FSU’s most high profile recruits in safeties Derwin James and Calvin Brewton along with cornerback Tarvarus McFadden. If fully recovered from a knee-injury, 5-star defensive end Josh Sweat could immediately help replace some of the void up front left by Mario Edwards Jr. and Eddie Goldman.
Heading into spring and ultimately 2015, the ‘Noles certainly have questions. Who replaces the legendary Winston under center will be a hot topic of concern as will having to replace four starters on the offensive line, the top two receivers, both starting cornerbacks and the team’s top two defensive linemen.
Only a fool could deny Florida State’s success over the last three seasons as the Seminoles compiled a remarkable 39-3 record. Head coach Jimbo Fisher has returned FSU to national prominence quicker than some of even the more optimistic fans could have imagined. The next step for Fisher and the ‘Noles will be maintaining and building upon that success and with only a handful of scholarship seniors on the roster, 2015 may be his biggest challenge yet.
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