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An independent independent weekly weekly covering covering FSU FSU sports sports An

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The Future is Now FSU expects early returns from 2008 signing class

OSCEOLA • FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

P U B LI S H E R Florida Newspapers, Inc. GE N E R A L M A N AG E R Ira Schoffel CI RC U L AT I O N M A N AG E R Kristi Kutz

There’s still time left

M A N AG I N G E D I TO R Derek Redd S E N I O R CO LU M N I S T Jerry Kutz GRAPHIC DESIGN Rick Jones P H OTO G R A P H Y Rick Jones Bruce Kennedy Ryals Lee, Jr. Bill Lax CO N T R I B U TO R S & S TA F F Gene Williams Bob Thomas Chris Nee DISTRIBUTION Brad Rovetta

WINTER 200 7 MAILING DATES

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Mailing date Nov, 26 2007 Dec 12, 2007 Dec 21, 2007 week of Jan 7 2008 Jan 22, 2008 Jan 29, 2008 Dates subject to change

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Cover: Nigel Bradham, Vince Williams and Terrance Parks

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Inside this week’s Osceola Departments Signing Day coverage — pages 1-40 Men’s basketball — page 43 Women’s basketball — page 44 Schedules — page 45 Campus Stroll — page 47 Derek Redd Column — page 4

Next Great One? Parade All-American linebacker Nigel Bradham has all the tools to become Florida State’s next great linebacker. — Page 24

Ira Schoffel Column — page 5

Features CHARTING A NEW COURSE With bigger bodies and earlier commitments, Florida State’s 2008 recruiting class took on a different feel from the past. — page 7

TOP FIVE

OF THE

PAST 20

The Osceola goes back in time and evaluates Florida State’s best signing classes of the past two decades. — page 27

FSU NAMES NEW A.D. Florida State president T.K. Wetherell reaches out west to Utah State to find Dave Hart’s replacement. — pages 40-41

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Timmons flashes back to his college signing day O n the day that so many high school football players chose their paths for the next few years and signed their names on the dotted line, one Florida State’s best signees in recent years was back in town. He was quite unassuming in his white T-shirt, black shorts and black and gold Gator shoes. Throw a helmet and shoulder pads on him, though, and he’s one of the last guys you’d want to line up against. Lawrence Timmons returned to Tallahassee for the offseason to take a few more classes toward his degree. College was put on hold last year when he decided to leave FSU after his junior season to enter the NFL draft. That decision paid off when the Pittsburgh Steelers made him their first round draft pick. Yet Timmons can still remember the day he shares with so many other high school football players, the day of that final decision. He and his parents drove from Florence, S.C. to Myrtle Beach, announcing his choice on local station WPDE just days before National Signing Day. Normally the picture of calm, Timmons admitted that, on that day, the concept of calm was foreign to him. “I had all the butterflies going because I was on TV,” he said. He sat at the studio with three hats in front of him – Tennessee, Florida and Florida State. The Vols hat was the first to go, leaving the Gators and the Seminoles as the last teams standing. His hands went to the FSU cap, the cap went onto his head and the Seminoles got a future NFL linebacker much to the joy of Seminole fans across the country. That was one of the things he remembered that blew his mind, that a kid from

South Carolina’s college choice would be so important to people he never met. Newspapers wanted to know. So did TV stations and Web sites. “It’s crazy,” he said. “There’s nothing like it. Coming from Florence, it’s just a crazy experience.” The entire recruiting experience is something he said he’d never forget. And it’s something he said was made easier with his parents’ help. That was the best advice he could give the high school football players about to make their college choices: Make sure the people who care about you the most are there behind you. “Definitely think things through in picking a school,” he said. “Get your parents or your guardians to help you out because it’s a life-changing decision. It’s one of the most important in your life.” Timmons’ choice definitely worked out for him. He ended up the 15th overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft, feeling a lot like he did as a college freshman, trying to acclimate himself to a new level of football. “It’s fast, but it’s a whole lot different when you’re putting these plays out here. There are probably five or six different checks to a play. And you’re probably already hesitant about the call they already

OSCOEOLA FILE PHOTO

Lawrence Timmons remembered the butterflies from his signing day. made and now you have to worry about the checks. It’s like a bunch of bullets flying at you. It’s just something you’ve got to get used to.” He began his professional career with a slight setback, a groin injury slowing his progress through training camp. He saw limited action as a rookie, but his playing time could increase now that he’s moved from outside to inside linebacker, competing with Larry Foote for playing time. As he gets used to a new position, he still has to get used to the notoriety. FSU fans are passionate, but few reach the level of the Terrible Towel-waving Steelers fans. Timmons will go bowling and when he walks into the lanes, even though he’s been there many times before, folks still gasp and whisper about how one of their

beloved Steelers has joined them. “I just look at myself as a normal person,” he said. “I never really look at myself like that. In the pros, the attention you get in college doesn’t even compare.” Life has changed a lot for Timmons in the past year, much like it did four years ago when he was a high school senior with a trio of ball caps in front of him. He made the most of that day, serving as an example to all the high school seniors of this year. Putting that cap on for the first time is a memorable experience. But putting on that jersey – and doing great things while you’re in it – is even more memorable. Derek Redd is the Osceola’s managing editor.

FSU track signs three of nation's best Staff Reports

Riding the success of back-to-back NCAA Outdoor Men's Track and Field National Championships, Florida State appears to be setting itself up for run of several years at the top. The Seminoles started the National Letter of Intent signing period by bringing in three of the most talented runners in the country as announced by head coach Bob Braman. The newest members of the Seminole family are distance runner Mike Fout (La Porte, Ind.), sprinter Maurice Mitchell (Kansas City, Mo.) and sprinter/jumper Brandon O'Connor (Miami, Fla.). "To get two number one runners in their event and the best all-around track athlete in Florida on the first day is very encouraging," Braman said. "Last year our class was ranked third in the country and when we get everyone signed and get all the pieces together, and this is a phenomenal first step, we're probably going to sign seven or eight elite athletes and it has a chance to be the number one class. I know it's going to be better than last year's class.” Coming out of La Porte High School, Fout may be the most talented American

distance runner to come to Florida State. This season he highlighted a tremendous senior campaign by winning the Foot Locker National High School Boys Cross Country Championship with a personalbest 5k time of 14:50. The 2007-08 Gatorade Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, he captured the state 5k title with a mark of 15:31.90. As a junior he won the 3200m at the state track meet in a personal-best 9:03.49. "He has the chance to be the Walter Dix of our distance program," Braman said of Fout. "Like Walter did for us in the sprints, Mike is going to helps us bring in the American superstars in the distance events that are so hard to get. Frequently our distance runners have been international when they've been that good or we've built them from the ground up so to get the runner that everybody wanted is huge." Looking to join the Florida State legacy of great sprinters is Mitchell from Raytown South High School. Track and Field News rates him as the top 200-meter high school runner in the country with a personal-best time of 20.77. The publication also rates him as the third-best 100meter sprinter with a mark of 10.26. That time set the Kansas state record and he tied

the Missouri mark at 10.42. The Missouri state champion in the 100m, 200m and 400m last year, he set the state's 200m mark at 20.96 "Maurice is the best 100, 200 and 400 sprint athlete in the country," Braman added. "He's the one that everyone wanted. He's very versatile, can run on either relay, very similar to Charles Clark. Charles came in and was an All-American right away and we hope and think he can do those types of things. He's that special." Few athletes in the state of Florida are as well rounded as O'Connor. Last season he placed in the top four of three different events, including a pair of second-place finishes in the 200m (21.20) and 400m (47.63). He also took fourth in the triple jump where his career long is 48-04. O'Conner was named Second-Team AllDade County by the Miami Herald. "Brandon O'Connor is another athlete who is incredibly versatile," Braman added. "He'll definitely run on the 4x400 relay and in the 400 meter right away and he'll probably be an elite 200 meter runner. Then you put him in the hands of the best triple jump coach in the country, Dennis Nobles, and he could be a national champion like Rayon Taylor. We have high hopes

for Brandon." The current crop of freshmen helped Florida State to the No. 3 recruiting in the country according to Track & Field News. Freshmen have been a vital part to Florida State's success the last three seasons. Three years ago Dix claimed the school's first individual outdoor title in 20 years. During FSU's first title run of 2006 Michael Ray Garvin earned All-American honors and last year Clark was a four-time AllAmerican. "From a recruiting standpoint it's a lot easier to go into kid's homes and come in and say we've already got two national championships," Braman said. "We've done it without a lot of bells and whistles. We've done it with coaching and picking the right athletes for our program and developing them. We won two National Championships without a locker room. Now that we've got a new track building that is almost complete and we've got more to show it definitely helps in recruiting. "I think one of the things that have been a big benefit is our stability on the coaching staff. We've had essentially the same coaches for a number of years and then we add one of the best distance coaches in the country in Karen Harvey." theosceola.com

FEBRUARY 13, 200 8 • OSCEOLA

Can they give extra stars for toughness? O

ne day last summer, we had the pleasure of enjoying lunch with someone who is intimately familiar with the college football recruiting process. Someone who, over the past 30 years, has been as "in the know" about high school football in Florida and recruiting in the Southeast as anybody you'd ever meet. So it was one of those lunches where you simply act like a sponge, soaking up as many nuggets of information and pieces of insight as you can in two hours' time. And the first question I had, of course, was what could Florida State fans expect from the first full recruiting class signed by Jimbo Fisher, Rick Trickett and company. Though FSU's new coaching staff was largely in place on Signing Day 2007, common sense will tell you that those coaches had very little impact on that class. So what would we see in the future, I wondered. An emphasis on speed? Size? Strength? Character? Would they focus on FSU's traditional hotbeds for recruiting or would they reach back into their own stomping grounds? Would they focus on the inner cities or more rural areas? The answer I received was as brief as it was insightful. "Toughness," the person responded. "They'll get kids who are tough and nasty. If you're not like that, they won't take you. Fisher and Trickett are the same way about that." On the surface, that might not sound like a groundbreaking recruiting philosophy. If building great football teams was as easy as signing tough players, anyone could do it. It goes without saying that there are many more character traits and skills sets taken into consideration during the recruit-

ing process. But toughness, this person said, was at the top of the list. If a player wasn't tough -- physically and mentally -- he would be almost unsignable to coaches like Fisher and Trickett. No matter how gifted that prospect was athletically, he wouldn't have a home on Florida State's offense. That summer lunch conversation kept running through my head throughout this recruiting season, and particularly on National Signing Day. Every time the Seminoles landed a commitment, every time they made a major push for a particular prospect, I would log onto Rivals.com's recruiting database and start watching that player's highlight videos. What made this player attractive to these coaches? Where is that toughness I was told to look for? And sure enough, more often than not, it was there. It was there in the film for Tennessee offensive lineman David Spurlock, who seemed to take a distinct pleasure in blowing defensive linemen off the ball and planting linebackers into the grass. "He's a tough hombre," Trickett said. Granted, at 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, Spurlock had a size advantage on most players he was lining up against in high

school. But it's not the fact that he won those battles that was special, it was the way he won them. There's something special about football players who have a large advantage in size and strength and still play with great effort and passion. That is the kind of toughness you want. And it's all over this recruiting class. As you would expect, given Mickey Andrews' track record, it's in defensive backs like Terrance Parks, who is a monster of a cornerback at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. It's in mammoth linebackers Vincent Williams, Nigel Bradham and Nigel Carr, each of whom looks more intimidating than the last. And this year, it's even in running backs and receivers. The smallest running back in this class is Jermaine Thomas, and he's 6-foot-1, 190 pounds. That's not small. The biggest is 240-pound battering ram Debrale Smiley. And there are some 215pounders as well. The receivers are ginormous -- from 65, 220-pound Corey Surrency to 6-3, 220pound Jamar Fortson. Fortson, by the way, played plenty of defense in high school. He also was a punishing blocker at fullback. And tight end prospect Ja'Baris Little is so physical that he played noseguard in high school. Alabama and other schools recruited him as a linebacker. Think about that. He could have been a Southeastern Conference linebacker, but he'll be catching passes for Florida State. That's tough. Though Fisher, Trickett and FSU's defensive coaches certainly know what they are doing, this approach apparently didn't count for much in the recruiting rankings. FSU signed 30 players on signing day -- more than all but two of the

schools in the top 15 nationally -- but the Seminoles finished with only the nation's eighth-best signing class. In terms of average stars per recruit, Florida State wasn't even in the top 10 – they were tied at No. 13 with Miami. But don't expect any apologies from FSU's coaching staff. “We've had a lot of good football players come in here without those star ratings and turned out to be pretty good football players,” Andrews said. “It's not about how many five stars or four stars did you get. It's about, did you help your football team? And we certainly feel like we helped our defense and helped our football team with these guys coming in. “We've got an outstanding group, with potential. Now we'll let the cream come to the top. And that will happen with time.” Though recruiting rankings are fun to kick around -- FSU fans certainly soaked up the glory of their string of highly rated classes -- it will be years before we know how successful this class truly was. Will E.J. Manuel be the leader and playmaker that Fisher expects? Will Surrency, Fortson and Avis Commack put the bite back into Florida State's passing game? Will Trickett's fleet of offensive line prospects justify his reputation as one of the nation's top evaluators? And most importantly, will this class help Florida State get back on the track to national prominence? No one knows for sure, obviously. But the smart money usually lands on the side of the tougher team. And from what we've seen in this first full recruiting class, toughness will not be in short supply for FSU anymore.

Ira Schoffel is the Osceola's general manager.

Two FSU assistants among best ACC recruiters Courtesty of Rivals.com

When the dust settled on Signing Day, Rivals.com chose its top 10 recruiters in the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Non-BCS conferences. Here is a look at the top performers this year in the ACC.

RIVALS.COM ACC RECRUITER OF THE YEAR CLINT HURTT – MIAMI BUZZ: Hurtt had a hand in eight commitments for the Hurricanes led by Marcus Forston. He also recruited receivers Travis Benjamin, Aldarius Johnson and Tommy Streeter and kept other programs away from defensive tackle Jeremy Lewis. Throw in linebacker Sean Spence, defensive tackle Micanor Regis and an assist on linebacker Marcus Robinson and you have a great year.

ACC'S OTHER TOP RECRUITERS OF 2009

Jody Allen – Florida State BUZZ: The FSU defensive ends coach landed three players he'll coach up in theosceola.com

Tallahassee. Stud defensive end Markus White is the No. 3 JUCO player in the country and should make an impact right away. Allen also pulled in Everett Dawkins and Toshmon Stevens at end. His fourth commitment is defensive back Travis Arnold, which gives him a five-star, two four-stars and a three-star. Micheal Barrow – Miami BUZZ: Barrow, a long-time NFL veteran linebacker, knows how to recruit prospects at his position. This year he brought in five-star Arthur Brown and four stars Marcus Robinson and Jordan Futch. And four-star defensive back Ramon Buchanan could also end up playing the position. Add in defensive back C.J. Holton and Barrow's commitment list is impressive. John Blake – North Carolina BUZZ: Blake isn't afraid to go after anyone. He took shots at numerous five stars like Marcus Forston, Arthur Brown and Darrell Scott despite the long odds. In the end he didn't land any five stars but did sign four star running back Christian Wilson and defensive ends Robert Quinn, Quinton Coples and Michael McAdoo.

Jim Bridge – NC State BUZZ: Bridge had a very good recruiting year for the Wolfpack, signing four star linebacker Terrell Manning and offensive lineman R.J. Mattes. He also added three three-stars, athlete Earl Wolff, linebacker Sterling Lucas and Andrew Wallace. NC State finished in the top half of the ACC and Bridge was a big part of it. Ryan Day – Boston College BUZZ: Day is responsible for all three of BC's four-star commitments led by running back Josh Haden from Maryland. The other two are defensive back Okechuckwu Okoroha and offensive lineman Mike Goodman. He beat out programs like Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida State, Miami, Clemson and Penn State for those three prospects. Tom Elrod – Wake Forest BUZZ: Wake signed eight three-star players and Elrod had a hand in five of them, all from the state of Florida. Linebackers Scott Betros and Riley Haynes, offensive lineman Ramon Booi, tight end Andrew Parker and quarterback Ted Stachitas turned down programs like Illinois, Louisville, Nebraska and Miami to

head to Wake. That's an impressive job. Jimbo Fisher – Florida State BUZZ: Fisher recruited quarterback E.J. Manuel and beat out the rest of the country for his services. He also added running back Tavares Pressley, tight end Jabaris Little and athlete Jarmon Fortson, stealing the latter from Auburn. And he and fellow coach Chuck Amato teamed up to get the gem of the FSU class, linebacker Nigel Bradham. Curt Newsome – Virginia Tech BUZZ: Newsome signed seven players for the Hokies and played a big role in one of Frank Beamer's best classes ever. His biggest catch was offensive lineman Vinston Painter, a four-star recruit, and he also won battles for athletes Xavier Boyce and Marcus Davis. Dabo Swinney – Clemson BUZZ: Swinney is listed with 10 commitments for Clemson and is a big reason why the Tigers finished No. 12 in the country, ahead of programs like UCLA, Texas, Auburn and others. Swinney recruited linebacker Jonathan Willard and quarterback Kyle Parker and finished with two other four stars.

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Seminoles chart new course 2008 class offers glimpse of new philosophies By Ira Schoffel and Derek Redd

If you're a Florida State fan longing for a return to the days of offensive stars like Warrick Dunn and Peter Warrick, this might not be the signing class for you. While FSU's coaches believe there are plenty of playmakers in the Class of 2008, they aren't necessarily the same type of playmakers that Seminole fans have known and loved. Florida State’s recruiting philosophy shifted in several ways this year, not just in looks, but in strategy as well. The furious finishes of yesteryear – when the Seminoles would win a horde of blue-chippers during the few days before or the morning of National Signing Day – were not to be found in 2008. The Seminoles still pulled in a handful of marquee players at the last minute, but many of the spaces in their 2008 class were filled long before Signing Day arrived. Defensive tackle Anthony Hill verbally committed just days after Signing Day last year. Five-star linebacker Nigel Bradham chose FSU last April. Top quarterback E.J. Manuel announced his choice in June. “This year reminded me of an Easter egg hunt,” FSU coach Bobby Bowden said. “Usually we go into an Easter egg hunt and our basket is half-full. We've got to find some Easter eggs. This year, you're going in with a basket full and where are you going to put them when you get them? “That's different from the way our recruiting is gone,” Bowden added. “I think a lot of that has to do with our organization.” Bowden credited the Seminoles' coaching staff with doing a better job of getting early commitments. He also credited Bob LaCivita, who was hired last year as director of player personnel, for helping to streamline the process. "This year, we were pretty well set," Bowden said of the final days leading up to Signing Day. "They (the coaches) had everything sewed up pretty dog-gone good." Florida State had 13 verbal commitments by the end of July 2007. Compare that to last recruiting season, when the Seminoles had only three by the end of July 2006 – and all of them came in that month. The other pleasing occurrence, Bowden

Bobby Bowden said, was that there were no Signing Day de-commits. There were few de-commits overall. One, Pennsylvania athlete A.J. Alexander, ultimately returned to the FSU fold. Another, Georgia defensive end Keith Wells, pulled out citing concerns with coaching stability and ultimately signed with Ohio State. Not that there weren’t things that could concern recruits. After offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher was named head coach in waiting, Florida State had to fend off West Virginia University for his services. Plus, an academic misconduct scandal that will keep a dozen football players suspended for the first three games of 2008 gave the program a black eye. Ultimately, FSU weathered those storms and reeled in another top 10 recruiting class, albeit one that looks quite different than classes of the past. Scat backs have been replaced by bruising runners. Towering wideouts have

taken the place of shifty receivers. "We needed some big guys at those two positions, and I think we upgraded there," Fisher said. "We had needs all the way up and down, and we hit every position on offense." Fisher, who is beginning his second year as FSU's offensive coordinator, built Louisiana State's offense in much the same fashion. Though he doesn't necessarily want to give up speed or elusiveness in the process, he loves the versatility of bigger backs and receivers. All four receivers who signed with Florida State on Wednesday are listed at 6foot-3 or taller, and three of the running backs weigh at least 215 pounds. The largest of the receivers is junior college transfer Corey Surrency, who is from Miami but didn't play high school football. He is listed at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, and he reportedly runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash. At a booster function Wednesday

evening, FSU receivers coach Lawrence Dawsey described Surrency as "a freak." "You always want playmakers," Dawsey said. "And the guys we brought in are definitely playmakers - all four of them." Running backs coach Dexter Carter used similar descriptions for his crop, which also featured a junior college transfer in 6-1, 215-pound Tavares Pressley. "When we talk about big, we're not sacrificing speed and the ability to make people miss," Carter said. Fisher and FSU's offensive coaches rounded out the class with six offensive linemen, including two who are expected to greyshirt, and a blue-chip quarterback in E.J. Manuel. Fisher said Manuel was the most complete quarterback he evaluated this year, and he wouldn't rule out the prospect of Manuel competing for playing time this fall. "This game is never any fun if you don't have a [great] quarterback," Fisher said. "The guy we have is very special." Florida State's defense also tapped into the junior college ranks, signing 6-4, 245pound defensive end Markus White. After leading the country with 24.5 sacks, White earned recognition as the nation's top junior college player and is one of several signees expected to play early for the Seminoles. With at least 12 players expected to be suspended for the first three games of the 2008 season due to FSU's recent academic scandal, defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews said the Seminoles were looking for players who could contribute immediately. "We've got to have some help this fall," Andrews said, noting that eight of those suspended players will come from his defense. Though FSU signed more players at defensive back (five) than any other position, their greatest immediate need could be at linebacker, where two potential starters will be suspended. Parade AllAmerican Bradham and classmates Nigel Carr and Vincent Williams are all expected to compete for those spots. Bradham and Williams graduated early and enrolled in January. Though the Seminoles missed out on several highly regarded blue-chippers on Signing Day, most notably receiver Julio Jones and offensive lineman Josh Jenkins, head coach Bobby Bowden said he believes FSU met all of its needs. “As I look at it, this is a group that I don't think we can afford to swap with anybody in the country,” Bowden said. “I don't know what they've got, but I know what we've got.”

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OSCEOLA • FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

FSU coaches talk about 2008 signees

Fisher: Manuel was key to offensive class By Ira Schoffel

As Florida State's offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher deserves plenty of credit for helping the Seminoles land one of the nation's most impressive crops of offensive talent. By the end of National Signing Day 2008, FSU had landed six offensive linemen, as many as 10 skill-position players, and a blue-chip quarterback to lead the Seminoles into the next decade. But as much as Fisher and the other offensive coaches deserve recognition for this year's haul, they are quick to give credit to the one recruit who got the ball rolling – Virginia Beach quarterback E.J. Manuel. Not only did Manuel commit to Florida State well before his senior season, which gave the Seminoles important momentum going into the heart of recruiting, but he also worked the phones to lure top prospects on his own. Fisher joked that he would be scared to ask Manuel's parents about their cell phone bill from the past few months. “They love Florida State – I can tell you that,” Fisher said. And Fisher is equally high on the Manuels' son. “He was our No. 1 choice,” Fisher said. “I wouldn't rather have anyone else in the country.” After producing several NFL quarter-

backs during his time at Louisiana State – most notably JaMarcus Russell , the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft – Fisher is considered one of the nation's elite quarterback coaches. And he said he sees just about everything he wants from a signalcaller in Manuel. Manuel not only has very good size and arm strength, but he has exceptional mobility and what Fisher described as a high “football IQ.” “In my opinion, this guy has all the intangibles that you've got to have,” Fisher said. Fisher also praised Manuel for his work ethic and his success in the classroom. The four-star quarterback has a 3.8 grade-point average, according to Fisher, and plans to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering. And on top of that, he is regarded as a fierce competitor. “We talk about all the other things, but toughness is still the number one thing,” Fisher said. “How tough is he and how competitive is he? Because when that guy pulling the trigger is tough and competitive, your team will be tough and competitive. They'll follow. If they're not, they won't respect him and it won't happen. “This guy has all those qualities. And that's why I'm so high on him.”

Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher discusses the 2008 signing class.

Trickett begins crafting future line By Ira Schoffel

Rick Trickett knows exactly what he wants in an offensive lineman: Intelligence, character, toughness, work ethic and athletic ability. And after announcing that he had signed six offensive linemen to letters of intent on National Signing Day, Trickett proclaimed that he had found exactly the type of class he desired. “I think all of these kids have [those traits],” Trickett said. “We've got some guys here that I'm tickled to death with.” Of the six, four are expected to compete for playing time right away. With a handful of offensive linemen among the players suspended for the first three games on 2008, Trickett said four of his signees would be on the second-team line the day they step foot on campus. Those four are expected to be Andrew Datko of Fort Lauderdale-St. Thomas Aquinas; Zebrie Sanders of Clayton, Ohio; Rhonne Sanderson of Tampa-Plant; and David Spurlock of Murfreesboro, Tenn. Blake Snider of Alabama and Garrett Faircloth of Jacksonville Bolles are expected to “greyshirt,” meaning they won't enroll until January. That doesn't mean those two are any less gifted, FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher said. They

PHOTOS BY RICK JONES — OSCEOLA

FSU line coach Rick Trickett is looking for a certain type of lineman. simply have more to learn before they are ready to contribute. “I think that's where Coach Trickett's done a really good job,” Fisher said. “Evaluating those guys and seeing who's going to be a player two years down the road, not now.” After piecing together an offensive line this past season primarily with players

recruited by former FSU coaches, Trickett clearly is excited about bringing in players that fit his criteria. Here is a sampling of what Trickett had to say about each of his signees: On Datko: “I think we were the first ones to pull the trigger on Andrew,” Trickett said. “After we did, a few others like Miami did. But he hung tough. He has

some Florida State ties. He comes out of a great program in St. Thomas Aquinas. I think he's going to be a guy that can really, really help us.” On Sanders: “He's a guy that's got a chance to be a first-round draft pick ability wise,” Trickett said. “He's got a lot of ability.” On Sanderson: “His mom was a school teacher, his dad was a high school principal,” Trickett said. “He was a guy that wasn't highly recruited. Then we offered him and within two days, you've got Michigan, Michigan State, Louisville – he's got all kinds of offers.” On Spurlock: “He will put his face in the fan,” Trickett said. “He will get after it. He's a tough hombre.” On Snider: “I think this guy, before it's all over with, will be one of the biggest sleepers that's ever come out of the state of Alabama – since Rodney Hudson, maybe,” Trickett said. “This kid's dad is a high school football coach. He benches 350 pounds, squats 500 pounds ... just a great kid. I'm tickled to death to have him.” On Faircloth: “[Bolles coach Corky Rogers] was telling me how much upside this kid has,” Trickett said. “He never played offense. He's a total projection. But he can run, he'll hit, he's smart ... and he's got a great work ethic.”

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WR class could create 'mismatch problems' By Ira Schoffel

Size may not be everything, but it sure has Florida State receivers coach Lawrence Dawsey and offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher excited about the 2008 season. The Seminoles lost their most consistent “big” receiver to graduation, as De'Cody Fagg played his final collegiate game in the Music City Bowl. But the Seminoles clearly won't be hurting for size after signing four receivers who are at least as tall as the 6-foot, 3-inch Fagg. Junior college transfer Corey Surrency is listed at 6-5, 210 pounds; Jacksonville's Avis Commack is 6-4, 182; Georgia's Jarmon Fortson is 6-3, 220; and Tallahassee's Josh Gehres is 6-3, 190. “They're all big, athletic guys that can get vertical, jump over you and get around you,” Fisher said. “They have the ability to make you miss, and be physical. They have all the aspects. I really like that class.” Fisher said he has nothing against smaller receivers. But if he can find bigger ones who can move like the others, then it's a no-brainer. “If [the defense plays] you with little corners, you can take advantage of it,” Fisher said. “If they play you with big safeties, you can run by them. Just because you're big doesn't mean your slow. Now

you've got to go find big, fast guys. Everybody in the world wants them – they're harder to recruit. But they give you a lot of diversity and they can create mismatch problems.” Though FSU missed out on five-star receiver Julio Jones of Alabama, the Seminoles are so excited about this receiving class that they believe three of the four could contribute this fall – Surrency, Fortson and Commack. Gehres is expected to “greyshirt,” meaning he would sit out the fall and enroll in January 2009. Here are some comments from Dawsey and Fisher on the receiver signees: Dawsey on Surrency: “He's a freak,” Dawsey said. “He's 6-5, but can run like the wind. He's a tremendous football player.” Fisher on Surrency: “I'm high on the guy,” Fisher said. “He's 6-foot-5, 218-220 pounds, he can run, jump ... super ball skills. And what separates this guy is ... he can drop his weight and run routes like a little guy. He can stick his foot in the ground. He can accelerate with the ball.” Dawsey on Fortson: “He can do a lot of things most big guys can't do,” Fisher said. “He's a big guy that plays like a little guy.” Fisher on Fortson: “He'll play wideout,” Fisher said. “That's what he is. He's special with the ball in his hand. But he's

also one of the few guys I think that can go play out wide and then come inside and play in the box. He'll go catch a ball, then line up at fullback and knock a linebacker's head off, then play tailback, then play tight end. When you look beside his name, it says football player. But he's going to be a wideout, and I think he's going to be a great one.” Dawsey on Commack: “He's a big target. He's 6-4, he runs track, and he's just a great football player. He's going to come in and have a chance to play right away because of his ability to make plays.” Fisher on Gehres: “All he did at one of the most talented schools in the area – that's put as many players out as anybody – is [become] their all-time leading receiver. I think he's going to be a heck of a player.”

TIGHT ENDS WILL HELP Though FSU didn't yet have a new tight ends coach in place, the Seminoles still landed a four-star prospect at that position in Tallahassee's Ja'Baris Little. Fisher said Little will compete for immediate playing time with 2007 signee Jonathan Hannah, who sat out the fall to concentrate on academics. Fisher said he is impressed with Little's

RICK JONES — OSCEOLA

Lawrence Dawsey is excited about landing several physical receivers. versatility. “When I went to watch him play, he never played tight end,” Fisher said. “He played middle linebacler. Then he played tailback. He made about six tackles on defense. Then I looked at another game film and he was playing noseguard. Then they put him at tight end and he caught the ball. This guy is a football player.”

Bigger backs will bring punch to Seminoles’ offense By Derek Redd

When it comes to Florida State’s newest crop of running backs, size matters. But don’t forget, running backs coach Dexter Carter said, that speed still matters, too. The running back class of 2008 features both size and speed, fitting in with offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher’s philosophy. “I look at trends and I look at what Jimbo Fisher did before he got here,” Carter said. “He made it clear the type of offense he had and the type of backs that fit into certain roles on this offense. It was clear that bigger backs would be a part of that – bigger backs with athletic ability.”

Carter feels Jermaine Thomas, one of the three First Coast High players to sign with FSU this season, has mountains of athletic ability, comparing him to another Seminoles playmaker. “Jermaine Thomas offers us playmaking ability in the mold of a Preston Parker that can get into the backfield and carry the ball, can block and you can put him into situations that create mismatches,” Carter said. “What that does is create opportunities to score.” The Seminoles also pulled in to less heralded running backs, Tampa back Carlton Jones and Thomasville back Debrale Smiley. Both players have the dimensions – Jones at 5-foot-11 and 215

pounds and Smiley at 6-feet and 240 pounds – that fit Fisher’s mold of a running back. Grades have kept both under the radar. Jones was able to get qualified late in the recruiting process and Carter thinks he could do well on the field. “Carlton could do some really good things depending upon how well he catches on,” he said. Smiley will go the junior college route, but Carter said that can’t diminish his phenomenal physical skills. If grades weren’t a problem, he said, Smiley would be highly coveted. “He has speed, power, agility and the ability to run over people,” Carter said. “He’s very impressive.”

Yet the back who could make the most immediate impact is El Camino College transfer Tavares Pressley. He has the dimensions (6-1, 215) and the talent. He also played in an offense similar to the one Fisher uses at Florida State Pressley should contribute right away, since juco players don’t come to major college programs to sit back and eat bon-bons. “If a guy outplays a junior college guy, then the junior college guy eats bon-bons,” Carter warned. “He who plays the best will play. “The bottom line is you’ve got to make the offense better,” he added. “That’s the big picture. We’ve got the guys to be able to do that.”

White leads talented group of defensive ends By Derek Redd

Florida State had long been searching for the bookend to defensive end Everette Brown, the impact player that could help Brown devour quarterbacks and disrupt opponents’ passing games. If star ratings are to be trusted, it looks like the Seminoles have their man. FSU’s three-defensive-end 2008 recruiting haul is highlighted by juco transfer Markus White, the NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year and one of two five-star FSU signees in 2008. The Seminoles’ defensive end recruits offer an interesting blend – juco pheom White, highly touted high schooler Everette Dawkins and athletic sleeper Toshmon Stevens. theosceola.com

Defensive ends coach Jody Allen is quite pleased with the mix. In White, he has a big (6-4, 245), athletic end that recorded 26 sacks and forced six fumbles, both of which led the nation. “You’ve got a junior college guy that should be playing pretty close to his best football,” defensive ends coach Jody Allen said. “When you look at a guy like that, number one, he’s a junior college guy. So you’re not recruiting potential. You’re recruiting production. “We didn’t have him in camp, but we didn’t have to,” Allen added. “The production was there on film.” In Dawkins, Allen snagged a top-10 defensive end he feels is very developed for a high school senior.

“Everette, you can tell he’s been in the weight room,” Allen said. “He’s heavier than most of the high school ends we’ve brought in, and it’s good weight.” Stevens might fit the definition of “project” for some, but Allen isn’t ready to say Stevens won’t contribute in his first year. When Stevens came to FSU for camp, Allen liked his range and athletic ability. Stevens will, though, have to put on some weight. At 6-foot-5, he weighs 198 pounds. “Toshmon has a great frame, great speed and quickness, but he’s a young guy and it’s going to take him some time to put some weight and strength on,” he said. “I don’t want to use (the word) developmental because he’s not developmental. He

might come in, find a niche and help somewhere next year.” He has a player who should do that in 2008 (White) and another who could do it (Dawkins). Allen could use the help. His second-leading sack producer last year, Alex Boston, has graduated. And suspensions left him with no depth for the Music City Bowl. His back-ups to Boston and Brown were long snapper Garrison Sanborn and linebacker Benjamin Lampkin. Considering those suspensions could carry over to the first three games of the 2008 season, the Seminoles hope White lives up to his billing, Dawkins’ size helps him make a quick transition to the college game and Stevens finds his niche in a hurry.

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Haggins looks to reload at DT By Derek Redd

Florida State defensive line coach Odell Haggins had to replace a lot of talent with this recruiting class. Not only did he lose senior defensive tackle Andre Fluellen, but junior defensive tackle Letroy Guion surprised the Seminole faithful a bit by declaring for the NFL draft as well. Haggins said it’s nothing new, though. To him it seems like he has to replace significant talent every year. “I’ll have to do it again next year,” he said. “You look at my history, I’ve lost so many to the NFL. Every year it seems I have to sign some tackles, but hey, I’ll keep signing them.” The Seminoles hope this three-tackle 2008 class will be able to make an immediate impact. NFL draft losses aside, the interior defensive line is in the same boat as many of the other units on the team, figuring out how to combat depth problems that come from the academic misconduct suspensions. The best chance he has at an immediate contributor is Tampa lineman Moses McCray. McCray, considered among the top 50 players in Florida by Rivals.com, stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 268 pounds. In the long term, Thomasville, Ga.,

defensive tackle Anthony McCloud might have the most potential. Haggins credits defensive ends coach Jody Allen with recruiting another South Georgia gem in McCloud. He recorded just 25 tackles as a senior, but those small numbers came from the fact that opposing offenses avoided him as much as possible. He still was named the Thomasville Times-Enterprise’s defensive player of the year. “That McCloud kid might be one of the best players out there,” he said. “He’s a super athlete.” McCloud has immense talent, but he might not arrive at Florida State in 2008. Grades could force the lineman to go the junior college route. Pensacola tackle Anthony Hill committed to FSU just days after 2007 National Signing Day. He could be facing a bit of an uphill climb, though. He recently dropped 30 pounds getting in shape for college and possibly could greyshirt and join the team in January. “I think he has to get stronger, stay focused and keep his grades up,” Haggins said. “I think he’ll do pretty good. Whether one, two or all three defensive linemen arrive on campus this summer, those who do could play early due to suspensions. That shouldn’t be a problems for Haggins, who in the past has taken young

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FSU will have to replace two of its best defensive tackles from last season, Andre Fluellen and Letroy Guion. linemen (Budd Thacker comes to mind) and, through trial by fire, transforms them quickly into solid contributors. That might have to be the case this

coming season. “I know they’ve got to play next year,” Haggins said. “They’ll turn out OK. Give them time and they’ll turn out OK.”

Seminoles’ LB class gets off to fast start By Derek Redd

Florida State linebackers coach Chuck Amato has a luxury that no one else on the Seminoles staff can boast. Two members of his 2008 linebacker class, considered the second best in the country behind Miami, already have enrolled in school. So freshmen Nigel Bradham and Vince Williams will have the spring and summer to grow comfortable in their new uniforms. “They’re so glad that they made that decision, both academically and athletically,” Amato said. “We’re certainly going to need them.”

Two starting linebackers possibly could be suspended for the Seminoles’ first three games of 2008, a by-product of the academic scandal that has affected most of the Florida State athletic program. That, plus Geno Hayes early jump to the NFL, makes the road to playing time a lot clearer for the incoming freshmen linebackers. And these incoming freshmen have the talent to play. All three of them are among the top 10 recruits in the country at their position, led by the nation’s top linebacker, Bradham. Nigel Carr is the sixth-rated linebacker in the class, while Williams is 10th.

“They’re big and they’re fast,” he said. “The two Nigels have bodies not of freshmen. They can both fly. Vince is a very aggressive player and we can do a lot of things with him.” Big, fast and aggressive is a formula that has turned past FSU linebackers like Derrick Brooks and Lawrence Timmons into NFL football players. As is the case with most of the defensive units, suspensions will make it necessary for the young linebackers to learn a lot in a very short time. Bradham and Williams will have the benefit of a spring season, a chance to get used to the rigors

of both college life and college football at a more deliberate pace. Yet all three incoming linebackers have the talent – this is the most talented group the Seminoles have acquired in years – to make an early impact. “The biggest thing they’re going to have to learn is terminology,” Amato said. “The game, obviously, is much faster than what it was when they were in high school. “But the more they can pick up the terminology and by (Williams and Bradham) being in the spring, it’s going to be a tremendous advantage to them.”

Andrews beefs up secondary By Ira Schoffel

After losing only one starting defensive back to graduation, Florida State is not exactly desperate for help in the secondary. But defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews believes the Seminoles took a major step in setting themselves up for a brighter future by signing a deep class of defensive backs. Last Wednesday, FSU signed five prospects that are expected to at least start their careers at defensive back – three of the five played a good deal of offense in high school but were recruited by Andrews to play defense. Speedster A.J. Alexander of Pennsylvania rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a junior and senior and was listed on Florida State's Signing Day press release as being a running back. But

Andrews said Alexander will start out at safety. “He’s supposed to be listed as an athlete,” Andrews said. “He could play either position. He’s a great athlete.” The same could be said for New Jersey product Ed Imeokparia, who also is expected to begin his Florida State career at safety. “He’s a kid we got on late,” Andrews said. “Michael Ray Garvin’s daddy gave us some tape on him. We looked at it. He played running back and played defensive back. He runs very well. Outstanding young man. Wanted to get here maybe more than any kid we’ve ever recruited.” In what seemed to be somewhat of a trend at this position, the Seminoles snared another safety prospect from the northeast in Nick Moody of Philadelphia. Though some have projected Moody as a line-

backer, Andrews said he will start out in the secondary. “He’s a kid we had in camp when he was finishing up his sophomore year and we really liked him there,” Andrews said. “Great movement. Great young man. He was big then. In fact, I call him ‘Little Myron [Rolle].’ I told him I liked everything about him but I had to look at some tape .He’s a safety.” FSU's final two defensive back signees brought a more local appeal -- Travis Arnold of nearby Madison County and Terrance Parks of Fairburn, Ga. At 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Parks has the size of a safety. But Andrews said he believes the prospect has the quickness and agility to play cornerback. “He’s a corner,” Andrews said. “He’s a little different than most corners because

we don’t have many his size. But he’s got the kind of tools you look for in a corner. In some of our packages our corners — especially when they line up against the slot — have to play like safeties. It’s kind of like having a safety, but you end up with a better cover guy in there.” Arnold is projected to play safety, but he likely won't figure into Florida State's plans for at least two years; he is expected to have to attend junior college before joining the Seminoles. Assuming he makes it back to Tallahassee in 2010, Andrews believes the Seminoles could have a future star. “He’s a guy who knows how to work and knows a lot about winning,” Andrews said. “A lot of people recruited the kid. We think he’s going to be an outstanding player.” theosceola.com

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Fisher takes QB rankings to task Coordinator says Manuel slighted by analysts By Ira Schoffel

National Signing Day typically is a day for college coaches to sing the praises of the blue-chip prospects they just landed. On Wednesday, Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher did that and then some when asked about his prized quarterback, E.J. Manuel. First, Fisher listed some of the characteristics that made him believe that Manuel was the most complete prep quarterback in the country. Then, he lambasted recruiting analysts that downgraded Manuel's star rating following the Under Armour All-Star game in Orlando. Before that game, Rivals.com listed Manuel as a five-star prospect and the nation's No. 1 pro-style quarterback. Afterward, he was dropped to four stars and named the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback. One of Rivals' analysts was quoted as saying, "Manuel impressed with his athleticism outside of the pocket but showed that he still has some work to do as a passer. He struggled with his accuracy and consistency at times, and will likely need some time to develop on the next level." Fisher said that evaluation was unfair and inaccurate. "It's ridiculous," Fisher said. "They rank it off one week? Didn't Michael Jordan ever have a couple of bad games?

Everybody does. Tom Brady - they said he played the worst Super Bowl. It's ridiculous." Though college coaches handle their own evaluations and don't usually concern themselves with rankings, Fisher said he was bothered because it could have hurt Manuel. And he blasted the notion that a week of all-star practice could negate what Manuel did during the regular season. "You know what they're gonna do? Quit going to all-star games," Fisher said. "You've got to remember, those kids haven't played ball in a month in a half, most of them. And you're going to an allstar game. And the hardest thing for any of them to do at any position is quarterback." Rivals now ranks Manuel as the nation's fourth best quarterback overall the three ahead of him each have a fivestar rating. Though he didn't name any players specifically, Fisher said he evaluated all of the nation's top passers and saw no one with Manuel's combination of skills. "Here's what I can't figure out," Fisher said. "I can't figure out what he doesn't do. All the other quarterbacks have great attributes. A lot of different guys can do part of what he can do. But he can do what all of them do. "He's a pocket guy who can throw. He has size. He has intelligence. He has toughness. Then he has the mobility and the ability to run and create plays with his legs if you want to do that. He has all aspects of the quarterbacking game, not

just one aspect of the quarterbacking game - not just the great arm or the size or the running ability. He has all the tools. And then on top of that, he's twice the kid that he is the player." Manuel certainly has great physical tools - he is listed at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds (Fisher said he has "bulked up" to 220) -- and he has very good running ability. But what Fisher said really sets him apart is his work ethic and intelligence. "He's just a super kid on top of it," Fisher said. "And that's why I like him. There wasn't anything he couldn't do, and I don't think, do well. When you talk to him, he's 17 going on 30. He's very mature, understands what he wants, and has an idea of how to get it." Though FSU returns a senior quarterback with years of experience in Drew Weatherford and talented backups in Christian Ponder and D'Vontrey Richardson, Fisher said he wouldn't rule out the idea of Manuel earning early playing time. The key, Fisher said, will be how quickly Manuel learns the Seminoles' offense and adjusts to the pace of the college game. If Manuel makes a quick transition, Fisher won't intentionally bring the young signal-caller around slowly. But he won't push him before he's ready either. "If he's the best, he plays," Fisher said. "That's the way you want to do it. But you also can ruin a quarterback [faster than] you can make a quarterback by playing them too early.

E.J. Manuel "You've got to understand one thing about him now. He's a very aggressive, gogetter kid. He's not going to sit back and wait. That's his mentality. So it will be interesting to see. We'll just have to wait and see what happens." Regardless of when Manuel makes his Seminoles debut, Fisher is confident that he got the right guy. "I went and watched everybody, and there's a lot of great ones out there," Fisher said. "He's what I wanted."

Early enrollees hoping head start pays off By Derek Redd

As reporters darted about the Moore Athletic Center’s football conference room, quizzing the coaches about their newest acquisitions, three of them stood among the crowd, already clad in garnet and gold. Linebackers Nigel Bradham and Vince Williams and defensive back Terrence Parks are part of FSU’s Class of 2008, and they’re already taking classes as Florida State students. The trio decided to end high school life a semester early and enter the college ranks. Both Williams and Parks said the largest driving force behind that decision was opportunity. With three-game academic misconduct suspensions looming for several FSU football players, youngsters like Bradham, Williams and Parks will get an early opportunity to compete for playing time. “I made my mind up to come in early before anybody heard about the suspensions,” Williams said. “After that, I was like, oh, I’ve got to come in. There’s no way I’m holding back now.” Parks said he knows the best way to play early is to get noticed early. And by entering college early, the three will get a session of pre-spring workouts and a spring practice season that most of the other 2008 recruits won’t get.

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Vince Williams

“I’m trying to play next year,” Parks said. “It was really important. I left because there wasn’t anything left for me to do in high school. I’m trying to get a head start so I can go forward in my life. It’s a maturing process and I’m glad I was able to do it.”

All three should get the chance to play early, considering all three are among the most heralded recruits at their positions. Bradham and Williams are top-10 linebackers, with Bradham as the top linebacker of the 2008 class. Some scouting reports have Parks as one of the top 50 players in the nation. Even though they’re young, the three weren’t shocked at what they had in store for themselves entering college life. In fact, they said, they weren’t very surprised at all. “I knew everything was going to be hard,” Parks said. “I knew I was going to have to work, so I was preparing myself for that in high school. Of course, I didn’t know how hard it was going to be and I still don’t know how hard it’s going to be, but right now, there haven’t been any surprises. The transition was smooth.” Williams said there shouldn’t have been any surprise at the rigors of college football and college classrooms. “If you’re mature, you should expect that’s what college is going to give you,” he said. “You shouldn’t be unprepared coming in here. You should already have in your mind that you’re ready to work and you’re going to work. If you think like that, then the transition should be smooth.” The transition is even smoother, they said, now that they have each other to lean on. College life is full of new faces and

new experiences, experiences that happen a long way from the comforts of home and family. “It makes the process a whole lot easier, knowing you’ve got somebody with you, somebody by your side that’s putting in the work, too,” Parks said. “You feel a whole lot more comfortable.” Williams agreed that there is strength in numbers. “You’re not doing it by yourself,” he said. “There’s three of us and we’re all doing the same thing at the same time. They tell us the same thing at the same time. You appreciate it a little more when you have some help going through it. I think we’ll be able to help the other incoming freshmen because of our experiences.” They’ll get to tell those incoming freshmen about the infamous “mat drills,” which can test players both physically and mentally. Parks said the three have already been through a few workouts, so they’re starting to prepare themselves. “It was straight, but I know it’s going to get a whole lot harder,” he said. “It’s going to pick up, so you’ve got to get your mind right.” Williams, however, wasn’t exactly waiting for them with baited breath. “I just want to get them over with,” he said with a laugh. “I’m tired of talking about it.”

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2009 Signing Day Photos

Garrett Faircloth Ed Imeokparia with parents

Markus White Nick Moody with parents

Jermiane Thomas, Avis Commack and Nigel Carr from Jacksonville First Coast High School

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Jarmon Fortson (on left)

Carlton Jones with family and friends announces he’s a ‘Nole.

Nigel Carr signs on the dotted line. David Spurlock

Travis Arnold

The First Coast trio does the chop

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National Signing Day 2008

A.J. Alexander, DB 5-11, 170, Altoona (Pa.) Altoona – PrepStar Dream Team member…Rivals calls Alexander the 19th-best athlete in this year’s class…the eighth-best prospect out of the state of Pennsylvania named all-county and all-conference as a junior and senior…consistently times in the low 4.3’s in the 40…played quarterback in high school…senior year he rushed for 1000+ yards and 23 TDs…caught six touchdowns and amassed more than 400 yards receiving…returned two kicks for scores as well…as a junior he finished the year with over 1000 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns…in the air, he had another 400 yards with four scores… benches 280 pounds, squats 410 and has a 42 inch vertical jump…also ran track (10.5-100m, 21.5-200m)…ran the fastest 40 among wide outs and the ninth-fastest 40 overall at the State College Nike Training Camp in 2006…posted a 3.2 GPA in high school… father played football at Maryland…had over 40 offers and chose FSU over Tennessee, North Carolina and Pittsburgh among others.

Travis Arnold, DB 5-10, 184, Madison (Fla.) Madizon County – Four-star recruit by Rivals… listed as the 21st-best safety in America by Rivals and the 32nd ranked player in the state of Florida…Scout.com has Arnold listed as a three-star prospect and the 48th best safety prospect in America…FSWAA All-State 2A First Team Defense…Prep Star All-Region Team…led all running backs in the bench press at the Athens Nike Training Camp in 2006…recorded 75 tackles and 12 sacks as a junior at Madison…also caught 67 passes for 750 yards and 12 TDs…ran a 4.31 40-yard dash…received offers from South Carolina, Clemson and Marshall.

Nigel Bradham, OLB 6-2, 225, Crawfordville (Fla.) Wakulla – One of the top recruits in the nation, Bradham is already enrolled at FSU…PARADE All-American…SuperPrep All-American…ranked the top player in the state, the 13th-best prospect in the nation and the top OLB in America by Rivals...a five-star rated outside linebacker by Rivals and Scout.com…Scout’s top-rated middle linebacker and Prep Stars No. 1 linebacker…ESPN ranks him as their fourth-best OLB and the 60th-best player in America…Tom Luginbill of Scouts, Inc. considers him an outstanding prospect…Sports Illustrated and TAKKLE have Bradham rated as the seventh-best player in America…a finalist for the 2008 U.S. Army Player of the Year Award…received honorable mention Army All-America honors as the best tackler…led the East team to a 33-23 victory and recorded four tackles in the 2008 U.S. Army AllAmerican Bowl…was the recipient of the EAS Speed and Strength Award…Tallahassee Democrat All-Big Bend Defensive Player of the Year…PrepStar Dream Team member…FSWAA All-State 3A First Team Defense… AJC Super Southern 100…Rivals says Bradham has the best instincts of any linebacker, the third-most closing speed and is the fifth-best athlete among linebackers this year…finished his senior season with 147 tackles, 12 sacks and four defensive touchdowns in leading Wakulla to a district championship…as a junior he tallied 145 tackles, eight sacks and four interceptions, two of which he returned for TDs…recorded over 430 tackles and 20 sacks during his three-year career at Wakulla…had one of the five best games in the nation this year according to Rivals when he registered 15 tackles in a 16-0 win over Blountstown…timed at 4.52 in the 40-yard dash, can bench press 440 pounds and clean jerk 310…had over 40 offers and chose the Seminoles over Georgia, Mississippi and Florida.

Nigel Carr, LB 6-3, 220, Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast – Ranked in the top six in the nation at his position by SI/TAKKLE, Rivals and ESPN… SI/Takkle has him rated as the 46th-best prospect overall and they call him “the best outside linebacker prospect in the country”…a four-star player according to Rivals and Scout.com…Scout has Carr ranked as the fourth-best SLB in America…Rivals lists him as the 17th-best prospect in Florida…fourth for instincts and closing speed according to Rivals…AJC Super Southern 100…Prep Star Dream Team member…Tom Luginbill of Scouts, Inc. considers him an outstanding prospect…ESPN believes Carr can contribute right away as a linebacker or be a worthy defensive end in time…FSWAA All-State 4A First Team Defense…Under Armour All-American…had 399 tackles in high school including 133 last season…registered 116 tackles and13 sacks as a junior…ran a 4.55 40…maxed out at 305 on the bench and had a squat max of 450…one of three players from First Coast to commit to Florida State this year…chose Florida State over Florida, Clemson, South Carolina USF, Georgia Tech and Minnesota.

Bios courtesy of FSU Sports Information theosceola.com

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National Signing Day 2008

Avis Commack, WR 6-4, 182, Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast – A four-star prospect according to Scout.com and rated a three-star prospect by Rivals…Scout lists Commack as the 44th-best WR…Rivals has the receiver rated No. 66 overall in the state of Florida and the 67th-best wideout overall…ESPN lists Commack as the nation’s 75th-best receiver…Commack posses a great blend of deceptive speed, toughness and the ability to make acrobatic catches in traffic…AJC Super Southern 100…Prep Star All-Region Team…FSWAA All-State 4A Honorable Mention…had 43 catches for over 600 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior…clocked a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash…chose Florida State over South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Illinois, NC State and Purdue.

Andrew Datko, OL 6-6, 267, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas – Three-star recruit by Rivals and Scout.com…the 35th-best guard in America according to Rivals…Scout lists him as the 44th-best tackle prospect in this class…rated 50th among offensive tackles this year by ESPN…disciplined player who understands technique, leverage and balance according to Scout.com…Scout considers Datko one of the top offensive line prospects in Broward County…PrepStar All-Region Team…FSWAA All-State 5A First Team offense…Miami Herald and South Florida Sun Sentinel All-Broward County…ran the 40 in a time of 5.3…played on St. Thomas’ 14-1 State Championship squad…played for the state title every year of his high school career…chose FSU over UCF and FIU.

Everett Dawkins, DE 6-2, 242, Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes – Rated a four-star defensive end by Rivals…garnered three stars from Scout.com…a top 20 defensive end prospect according to ESPN…Rivals has Dawkins as a top 10 prospect among weakside defensive ends and the eighth-best player coming out of South Carolina this season…Scout ranks him as the 41st-best defensive end prospect…PrepStar All-Region Team…AP All-State selection as a senior…his Byrnes team went 15-0 and captured the state championship…played in Max Emfinger's All-American Bowl Game Classic in Jackson, Mississippi…captained his team to a 42-0 victory as he recorded five sacks and double digit tackles…also played in the 71st annual Shrine Bowl where he recorded three tackles and broke up a pass…this past season he recorded 115 tackles, 14 sacks and recovered five fumbles… in 2006 he recorded 46 solo tackles, 56 assists, three sacks and 18 tackles for loss…posted a 4.68 in the 40…received scholarship offers from 10 schools including Illinois, Michigan State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.

Garrett Faircloth, OL 6-6, 260, Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles – Sleeper recruit comes to FSU having never played on the offensive line in high school…missed his junior season after tearing his ACL…ESPN lists Faircloth as the 57th-best offensive tackle prospect in this year’s class and believes he has a lot of upside and real promise…FSWAA All-State 2A Second Team…played on the defensive line at Bolles as a senior and recorded 80 tackles…sister plays softball at Mississippi…chose FSU over Memphis, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and UCF.

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National Signing Day 2008

Jarmon Fortson, WR 6-3, 220, Columbus (Ga.) Carver – Four-star recruit according to both Rivals and Scout.com…SuperPrep All-American…PrepStar All-Southeast Region…AJC Super Southern 100…Class AAA All-State selection as a senior…first team all-city as a junior…ESPN describes Fortson as “a massive target” with a “wonderful combination of size, strength, quick hands and speed”…ESPN summed up Fortson by saying “Overall, Fortson is big and physical, and you don't find receivers with his size, speed and change-of-direction skills”…registered over 1,500 yards and 22 receiving TDs in his final two seasons at Carver…runs a 4.6 in the 40 and has a 33” vertical…max bench is 265 and max squat is 390…chose FSU over Auburn, Clemson, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisville and South Carolina.

Josh Geheres, WR 6-3, 190, Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln – Burst onto the scene as a senior totaling more than 1,100 receiving yards on 29 receptions while scoring 13 touchdowns…averaged 38 yards per catch in 2007…ESPN has Gehres ranked 149th among receivers and Scout.com has him listed at 214… ESPN cites his body control, concentration and excellent hands as some of the reasons he delivers the big catch on third down and in the red zone…according Scouts, Inc. Gehres could cause major match-up problems down the road…FSWAA All-State 4A Second Team offense… Tallahassee Democrat AllBig Bend first team…timed at 4.53 in the 40-yard dash…posted a 4.5 GPA at Lincoln…grandfather played at FSU in the 1950’s…chose FSU over offers from Illinois, Michigan State, Iowa and South Florida.

Anthony Hill, DT 6-4, 301, Pensacola (Fla.) Pensacola – Three-star defensive tackle according to Rivals and Scout.com…both ESPN and Scout.com have him rated in the top 40 among defensive tackle prospects…Rivals ranks Hill as the 51st-best DT prospect and 61st among all recruits in the state of Florida…FSWAA All-State 3A First Team Defense… PrepStar All-Region Team…had eight sacks and 65 tackles as a senior…recorded 9.5 sacks as a junior…timed at 4.9 in the 40…has dropped his weight from 300 to 270…chose FSU over USF.

Ed Imeokparia, DB 6-0, 188, Blairstown (N.J.) Blair Academy – Three-star athlete according to Rivals…ranked as the 22nd-best player from the state of New Jersey this season…Scouts, Inc. believes Imeokparia is a good back and they like “his speed, toughness and ability to run between the tackles with authority”…Scout.com lists Imeokparia as the 185th-ranked running back in this class…rushed for 600 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2005…67 tackles and three interceptions in 2006…last name pronounced em-ee-OH-pahr-e-ya…ran the 40 in 4.41 and has a 32” vertical…3.0 GPA…chose FSU over Tennessee, Boston College, UNC, Michigan State, Louisville and Cincinnati.

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National Signing Day 2008

Carlton Jones, RB 5-11, 215, Tampa (Fla.) Middleton – Received interest from Florida, Tennessee and Maryland…rushed for 1,200 yards in back-to-back seasons…scored 16 touchdowns as a senior…started out his junior season playing quarterback before moving to running back half way through the year… an Old Spice Red Zone High School Football Player of the Year…all-county and all-state honorable mention as a senior…chose FSU over Toledo.

Jabaris Little, TE 6-4, 240, Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln – Little continues the great tradition of Lincoln High School players coming to Florida State…four-star tight end according to Rivals…Rivals has Little rated as the fifth-fastest tight end prospect this year…Scout lists him as the 27th-best TE prospect…ESPN has him listed at 38th at his position…PrepStar All-Region Team…FSWAA All-State 4A Honorable Mention…played in the Offense-Defense AllAmerican Bowl…ran a 4.6 40-yard dash…chose FSU over Ohio State, Tennessee, NC State, Illinois, USF and Minnesota.

Anthony McCloud, DL 6-3, 295, Thomas County (Ga.) Central – Thomasville Times-Enterprise’s Defensive Player of the Year…his Thomas County Central team had a perfect record in 2007 before losing in the class AAAA semifinal to finish the year at 13-1…selected to play in the GACA North-South All-Star game…recorded 25 tackles as a senior but opponents avoided the lineman “at all costs” according to Central coach Ed Pilcher.

Moses McCray, DT 6-2, 268, Tampa (Fla.) Hillsborough – Both Rivals and Scout.com list McCray as a four-star prospect…Scout has McCray listed as the 15th-best DT in this class…both ESPN and Rivals have him in the top 30 at his position…according to ESPN and Scouts, Inc., McCray is a “disruptive defender”…PrepStar AllAmerican…FSWAA All-State 4A Honorable Mention…played in the FACA North vs. South All-Star game…recorded 15 sacks as a junior…ran a 4.68 in the 40…wrestled and participated in track at Hillsborough…chose FSU over Miami, LSU, Ohio State, Florida and Rutgers among others.

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National Signing Day 2008

E.J. Manuel, QB 6-4, 201, Virginia Beach (Va.) Bayside – One of the top quarterback recruits in the nation in 2008… PARADE All-American…three major services (Rivals, Scout and SI) have Manuel listed as the second-best QB… SI/Takkle rate Manuel the eighth-best recruit regardless of position…a five-star QB recruit according to Scout…rated the best player in the state of Virginia this year by Rivals…Rivals has Manuel rated second for arm strength and accuracy…Tom Luginbill of Scouts, Inc. considers him an outstanding prospect…PrepStar Dream Team member…AJC Super Southern 100… SI/Takkle calls Manuel a “world-class quarterback” who “could be a superstar on the next level”…starting QB in the Under Armour AllAmerican game where he completed 5 of 6 passes for 71 yards in leading Team White to a win…Scouts, Inc. compared Manuel to “a smaller JaMarcus Russell” after watching the QB practice in Orlando…honorable mention “Best Arm” at the Under Armour All-Star game…accounted for almost 7,400 yards and 68 TDs in his high school career…threw for 48 TDs and ran for 12 in his career at Bayside…completed at least 56% of his passes every season of his high school career…passed for nearly 4,000 yards combined in his junior and senior seasons… had at least 1,300 yards passing as a sophomore, junior and senior…nearly threw for 2,000 yards (1,973) as a junior and had 19 TD passes as a senior…also rushed for 541 yards as a senior…earned All-Tidewater district honors…named second-team all-state in Group AAA…participated in Elite 11 camp…runs a 4.6 in the 40…chose FSU over LSU, Oregon, Tennessee and Alabama among others.

Nick Moody, DB 6-1, 218, Philadelphia (Pa.) Roman Catholic – Four-star prospect and a top five player in the state of Pennsylvania according to Rivals…Rivals considers him the ninth-best OLB prospect in this class…PrepStar All-Region Team…played in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl…named honorable mention for best closing speed and most physical at the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl…won the league championship with Roman Catholic as a senior as he was named a Class 4A First Team All-State selection…recorded 65 tackles, four sacks and five pass break-ups as a junior while playing safety, cornerback and linebacker…caught 13 TD passes his sophomore season…clocked at 4.45 in the 40-yard dash…chose FSU over offers from Penn State, Georgia Tech, Michigan State and Temple.

Terrance Parks, DB 6-1, 200, Fairburn (Ga.) Creekside – Georgia native is already enrolled at Florida State…rated the 36th-best player in America by ESPN and the fifth-best cornerback…ESPN believes he has the potential to become an elite player at the next level…according to ESPN Parks is “an absolute monster of an athletic cornerback with versatility on offense and the measurables every coach in America wants in their perimeter players” and that he can match up with “just about any player in America”…Tom Luginbill of Scouts, Inc. considers him an outstanding prospect…Scout.com gave Parks four stars and considers him the 22nd best CB in the nation…Rivals ranks him as the 32nd-best safety in the 2008 class and the 27th-best prospect in the state of Georgia…a three-star safety according to Rivals… Prep Star All-Region Team…participated in the Under Armour All-America High School Football Game…Scouts, Inc. said Parks reminded them of Baltimore Ravens coner Chris McAllister after watching the FSU commit practicing in Orlando…led Team Click-Clack with three tackles in the game…recorded 45 tackles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries during his senior year for the Creekside Seminoles…recorded 43 tackles and had four interceptions during his junior season…timed at 4.43 in the 40 and benched 305 pounds…graduated with a 3.0 GPA…chose Florida State over Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee.

Tavares Pressley, RB 6-1, 215, Torrance (Calif.) El Camino CC – Four-star recruit according to Scout.com and Rivals…many consider Pressley to be the top junior college running back in the state of California and one of the best in the nation…Rivals sees Pressley as an All-America candidate player at the next level…PrepStar Junior College All-American…first team All-Mission Football Conference selection…rushed for 832 yards and 11 touchdowns at El Camino in 2007 despite averaging less than 10 carries per game…shared duties in the backfield with three other running backs who are expected to play at D1 schools in 2008…accounted for 171.3 yards per game in offense for Monterey Peninsula College as a freshman in 2006…had 1,211 yards rushing, 147 receiving yards, 357 yards on returns and scored 23 touchdowns….runs a 4.4 in the 40, benches a max of 385, has a squat max of 500 and a 33” vertical leap…played QB his entire life before going to junior college and moving to tailback…teammate at El Camino with fellow FSU signee Corey Surrency…chose FSU over Kansas State, Colorado, Mississippi, Nebraska, Arizona and Washington State.

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National Signing Day 2008

Zebrie Sanders, OL 6-5, 273, Clayton (Ohio) Northmont – Four-star prospect according to Scout and Rivals…ranked the fifth-best athlete among all offensive line prospects by Rivals…Rivals considers Sanders to have All-America ability on the collegiate level…PrepStar All-American…Anthony Munoz Foundation Offensive Lineman of the Year…named Under Armour All-American, ESPNU All-American, ONN Ohio All-State, All-Conference and All-District…ran a 5.3 in the 40, maxed out on the bench at 305, squats 475 and has a 26” vertical…started as the varsity LT since the beginning of his sophomore season…helped his team make the state playoffs and finish with a 7-4 record as a senior…SuperPrep believes Sanders has the potential to be an outstanding lineman at the next level…member of The National Honor Society with a 3.475 GPA…holds the rank of Eagle scout in the Boy Scouts of America…has received superior rankings as a violist in the chamber orchestra…born in Columbia, SC…mother attended the University of Georgia…chose FSU over offers from Georgia, Florida, LSU, Clemson and UCLA among others.

Rhonne Sanderson, OL 6-4, 280, Tampa (Fla.) Plant – Won the Jimbo Kynes Outstanding Lineman Award given to the top linemen in Hillsborough County beating out five-star offensive tackle Matt Patchan for the award…FSWAA All-State 4A Second Team selection…Scouts, Inc. believes Sanderson can develop into a “steal” for Florida State…key member of a Plant team that went 26-2 the last two seasons…protected two of the top QB’s in the state of Florida the last two seasons…in 2006 he protected Florida’s Mr. Football Robert Marve who is expected to enter spring drills as the starting QB at the University of Miami…this past season he blocked for junior Aaron Murray who already has received offers from Florida, Tennessee and Georgia among others…played in the FACA North vs. South All-Star game…brother plays for South Carolina…chose FSU over offers from Michigan State, FAU, FIU, Toledo and Ball State and interest from Michigan and Louisville.

Debrale Smiley, RB 6-4, 240, Thomas County (Ga.) Central – Thomasville Times-Enterprise’s Offensive Player of the Year…his Thomas County Central team had a perfect record in 2007 before losing in the class AAAA semifinal to finish the year at 13-1…all-state selection…selected to play in the GACA North-South All-Star game…set records at Central for touchdowns in a season (35), touchdowns in a career (81) and rushing yards in a season (2,028).

Blake Snider, OG 6-4, 285, Heflin (Ala.) Cleburne County – Pigskin Round-Up All Star Team 2007…advanced to the second round of the Class 4A playoffs in 2007…tore his ACL in 2006 Class 4A State Playoff game…his father is the defensive coordinator at Cleburne County…chose FSU over Samford and Troy.

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National Signing Day 2008

David Spurlock, OL 6-4, 280, Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Riverdale – Three-star lineman according to both Rivals and Scout.com…Rivals rates Spurlock the eighth-best player to come out of the state of Tennessee this year…Scouts, Inc. calls Spurlock a “tenacious prospect”…PrepStar All-Region team… 2006 All-Region 4-5A selection…chose FSU over offers from Louisville, Ole Miss, UNC, NC State, Tennessee, Colorado and MTSU.

Toshmon Stevens, DE 6-5, 198, Crescent City (Fla.) Crescent City – Three-star lineman according to both Rivals and Scout.com…PrepStar All-Region team…FSWAA All-State 2B First Team Defense…played football for a full season for the first time in 2006…in 2006 he recorded 37 tackles and eight sacks defensively and caught three passes for 50 yards and a TD as a tight end…as a senior he recorded 56 tackles and 12 sacks…Crescent City went 10-0 his senior season…also plays center for the basketball team at Crescent City…runs the 40 in 4.56, has a 30.5” vertical and maxes out at 285 on the bench…has a personal best of 6’8” in the high jump…placed twice in that event in the state finals…holds 17 offers and chose FSU over South Carolina, Tennessee, NC State, Virginia Tech, UCF and Arizona State.

Corey Surrency, WR 6-5, 210, (Calif.) El Camino CC – Rivals lists him as a four-star wide receiver…one of the top junior college players in America…PrepStar Junior College AllAmerican…this past season he had 30 receptions for more than 670 yards…had 23 catches for 432 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2006…had six catches for 125 yards in the state championship game…runs a 4.45 in the 40…chose FSU over LSU, Oregon, West Virginia, Oregon State, Cal, Colorado, Louisville and Arizona.

Jermaine Thomas, RB 6-1, 190, Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast – Three-star back according to both Rivals and Scout.com…Scouts, Inc. says Thomas is an outstanding prospect who has the “ability to create mismatches against most opponents” and considers him a player that could be a contributor as a true freshman…ESPN says Thomas has a “supreme blend of size and speed”…PrepStar All-Region team…AJC Super Southern 100…FSWAA All-State 4A Second Team Offense…rushed for 900 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior…played in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl…chose FSU over LSU, Illinois, Georgia Tech, NC State, South Carolina and Purdue.

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National Signing Day 2008

Markus White, DE 6-4, 245, (Kan.) Butler County CC – Five star recruit according to Rivals…the only junior college player to move from four to five stars in the final Rivals Top 100…four-star rated recruit by Scout.com…NJCAA Football Player of the Year…Region 6 Player of the Year…Prep Star Junior College AllAmerican…NJCAA and JC Gridwire First Team All-American…named All-Jayhawk Conference…his Butler team finished the year 12-0 and was awarded a share of the 2007 NJCAA Football title after beating No. 1 Snow College 56-27…led the best junior college defense in the nation this past year…the Grizzlies’ defense allowed just over 235 yards per game and a mere 11 points per contest…the Butler defense recorded four shutouts last season and went 15 consecutive quarters without allowing a point…set a Butler record with 24.5 sacks, which led the NJCAA…also led the nation with six forced fumbles…ranked 23rd in the nation with 97 tackles…recorded 14.5 tackles for loss…in his final game he had eight tackles, two for a loss, a sack, a pass deflection and a blocked PAT in defeating the No. 1 team in the country…was named the game’s defensive MVP…played for defensive line coach Steve Braet at Butler who has coached 24 All-Americans and three NFL players… spent a brief period of time at Rutgers…ran the 40 in 4.55 and has a 30” vertical leap…chose FSU over Miami, Oklahoma, UNC, Arkansas, West Virginia, South Carolina and Kansas State.

Vincent Williams, ILB 6-0, 210, Davenport (Fla.) Ridge – One of three early enrollees in the 2008 class…four-star inside linebacker by Rivals.com…ranked the ninth-best inside linebacker in the country and the 24th-best prospect in the state of Florida by Rivals…also a member of the Rivals 250…scout ranks Williams as the 24th-best inside linebacker prospect…ESPN has Williams rated at #40 at his position… Prep Star All-American…named Polk County Defensive Player of the Year as a junior and all-county as a sophomore…totaled almost 300 tackles in three seasons with 48 TFL and 25 sacks…had 122 tackles, nine sacks, 20 QB hurries and 26 TFL as a junior in 2006…also played running back where he carried the ball 72 times for 604 yards as a junior… rushed for 138 yards on just 13 carries (10.6 average) and scored two touchdowns in Davenport's 27-0 shutout win over Auburndale (Fla.)…FSWAA All-State 3A Second Team Defense…co-MVP of the Scout.com combine in Jacksonville…ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68…maxed out at 320 on the bench and squatted 545 pounds…vertical measured at 30”… chose Florida State over LSU, Ohio State and Florida.

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Little, Gehres follow pipeline to FSU By Ira Schoffel

Florida State's pipeline from Tallahassee's Lincoln High School might have sprung a slight leak this year, but it is far from drying up. The Seminoles missed out on four-star defensive back T.J. Bryant, who spurned all three major state schools to sign with Southern Cal, but they still landed two players on offense that could eventually become impact players. Before a packed Lincoln High auditorium last Wednesday, tight end Ja'Baris Little and wide receiver Josh Gehres signed letters of intent to play for Florida State. They both said they are excited to follow in the footsteps of current NFL players Antonio Cromartie and Craphonso Thorpe, as well as current Seminoles Seddrick Holloway, Rodney Gallon and Brandon Paul. “As a kid growing up, Florida State was high and mighty,” said Little, who added that he was “surprised” Bryant decided to leave the state. “I always wanted to be a Seminole. Everybody that came out of here and went to Florida State has had great success. When I finally got the opportunity to be one, it was kind of like a dream come true.” Gehres not only had the Linoln pipeline to follow, but his own family's as well. His grandparents attended Florida State, and having grown up in Tallahassee, it felt like home. “My whole family's been to Florida State – I figured I might as well continue the tradition,” Gehres said. “It's been my dream to come to Florida State since I was a little kid.” As a youth playing flag football, Gehres said, he remembers pretending he was a Seminole receiver. On some days, he was Peter Warrick or E.G. Green. On oth-

ers, he was Lawrence Dawsey, who will be his position coach at Florida State. “It's just a dream come true,” Gehres said. Gehres was known as a “sleeper” in recruiting circles. He was little known coming into his senior season, but he started drawing attention from major programs as he began piling up impressive statistics against quality competition. As a senior, the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder caught 29 passes for more than 1,100 yards – that's an average of 38 yards per catch. Despite those big plays, Gehres said his greatest attributes are running good routes and catching passes in traffic. “I think I'm just a possession receiver that can make plays,” Gehres said. “And I think I can bring work ethic and leadership to the team.” Lincoln High head coach Kyle Rice, however, objected to the “possession receiver” tag. “I don't know that he's a possession receiver,” Rice said. “He averaged 38 yards a catch. If that's a possession receiver, I want a bunch of possession receivers on my team. Josh is a big, tall kid that runs real well. And I think he can be a very good player at the next level. I think he's going to have a good career at Florida State. “Josh is a great kid. He is a great student. He's got a 4.5 GPA. He just works hard at everything he does. For him to realize his dream is a special, special thing.” The only question remaining for Gehres is when will that dream officially take place. Because he blossomed late, FSU already had set aside several scholarships for wide receivers, meaning there's a chance he will come in as one of FSU's “greyshirts.” Those players will sit out the

RICK JONES – OSCEOLA

Lincoln’s Josh Gehres and Ja’Baris Little signed with FSU. fall and enroll in January 2009. Little, on the other hand, will not have to wait. The four-star tight end is expected to compete for early playing time, especially considering FSU's top two tight ends – Caz Piurowski and Charlie Graham – are expected to miss the first three games of next season due to suspensions. Little has great size at 6-4 and 240 pounds, but he is extremely athletic. Rivals.com ranked him as one of the nation's fastest tight end prospects in the nation. “Ja'baris can play a bunch of different positions for them,” Rice said. “He can play tight end, H-back, fullback, he can flank out – he can do a lot of different

things. He provides quite a bit of mismatches for a defensive coordinator.” On Signing Day, Little still didn't know who would be his position coach at Florida State – former tight ends coach John Lilly left last month to join the staff at Georgia. But aside from a late push by Alabama, which recruited him to play linebacker, he said he never wavered in his desire to be a Seminole. He said FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher has assured him that he will like Lilly's replacement. “Coach Fisher comes to Lincoln regularly to check on me,” Little said. “He said he'll be sure that they'll have a good coach in. I trust him with that.”

'Noles grab South Georgia’s finest By Ira Schoffel

Florida State has enjoyed great success recruiting the state of Georgia in recent years, but the Seminoles haven't dipped into tradition-rich Thomasville, Ga., in more than two decades. Until now. In what many described as a Signing Day shocker, Florida State landed two prospects from Thomas County Central High, the same school that produced Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward Jr. On offense, the Seminoles signed bruising tailback Debrale Smiley, who set school records for touchdowns in a season (35), rushing yards in a season (2,028), and touchdowns in a career (81). Though he is listed at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, Smiley displayed good moves and breakaway speed. Thomas County Central offensive coordinator Bill Shaver said Smiley compares favorably to former Georgia Tech standout Joe Burns, who also attended Central and went on to play several years in the NFL.

“He’s right up there,” Shaver told the Thomasville Times-Enterprise. “I think the biggest thing Debrale did was he improved every year. This year, he improved tremendously as a receiver. The thing that separates him from a lot of backs is, not only is he big, but he also has that breakaway speed.” The Seminoles also signed Central defensive tackle Anthony McCloud, who was regarded as one of the state's top defensive linemen last season. McCloud not only has exceptional size (6-3, 295 pounds) and quickness, but his coaches said he has a very good mind for the game. “A lot of times in practice, Anthony would make you mad because he’s sitting up there reading the quarterback’s eyes and knowing where things are going,” Shaver said. “He’s a very smart defensive lineman.” McCloud and Smiley both said they were attracted to Florida State because of the proximity. “I grew up watching Warrick Dunn and all them boys,” Smiley said. “Hopefully, I

can live up to [those] expectations.” Though FSU's coaches said both Thomasville products are among the most talented players in this signing class, neither player was rated highly by recruiting services because they have academic issues and are expected to attend junior college before entering a four-year school.

FORTSON A PEACH STATE GEM Cairo (Ga.) High head football coach Tom Fallaw sent one player to Florida State last February – wide receiver Cameron Wade – and he got to see three new Seminoles up close and personal this past season. Fallaw's Cairo Syrupmakers played against Smiley and McCloud during the regular season, and they faced ColumbusCarver prospect Jarmon Fortson in the Class 3A state championship game. Though Fallaw was impressed with all three FSU signees, he said Fortson was at the head of the class. In fact, he said he

would be surprised if the Seminoles signed a better player at any position this year. “He's a game changer,” Fallaw said. “He won the state semifinal game for Carver. Against Chamblee, they were down 24-6 late in the third quarter. He had 160 yards receiving in the next five minutes [and they won 26-24]. He was the best player we faced all year.” Cairo also had a late lead against Carver in the state championship game, and Fortson performed more of his magic. “There was a third-and-13 on their last drive where he makes a grab across the middle,” Fallaw recalled. “The ball was behind him, he reaches back, makes a great catch and changes direction all in the same movement to pick up a first down. It was an unbelievable play.” Carver went on to score a go-ahead touchdown on that drive, and Fortson then sealed the victory with a sack on defense. “Carver lined him up everywhere,” Fallaw said. “He played quarterback, running back, receiver and on defense. He's that type of kid.” theosceola.com

FEBRUARY 13, 200 8 • OSCEOLA

Which signees will hit the field in '08? The Departed Xavier Lee – Rebuffed suggestion of position switch; preparing for pro career

bowl game Will Furlong – Coaches considered using him as true freshman A.J. Ganguzza – Scrappy player, needs to add size and strength

QUARTERBACK

Coming back Drew Weatherford – Fifth-year senior has tons of starting experience but seeks defining season Christian Ponder – Hopes to push for starting job in spring drills

The Unknown Antwane Greenlee – Could be future star; status TBA after neck injury ended '07 season Dumaka Atkins – Missed ]07 with knee injurt; rumors persist about switch to DL Brandon Davis – Young center behind McMahon on depth chart Geoff Berniard – Would be fifth-year senio; has yet to see real playing time

The Unknown D'Vontrey Richardson – If he doesn't make a move this spring, could switch positions in fall Instant Impact E.J. Manuel – His development could make decision about Richardson easier The Depar ted Russell Ball – Injury-prone reserve bolted for smaller school

RUNNING BACK

Coming back Antone Smith – Senior needs to build on super bowl performance Jamaal Edwards – Talented backup again struggled to make impact in 2007 Marcus Sims – Coaches had high hopes before injury cut short '07 season Seddrick Holloway – Showed power as FB, plus versatility

Markus White

Instant Impact Jarmon Fortson – Big target; some believe could be best player in class Corey Surrency – 6-5 juco transfer is raw but incredibly talented Avis Commack – Size and speed will earn place in WR rotation The Depar ted John Frady – Former center called into emergency duty last fall

TIGHT END

The Unknown Joe Surratt – Status TBA after injury and arrest last season

Coming back Charlie Graham – Expected to miss early part of season due to suspension

Instant Impact Tavares Pressley – 215-pound juco transfer fits Jimbo Fisher's offense Jermaine Thomas – Blessed with speed and size, could play RB or WR

The Unknown Matt Dunham – Injuries kept off field in '07; hasn't seen much game action Caz Piurowski – Will miss early games with suspension; could move back to OL

The Depar ted De'Cody Fagg – Was FSU's second-leading receiver as a senior Joslin Shaw – Missed part of season and played minor role in offense Damon McDaniel – Missed time for injuries, birth of son; transferred in offseason

WIDE RECEIVER

Coming back Preston Parker – Likely won't have to be one-man show in 2008 Greg Carr – Still scoring touchdowns, but faded late in junior season Richard Goodman – Started strong, but injury shortened junior year Rod Owens – Came on late in year after recovering from knee surgery The Unknown Bert Reed,Taiwan Easterling, Brandon Paul and Cameron Wade – Need to contribute after redshirting as freshmen

theosceola.com

Instant Impact Jonathan Hannah – Looked ready for starting role in '07 before flagged for academics Ja'Baris Little – Talented freshman could play variety of positions The Depar ted Shannon Boatman – Two-year starter, played guard and tackle Jacky Claude – Started at guard most of four-year career David Overmyer – Started at guard and tackle last three years Tyler Graves – Moved to TE in '07, transferred to smaller school

OFFENSIVE LINE

Coming back Rodney Hudson – Freshman AllAmerican, blossoming into future star Ryan McMahon – Moved from DT and earned Freshman All-America honors Daron Rose – Solid left tackle; could miss time due to suspension Evan Bellamy – Filled in well at guard in

Instant Impact Andrew Datko – Well-coached in HS, could play early Zebrie Sanders – Could be most talented of the group Rhonne Sanderson – Good technique could translate to role in '08 David Spurlock – Extremely physical, could fill hole at guard The Depar ted Roger Williams – Multi-year starter at free safety J.R. Bryant – Reserve cornerback, never lived up to recruiting ranking Bernard Brinson – Test score flagged, left for junior college Anthony Houllis – Backup rover had extensive experience

DEFENSIVE BACK

Coming back Tony Carter – Up-and-down junior year finished with bang in bowl game Patrick Robinson – Ball-hawking corner broke out in '07 but likely suspended 3 games Michael Ray Garvin – Has floated in and out of starting CB slot Myron Rolle – Third-year starter at rover Ochuko Jenije – Expected to start pushing for playing time Darius McClure – Will battle for starting job at free safety Kenny Ingram – McClure's top competition for FS job Dionte Allen – Talented CB redshirted in '07 Anthony Leon – Reserve FS has played mostly special teams Korey Mangum – Dependable as backup CB The Unknown Jamie Robinson – Big corner, could move to fill hole at FS Mister Alexander – Safety plagued by injuries since arrived on campus Instant Impact Terrance Parks – Expected to star early on special teams The Depar ted

LINEBACKER

Geno Hayes – Two-year starter bolted early for NFL Coming back Derek Nicholson – Played almost every snap after recovering from torn ACL Dekoda Watson – Showed star power in '07, but facing early-season suspension Marcus Ball – Will compete for starting job when returns from suspension Kendall Smith – Saw major playing time as freshman; started bowl game Recardo Wright – Behind Nicholson at MLB Rodney Gallon – Versatile reserve, has battled injuries Aaron Gresham – Impressed coaches during redshirt season Maurice Harris – Redshirted as freshman with injury The Unknown Toddrick Verdell – Playmaker, could compete at LB or safety Jamar Jackson – Redshirted as freshman with injury Instant Impact Nigel Bradham – Physically gifted, already enrolled, could start right away Nigel Carr – Aggressive player, also expected to play early Vincent Williams – Will also compete for early playing time The Depar ted Andre Fluellen – Battled injuries, but was anchor of line Letroy Guion – Talented DT left early for NFL Alex Boston – Veteran DE was steady but not super

DEFENSIVE LINE

Coming back Everette Brown – Blossoming into next great DE Budd Thacker – Playmaker, could miss early action due to suspension Emmanuel Dunbar – Returned from back injury, played well in bowl Paul Griffin – Could start at DT when returns from suspension Justin Mincey – Another suspension case, can plat DE or DT Neefy Moffett – Could start at DE when returns from suspension Kendrick Stewart – Small-but-quick DT, played well in bowl The Unknown Kevin McNeil – Could start at DE after missing '07 season Instant Impact Everett Dawkins – At 6-2, 242 pounds, has size to compete for early playing time Moses McCray -- FSU likes to redshirt DTs, but probably not this year with suspensions Markus White – Was a juco star with 24.5 sacks; could push for starting job

OSCEOLA • FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

The next great one? Bradham brings star power to class By Derek Redd

Nigel Bradham walked into the Moore Center football meeting room Wednesday afternoon clad in the garnet and gold sweatsuit he had coveted since he was a young boy. It was the day that Florida State University officially announced that he and 29 others would become members of the 2008 Seminoles football team. As Bradham sat in the front row, one seat between him and a reporter left vacant, FSU head coach Bobby Bowden walked into the room. Bowden took that empty seat next to Bradham and, until the press conference began, the two sat side by side, the silver-haired coaching legend and his marquee five-star recruit, the crown jewel of the 2008 signing class. This was the day Bradham waited for his entire young life. It was the day he dreamed of as a child, flying around his Crawfordville house pretending he was a Florida State football player even when his mother hoped he would wear orange and blue. He dreamed of this day as he grew from boy to man amongst boys, a behemoth tackler considered the best in the country at his position. Now he has his chance to make those dreams tangible, to follow in the footsteps of FSU linebackers like Derrick Brooks, Marvin Jones and Ernie Sims. That journey has just begun, but Bradham already has shown, in words and actions, that his heart belongs to Florida State. Bradham always was a big boy, his mother Rose Rucker said. Even as a toddler, she said her friends joked she gave birth to a boy, not a baby, because of his size. Growing up, he had an appetite to match. Rucker said her son would go through six boxes of corn flakes and three gallons of milk a week. “The story is milk does a body good,” she said. When she would go to work, she said Bradham would pull down the cereal, grab the milk, pour a big bowl and plop down in front of the television. The channel always was tuned to sports, Rucker said, and she knew how much he loved sports, especially football, when one day he pointed to the television and told her he would play for that team. The television was tuned to a Florida State football game, much to Rucker’s chagrin. Even though she and Bradham lived so close to Tallahassee and Florida State University, Rucker had always been a Gator fan ever since her days at Carrabelle High School. So when her son told her his dreams of wearing an FSU uniform, she’d try to steer him to her favorite school. Yet Bradham always remained a steadfast Seminoles fan. “It was never not Florida State,” Bradham said. “I wanted to commit – even though it wasn’t an official scholarship – I wanted to commit in my 10th grade year. Ever since I was 2, I had told my mom I’d play for Florida State.” Rucker would soon find out that her

OSCEOLA FILE PHOTO

Linebacker Nigel Bradham makes a play during his career at Wakulla High.

son one day would have a choice between FSU and Florida. And about 40 other schools. The corn flakes did the trick. Bradham grew into an imposing figure, standing 6foot-2 and weighing 225 pounds as a senior linebacker at Wakulla High School. His fame as a football player matched his stature. In his final two seasons at Wakulla, Bradham recorded 292 tackles and 20 sacks and scored six defensive touchdowns. His large arms cradled award after award. He was an All-State first team member and a U.S. Army All-American Bowl participant. As his reputation grew, two schools above all became the most passionate for his services: his favorite, Florida State, and his mother’s favorite, Florida. Rucker knew it ultimately would be her son’s decision and he ultimately decided on Florida State, but the FSU coaches still had to win her over. And the coaches, especially Bowden and linebackers coach Chuck Amato, were ready to try. “We had a lot of fun,” Amato said. “We cut up and it broke the ice and we just built on that. When we got together, I’d say, ‘You’re getting closer, huh?’” The coaches actually sold Rucker in many ways. She appreciated how they were interested in how she raised Bradham and interested in how ready he was to handle the academic rigors of college, not just the physical ones. But, she said, the biggest draw was the family atmosphere Bowden and the other coaches fostered. She got a full taste of it when, as they were leaving the football offices, she put her hand out to shake Bowden’s. “He said, ‘We don’t do that here,’ and

he gave me a kiss on the cheek,” Rucker said. “I said I’d never wash that cheek again.” So FSU won Bradham and his mother over. Now it was Bradham’s turn to help win over some other blue-chip recruits. In the high-stakes world of college football recruiting, teams look for any advantage they can find. One of the biggest is having a five-star recruit as a solid early commitment. Now that recruit can call up other recruits and extol the virtues of the school. Bradham and top quarterback recruit E.J. Manuel, who committed to FSU in June, spent a lot of the summer on the phone. "In the summer, me and E.J. and a couple of other guys would talk to guys a lot,” Bradham said. “Guys had more time then. But when school started and football practice started, we kind of slowed down. We didn't want to get on nobody's nerves. During the summer, I can't remember how much we talked to (recruits), but during the fall, we just did it occasionally, like on weekends when we knew they weren't practicing.” It wasn’t as big as getting a phone call from Bobby Bowden, Bradham said, but he thought it helped at least a little bit. A recruit who might not have considered Florida State before might have moved the school into his top five after a call from someone like Bradham or Manuel. Former FSU tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator John Lilly, who recently took a job at Georgia, said it helps immensely when verbal commitments offer to call other recruits. It helps enlighten those recruits on the process, he said, and helps a player like Bradham gain cred-

ibility as a leader of the incoming class. Lilly said Bradham was always willing to help. “I think he was one of the more active guys,” Lilly said. “He’d text message me, asking what so-and-so’s phone number was.” In Bradham’s mind, it was the least he could do. "It wasn't really a duty,” he said. “It was something I wanted to do. I want to win a national championship and I want to be on a great team, so you have to have great guys come in with you to have a great team." Amato said Bradham has all the tools to be one of the great guys on FSU’s football team. “When you get to meet him, you realize how mature he is for being a senior in high school,” Amato said. “He’s a runner and a hitter and when he hits you, you go backwards. There are so many guys who played this position in the past that knocked people back like he does.” Bradham is doing all he can to emulate the FSU linebackers of the past. He graduated from high school a semester early and enrolled at Florida State for the spring semester. That gives him a spring season that many of the other incoming freshmen won’t have. And, considering a few linebackers could be suspended for the first three games of 2008 for academic misconduct, the chances of him playing quickly grow by the day. “I know I’m going to have to work hard,” he said. “I want to be the next great linebacker to come from Florida State. I just want to be one of those guys. I have to work hard and show them I want to be one of the best.” theosceola.com

FEBRUARY 13, 200 8 • OSCEOLA

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OSCEOLA • FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

Rewind: Recruiting Class of 2007 Osceola staff report

The 2007 signing class, ranked 21st overall by Rivals.com, wasn’t one of Florida State’s most heralded. In fact, a Florida State signing class hadn’t been ranked that low since 2003. The Seminoles had three straight top-three classes from 2004-06. Yet that “unheralded” doesn’t always mean “subpar.” There are times where a recruit not stationed in the upper echelon of the star system – like Andre Fluellen in 2003 or Dekoda Watson in 2006 – reveals himself as an integral player. Did anyone from the 2007 class follow that lead? Here’s a look back at the group and how their 2007 season panned out: Dionte Allen (5-11, 175) DB, Orchard Lake, Mich. (St. Mary's) – According to Rivals, Allen was the highest-rated prospect of the 2007 class, 40th overall and the fifth-best defensive back that year. That didn’t translate into immediate playing time, though. Allen redshirted and will be available in 2008. Considering the way the secondary floundered down the stretch, he’ll be welcome. Bernard Brinson (5-10, 169) CB, Madison, Fla. (Madison County) – Brinson was Madison County’s do-it-all athlete as a senior and the Seminoles hoped he could make a splash somewhere in the lineup. The NCAA Clearinghouse, however, flagged his ACT score and he was unable to stay with the team. He moved to junior college and hopefully will return in 2009. Brian Coulter (6-4, 255) DL, Poplarville, Miss. (Pearl River CC) – FSU didn’t have much luck with transfers last year and Coulter was a prime example. Coaches hoped he could add some depth to the Seminoles’ defensive line, but he never reached campus, failing to qualify. He remains in junior college. Taiwan Easterling (5-11, 192) ATH, Hattiesburg, Miss. (Oak Grove) – Easterling became a wide receiver when he arrived on campus and took a redshirt. The coaches like his ability and he could see decent playing time next season. He’s also a member of the FSU baseball team. Will Furlong (6-5, 275) OT, DeLand, Fla. (DeLand) – Offensive line coach Rick Trickett’s strategy was to redshirt as many offensive linemen as possible and build for the future. He was able to do that with Furlong, though he was there at the end of the season in case of a roster emergency. He still has four years to play and could have a bright future ahead of him. A.J. Ganguzza (6-3, 255) C, Boca Raton, Fla. (Boca Raton West) – Trickett loved Ganguzza’s moxie after the recruit left an emphatic voice mail message with former recruiting coordinator John Lilly. Ganguzza redshirted as well, and he is the type of lineman that seems to bloom under Trickett’s tutelage – unheralded, yet tough with a mean streak.

RICK JONES – OSCEOLA

Brandon Paul stood and did the Seminole chop after announcing last February that he would attend FSU. Antwane Greenlee (6-6, 302) OT, Columbus, Ga. (Hardaway) – Greenlee was FSU’s top-rated lineman prospect and looked like he could have figured into the offensive line rotation. But he suffered a neck injury early in the season, which required a stay in the hospital, and took a redshirt. Aaron Gresham (6-2, 222) LB, Mayo, Fla. (Lafayette) – Gresham redshirted last season. With Geno Hayes gone and a couple of other possible suspensions at linebacker, he could see some playing time, but he’ll have to compete with his fellow 2007 classmates, as well as the group from 2008. Anthony Grosso (6-6, 290) OT, Matawan, N.J. (Matawan) – Grosso’s time in an FSU uniform was short. He clashed with Trickett and returned to New Jersey in mid-August. He transferred to Delaware after that, but left the Blue Hens as well. Maurice Harris (6-0, 189) OLB, Homestead, Fla. (Homestead) – Harris saw action in five games last season, recording four tackles. He played in the Music City Bowl and could be someone to watch in the linebacker corps in the future. Jonathan Hannah (6-4, 260) TE, Louisburg, N.C. (Louisburg) – Another juco transfer that didn’t pan out. Hannah could have been a starter if he lasted the season, but academic troubles got to him as well. He’s still enrolled at FSU and hopes to return to the field in 2008. With the serious lack of depth at the tight end

position, the Seminoles could use him. Zach Hillery (6-4, 315) OG, Chatham, Va. (Hargrave Military Academy) – The Seminoles thought they could get some offensive line help with Hillery but, just like the rest of the juco and prep-school transfers, he failed to qualify. Rodney Hudson (6-2, 276) OG/C, Mobile, Ala. (B.C. Rain) – The 2007 class’ No. 1 success story. Trickett convinced Hudson to change his commitment from West Virginia to FSU and Hudson responded by starting nine games and earning freshman All-America honors. Hudson and redshirt freshman center Ryan McMahon should be the anchors of Florida State’s offensive line for years to come. Jamar Jackson (6-4, 225) LB, Richmond, Va. (Varina) – Jackson had hopes of playing at either defensive end or outside linebacker, but he tore his anterior cruciate ligament over the summer and was lost for the year. Jatavious Jackson (6-4, 270, OL) Belle Glade, Fla. (Glades Central) – Jackson got bad news from the NCAA Clearinghouse last year as well. It declared him ineligible for the 2007 season, and now he’s no longer with the program. Brandon Paul (5-10, 185) ATH, Tallahassee, Fla. (Lincoln) – Paul is one of FSU’s fastest players and was one of the Seminoles’ “will he or won’t he?” signing day catches. He redshirted in 2007 and hopes to make an impact as a wide receiver.

Shawn Powell (6-5, 215) K, Rome, Ga. (Darlington Prep) – Powell took a grayshirt, meaning he didn’t enroll at FSU until the spring 2008 semester. He’ll have four years to play and he’ll compete for kicking duties with punter and kickoff specialist Graham Gano. Bert Reed (5-11, 165) ATH, Panama City, Fla. (Bay) – “Athlete” is the perfect term to describe Reed. A quarterback in high school, he switched to wide receiver at Florida State. The staff is high on him and he could make a splash in what could become a deep wide receiver group. Kendall Smith (6-1, 207) LB, Bushnell, Fla. (South Sumter) – Smith could get seriously into the mix at linebacker next season. He played in all 13 games and even started the Music City Bowl in place of the suspended Watson. He recorded 14 tackles, six solo, in 2007, mostly on special teams. Cameron Wade (6-4, 180) WR, Cairo, Ga. (Cairo) – Wade was another member of Florida State’s redshirt brigade. With his height, he could fit the mold of Greg Carr and possibly replace him after Carr is done at FSU. So here’s the final tall from 2007: One freshman All-American, two special teams players, 10 redshirts, one grayshirt, one transfer and five declared academically ineligible. Based on one year, there’s not much to crow about. But with all the redshirts and one grayshirt, a lot of unseen potential remains.

theosceola.com

FEBRUARY 13, 200 8 • OSCEOLA

Top of the Classes The Osecola ranks the top five recruiting classes of the last 20 years

1. The Class of1993 The coaches who recruited this group should never have to pay for a meal in Tallahassee again. The 1993 class reads like a who’s who of recent Florida State greats, many of them ending up in the NFL. Warrick Dunn led this class, along with Peter Boulware, Sam Cowart, Greg Spires, Tra Thomas and Reinard Wilson. It also included Thad Busby, Scott Bentley, Daryl Bush, James Colzie, E.G. Green and Melvin Pearsall. This class served as the foundation of all the great FSU football teams of the mid-to-late 1990s. Long known for fielding top recruiting classes, Florida State put together a group in 1993 that more than lived up to its billing. In the five years after this class was formed, Florida State reeled off 54 wins, played in three Orange Bowls and two Sugar Bowls and won the program’s first national title in 1993.

2. The Class of1990

Floyd

How good was that 1993 class that will go down as the Seminoles' best recruiting class of the past 20 years? Consider the fact that it beat out the star-studded class of 1990, which featured prospects such as Marvin Jones, William Floyd, Dan Footman, Corey Fuller, Sean Jackson, Lonnie Johnson, Tiger McMillon, Corey Sawyer and Kez McCorvey. There was plenty of depth in the class as well, as the Seminoles also landed Ken Alexander, Clifton Abraham, 'Omar Ellison, Steve Gilmer and Dan Mowrey. It also marked the first time the Seminoles landed a hot-shot quarterback from Minnesota named Chris Weinke. theosceola.com

3. The Class of 2000

This class wasn’t as successful as past classes, finishing with 10 wins or more in just two of five seasons, but this class made an impact at the next level, featuring eight NFL draft picks. Three of them – Alex Barron, Javon Walker and Travis Johnson – were first round selections. Three more – Greg Jones, Michael Boulware and Bryant McFadden – were secWalker ond round picks. Kendyll Pope was a fourth rounder, while Eric Moore was a sixth rounder. Several other 2000 class members snagged free agent contracts. This class also featured quarterback Chris Rix, who had an up-and-down FSU career, but remains second on the all-time list for career passing yards and passing touchdowns. The win totals might have paled in comparison to past FSU signing classes, but there’s no doubt it was filled with football talent.

4. The Class of1989 This class was solid already, but it certainly was elevated a few notches when Charlie Ward Jr. was forced to re-sign after failing to qualify academically one year earlier. The 1989 class was solid on both sides of the ball, but particularly on offense, with prospects such as Shannon Baker, Matt Frier, Kevin Knox, Amp Lee and Eric Turral. The defense was not far behind with signees Terrell Buckley, Sterling Palmer and Toddrick McIntosh.

Ward and Bobby Bowden

5. The Class of1996

Though there were several early departures for a variety of reasons, this class formed part of the nucleus for the 1999 national championship Coles team, and it featured several players who would go on to stellar NFL careers. FSU's defense did well by bringing in the likes of Tay Cody, Tommy Polley, Brian Allen and Shawn McCorkel, while the offense snared future stars in Marvin “Snoop” Minnis and Laveranues Coles. Unfortunately, Minnis and Coles had some off-the-field issues later in their college careers, and talented players like Bill Gramatica and Jarad Moon left Tallahassee earlier than expected.

OSCEOLA â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

ACC Recruiting Roundup

Boston College National Rank: 29th; Conference Rank: 7th Stephen Atkinson Codi Boek Nick Clancy Emmett Cleary Alexander DiSanzo Donte Elliott Donnie Fletcher Mike Goodman Josh Haden Nick Halloran Montel Harris Chris Hayden-Martin Max Holloway Isaac Johnson Jerry Kelly

Pos. DB QB LB OL LB ATH DB OL RB DE RB DB DE RB RB

Ht./Wt Hometown Pos. Rk. 6-1/183 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. NR 6-3/215 Sacramento, Calif. NR 6-3/220 Joliet, Ill. 40 6-6/250 Arrlington Heights, Ill. 73 6-2/214 Ramsay, N.J. 65 6-0/180 Houston,Tex. NR 6-0/169 Cleveland, Ohio 45 6-5/270 Miami, Fla. 22 5-8/191 Fort Washington, Md. 3 6-6/260 Cambridge, Mass. 22 5-8/195 Jacksonville, Fla. NR 6-1/190 Greensburg, Pa. 51 6-3/240 Tampa, Fla. NR 5-11/185 Everett, Mass. 23 6-1/225 Fairmont,W.Va. NR

Christian Klein Colin Larmond Clyde Lee Dominick LeGrande Bryan Murray Patrick Neumann Okechuckwu Okoroha Ugo Okpara Chris Pantale Ryan Quigley Kaleb Ramsey Eric Reynolds Mike Stone Justin Tuggle

Pos DE WR WR ATH DT OL DB DB TE K DE RB TE QB

Ht./Wt. Hometown Pos. Rk. 6-3/235 Montvale, N.J. NR 6-2/185 Morristown, N.J. 62 5-11/170 Fort Bend,Tex. 77 6-1/192 Staten Island, N.Y. NR 6-1/288 Wheaton, Md. NR 6-6/260 Montvale, N.J. 48 6-0/183 Greenbelt, Md. 17 6-1/175 Sugar Land,Tex. 32 6-6/230 Wayne, N.J. 20 6-3/175 Little River, S.C. NR 6-4/257 Uniontown, Pa. 29 5-10/192 Warrington, Pa. NR 6-6/230 Holliston, Ma. NR 6-3/205 Duluth, Ga. NR

Pos. WR DB OL OL QB QB LB OL ATH DT LB K

Ht./Wt. 6-0/173 6-3/190 6-6/317 6-4/293 6-0/188 6-2/185 6-2/187 6-4/293 6-7/230 6-2/291 6-2/203 6-2/195

Clemson National Rank: 12th; Conference Rank: 3rd Spencer Adams Dwayne Allen Daniel Andrews Spencer Benton DaQuan Bowers Xavier Brewer Jaron Brown Jarrett Crittenton Andre Ellington Brandon Ford Dalton Freeman Rashard Hall Jamie Harper Stanley Hunter

Pos. DB TE DB K DE DB ATH DE RB WR OL DB RB LB

Ht./Wt. Hometown Pos. Rk. 6-2/180 Matthews, N.C. 5 6-4/243 Fayetteville, N.C. 12 6-0/192 Jacksonville, Fla. NR 6-3/190 Myrtle Beach, S.C. 16 6-4/267 Bamberg, S.C. 1 5-10/169 Jacksonville, Fla. 27 6-2/187 Cheraw, S.C. 57 6-6/275 Wahpeton, N.D. NR 5-10/170 Moncks Corner, S.C. 5 6-4/205 Hanahan, S.C. 46 6-6/270 Pelion, S.C. 13 6-2/190 Saint Augustine, Fla. 46 6-0/210 Jacksonville, Fla. 1 NR 5-11/205 Duncan, S.C.

Marquan Jones Carlton Lewis Antoine McClain Kenneth Page Kyle Parker Jon Richt Tarik Rollins Matt Sanders Matt Skinner Brandon Thompson Jonathan Willard Dawson Zimmerman

Hometown Pos. Rk. Blythewood, S.C. 35 St. Augustine, Fla. 59 Anniston, Ala. 13 Columbia, S.C. 9 Jacksonville, Fla. 10 Athens, Ga. NR Hollywood, Fla. 39 Crestview, Fla. 28 Jacksonville, Fla. NR Thomasville, Ga. 9 Loris, S.C. 24 Snellville, Ga. NR

Duke National Rank: 65th; Conference Rank: 12th Jackson Anderson Kenny Anunike Paul Asack Lee Butler Jordon Byas Matt Daniels Tony Foster Curtis Hazelton Jay Hollingsworth

Pos. TE TE K ATH ATH DB WR DE RB

Pos. Rk. Ht./Wt. Hometown 6-4/230 Frisco,Tex. NR 6-5/230 Lewis Center, Ohio 34 6-2/205 Westwood, Mass. 15 5-10/168 Anderson, S.C. NR 6-2/185 Panama City, Fla. NR 6-0/183 Fayetteville, Ga. 37 6-2/170 Burlington, N.C. NR NR 6-2/232 Roswell, Ga. 5-11/180 Lee County, N.C. NR

Conor Irwin Randez James Patrick Kurunwune Trent Mackey Brian Moore Sean Renfree Donovan Varner Johnny Williams

Pos. OL DB RB LB OL QB DB WR

Ht./Wt. Hometown 6-5/245 Knoxville,Tenn. 5-11/175 Chatham,Va. 5-10/200 Austin,Tex. 5-9/191 Carencro, La. 6-3/275 Coral Gables, Fla. 6-3/201 Scottsdale, Ariz. 5-8/160 Miami, Fla. 5-11/195 Leroy, Ala.

Pos. Rk. NR NR NR 36 43 15 NR NR

theosceola.com

OSCEOLA â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

ACC Recruiting Roundup

Florida State National Rank: 8th; Conference Rank: 2nd A.J. Alexander Travis Arnold Nigel Bradham Nigel Carr Avis Commack Andrew Datko Everett Dawkins Garrett Faircloth Jarmon Fortson Josh Gehres Anthony Hill Ed Imeokparia Carlton Jones Jabaris Little E.J. Manuel

Pos. ATH DB LB LB WR OL DE OL ATH WR DT ATH RB TE QB

Ht./Wt. Hometown 6-0/180 Altoona, Pa. 5-10/184 Madison, Fla. 6-2/230 Crawfordville, Fla. 6-3/220 Jacksonville, Fla. 6-4/182 Jacksonville, Fla. 6-5/285 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 6-2/242 Duncan, S.C. 6-6/260 Jacksonville, Fla. 6-3/220 Columbus, Ga. 6-3/190 Tallahassee, Fla. 6-4/301 Pensacola, Fla. 6-0/188 Blairstown, N.J. 5-11/215 Tampa, Fla. 6-4/240 Tallahassee, Fla. 6-5/215 Virginia Beach,Va.

Pos. Rk. 19 21 1 6 67 35 8 NR 7 NR 51 NR NR 10 2

Pos. Anthony McCloud DT Moses McCray DT Nick Moody LB Terrance Parks DB Tavares Pressley RB Zebrie Sanders OL Rhonne Sanderson OL Debrale Smiley RB Blake Snider OL David Spurlock OL Toshmon Stevens DE Corey Surrency WR Jermaine Thomas RB Markus White DE Vincent Williams LB

Ht./Wt. 6-3/295 6-2/268 6-1/218 6-1/200 6-1/215 6-5/273 6-4/280 6-0/235 6-4/282 6-4/280 6-5/198 6-5/210 6-1/190 6-4/245 6-0/210

Hometown Thomasville, Ga. Tampa, Fla. Philadelphia, Pa. Fairburn, Ga. Torrance, Calif. Clayton, Ohio Tampa, Fla. Thomasville, Ga. Heflin, Ala. Murfreesboro,Tenn. Crescent City, Fla. Torrance, Calif. Jacksonville, Fla. El Dorado, Kan. Davenport, Fla.

Pos. Rk. NR 21 9 25 NR 15 NR NR NR 51 20 NR 15 NR 10

Ht./Wt. 6-0/176 6-3/170 6-5/270 6-2/211 6-3/175 6-4/298 6-1/205 6-0/227 6-6/220 5-6/163

Hometown Flowery Branch, Ga. Cincinnati, Ohio Tampa, Fla. McDonough, Ga. Atlanta, Ga. Chamblee, Ga. Wetumpka, Ala. Tallahassee, Fla. Decatur, Ga. San Antonio,Tex.

Pos. Rk. 10 NR NR 26 NR 19 NR 73 NR NR

Ht./Wt. 6-4/315 6-4/220 6-6/280 6-2/208 6-3/279 6-2/323 6-4/315 5-8/190 6-4/215

Hometown Washington, D.C. Princeton, N.J. Richmond,Va. Raleigh, N.C. Fairfield, Conn. Gaithersburg, Md. Johnsonville, S.C. Surrattsville, Md. Hyattsville, Md.

Pos. Rk. 68 NR NR 30 24 55 61 NR 23

Georgia Tech National Rank: 49th; Conference Rank: 9th T.J. Barnes Brandon Leslie Jon Lockhart B.J. Machen Daniel McKayhan Nick McRae Malcolm Munroe Embry Peeples Rashaad Reid Kamaron Riley

Pos. OL DB DB LB WR OL LB RB DB WR

Ht./Wt. Hometown 6-5/320 Enterprise, Ala. 5-11/194 Fresno, Calif. 6-0/175 Blountstown, Fla. 6-0/221 Hilliard, Ohio 6-0/180 Lithonia, Ga. 6-4/289 Dublin, Ga. 6-3/195 Miami, Fla. 5-8/165 Orlando, Fla. 5-10/169 St. Augustine, Fla. 6-2/190 Hawkinsville, Ga.

Pos. Rk. 43 49 70 43 NR 18 36 38 NR NR

Pos. Jaybo Shaw QB Quentin Sims WR Phil Smith OL Steven Sylvester LB Cooper Taylor ATH Omoregie Uzzi OL Tevin Washington ATH Richard Watson RB Antonio Wilson DE Marcus Wright RB

Maryland National Rank: 32nd; Conference Rank: 6th Tyler Bass Cody Blue Kerry Boykins Devonte Campbell Cameron Chism R.J. Dill Kevin Dorsey Gary Douglas Eteyen Edet

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Pos. QB OL WR TE DB OL WR RB LB

Ht./Wt. 6-3/195 6-5/270 6-1/200 6-3/240 6-1/175 6-6/274 6-1/187 6-0/177 6-2/235

Hometown Stockbridge, Ga. Columbia, Md. Chesapeake,Va. Chatham,Va. Forestville, Md. Camp Hill , Pa. Forestville, Md. Durham, N.C. Fort Washington, Md.

Pos. Rk. NR NR 26 NR 20 72 19 46 NR

Pos. DT A.J. Francis Matt Furstenburg TE Justin Gilbert OL Demetrius Hartsfield LB Masengo Kabongo DT Zach Kerr DT Justin Lewis OL Davin Meggett RB WR Kenny Tate

OSCEOLA â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

ACC Recruiting Roundup

Miami National Rank: 4th; Conference Rank: 1st Travis Benjamin Arthur Brown Ramon Buchanan LaRon Byrd John Calhoun Thearon Collier Taylor Cook Marcus Forston Jordan Futch Gavin Hardin Antonio Harper Brandon Harris Jacory Harris Patrick Hill C.J. Holton Aldarius Johnson Davon Johnson

Pos. WR LB DB WR ATH WR QB DT LB LB LB DB QB RB DB WR ATH

Ht./Wt. Hometown 5-11/141 Belle Glade, Fla. 6-1/210 Wichita, Kan. 6-0/181 Melbourne, Fla. 6-4/205 Boutte, La. 6-3/235 Vero Beach, Fla. 5-9/163 Miami, Fla. 6-7/210 Altair,Tex. 6-2/286 Miami, Fla. 6-3/202 Hollywood, Fla. 6-5/225 Jackson,Tenn. 6-4/220 Memphis,Tenn. 5-10/174 Miami, Fla. 6-4/169 Miami, Fla. 5-10/248 Torrance, Calif. 6-2/195 Crawfordville, Fla. 6-2/200 Miami, Fla. 5-11/163 Miami, Fla.

Pos. Rk. 42 2 2 60 NR 90 NR 1 5 37 56 3 7 NR 7 9 12

Pos. Benjamin Jones OL Zach Kane ATH Jeremy Lewis DT Brandon Marti ATH C.J. Odom DB Micanor Regis DT Marcus Robinson LB Andrew Smith DE Cannon Smith QB Sean Spence LB Tommy Streeter WR Vaughn Telemaque DB Kendall Thompkins WR Brandon Washington OL Jake Wieclaw K Joe Wylie DB

Ht./Wt. Hometown 6-6/270 Miami, Fla. 6-3/220 Toms River, N.J. 6-3/271 W. Palm Bch., Fla. 6-0/196 Miami, Fla. 6-0/198 Fort Myers, Fla. 6-3/300 Pahokee, Fla. 6-2/210 Homestead, Fla. 6-3/223 Coconut Ck. , Fla. 5-11/200 Chatham,Va. 6-0/186 Miami, Fla. 6-6/200 Miami, Fla. 6-2/180 Long Beach, Calif. 5-10/165 Miami, Fla. 6-4/315 Miami, Fla. 6-2/180 New Lenox, Ill. 6-2/171 Lauderdale Lks., Fla.

Pos. Rk. 17 NR 19 NR NR 29 4 NR NR 13 14 12 76 4 NR 27

North Carolina National Rank: 34th; Conference Rank: 8th Pos. QB A.J. Blue Zach Brown LB Jonathan Cooper OL Quinton Coples DE Herman Davidson DB LB Dion Guy Braden Hanson QB Todd Harrelson WR Kenneth Harris LB

Ht./Wt. 6-3/208 6-1/210 6-3/287 6-7/235 6-3/215 6-3/217 6-6/193 6-0/181 6-4/194

Hometown Dallas, N.C. Chatham,Va. Wilmington, N.C. Chatham,Va. Long Beach, Calif. Washington, D.C. Charlotte, N.C. Chesapeake,Va. Decatur, Ga.

Pos. Rk. NR NR 21 6 66 NR NR 52 NR

Michael McAdoo Ebele Okakpu Robert Quinn Kevin Reddick Randy White Melvin Williams Christian Wilson Jamal Womble

Pos. DE LB DE LB TE DB ATH RB

Ht./Wt. Hometown 6-7/220 Antioch,Tenn. 6-1/201 Roswell, Ga. 6-5/245 North Charleston, S.C. 6-2/208 New Bern, N.C. 6-5/228 Bristol,Va. 6-0/205 Coffeyville, Kan. 6-2/228 McKees Rocks, Pa. 5-10/216 Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Pos. Rk. 23 28 18 33 NR NR 32 14

North Carolina State National Rank: 31st; Conference Rank: 5th Zach Allen Brandon Barnes William Beasley Leroy Burgess Mario Carter Marty Everett Mike Glennon T.J. Graham Gary Grant Colby Jackson Ahmad Jaradat Clement Johnson Sam Jones

Pos. OL ATH LB DT TE DT QB WR DB RB OL ATH OL

Ht./Wt. 6-2/304 6-0/185 6-0/236 6-1/298 6-5/231 6-4/300 6-6/194 6-1/167 6-0/180 6-2/225 6-4/290 6-0/185 6-6/275

Hometown Tifton, Ga. Bunn, N.C. Milton, Fla. Milledgeville, Ga. Charlotte, N.C. Bushnell, Fla. Centreville,Va. Raleigh, N.C. Miami, Fla. Dublin, Ga. London, Ont. Wayne, Pa. Chatham,Va.

Pos. Rk. NR 33 NR NR NR 32 3 NR NR NR NR NR NR

Kyle Linney Thomas Locust Sterling Lucas Dwayne Maddox Roy Mangram Terrell Manning R.J. Mattes Shea McKeen Tobais Palmer Andrew Wallace C.J. Wilson Earl Wolff

Pos. DT DT LB LB DB LB OL DE ATH OL ATH ATH

Ht./Wt. Hometown 6-3/300 Chatham,Va. 6-3/330 Cerritos, Calif. 6-2/220 Orangeburg, S.C. 6-1/222 Shelby, N.C. 6-2/190 Brunswick, Ga. 6-2/205 Laurinburg, N.C. 6-6/259 Concord, N.C. 6-5/255 Garden City, N.Y. 5-10/170 Pittsboro, N.C. 6-6/258 Charlotte, N.C. 6-0/180 Lincolnton, N.C. 6-0/190 Raeford, N.C.

Pos. Rk. NR NR 20 27 NR 15 21 NR NR 38 NR NR

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OSCEOLA â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

ACC Recruiting Roundup

Virginia National Rank: 61st; Conference Rank: 11th Pos. Tory Allen DE Javaris Brown WR Steve Greer LB Jimmy Howell K Cameron Johnson DB Torrey Mack ATH Rodney McLeod WR Matt Mihalik OL Austin Pasztor OL

Ht./Wt. Hometown 6-5/210 Hampton, Ga. 5-11/178 Macon, Ga. 6-2/218 Solon, Ohio 6-6/239 Florence, S.C. 6-4/228 Washington, D.C. 6-0/195 Stratford , Conn. 5-10/180 Hyattsville, Md. 6-6/268 Cleveland, Ohio 6-6/305 Fork Union,Va.

Pos. Rk. NR NR 46 21 40 20 58 56 NR

Colter Phillips Michael Price Klinton Ruff Bill Schautz Riko Smalls Aaron Van Kuiken Ausar Walcott Devin Wallace Rod Wheeler

Pos. TE OL DT TE QB OL DB DB TE

Ht./Wt. Hometown 6-6/230 North Bethesda, Md. 6-6/247 Chesapeake,Va. 6-4/298 Norfolk,Va. 6-4/223 Oradell, N.J. 6-0/183 Plano,Tex. 6-7/285 Cincinnati, Ohip 6-5/200 Hackensack, N.J. 5-10/192 Fort Washington , Md. 6-2/228 Highland Springs,Va.

Pos. Rk. NR NR 42 45 NR NR 33 NR NR

Ht./Wt. Hometown 6-5/258 Chatham,Va. 6-2/236 Woodbridge,Va. 6-4/230 Amherst,Va. 6-2/220 Chatham,Va. 6-6/317 Norfolk,Va. 5-10/175 Chatham,Va. 6-2/190 Smithfield,Va. 6-1/185 Amherst,Va. 6-2/252 South Boston,Va. 6-3/230 Myrtle Beach, S.C. 6-2/280 Oviedo, Fla. 6-6/261 Greensboro, N.C. 6-1/185 Matthews, N.C. 6-2/190 Fayetteville, N.C. 5-10/192 Manassas,Va.

Pos. Rk. 32 NR 74 NR 14 NR 27 NR 54 12 45 31 62 43 3

Virginia Tech National Rank: 18th; Conference Rank: 4th Ben Barber Nick Becton Xavier Boyce Jarrett Boykin Joseph Clayton D.J. Coles Marcus Davis Randall Dunn Austin Fuller Lyndell Gibson Jeron Gouveia Tony Gregory Isaiah Hamlette Antoine Hopkins Jake Johnson Joe Jones

Pos. WR OL ATH WR ATH WR ATH WR WR LB ATH RB DE DE LB DE

Ht./Wt. Hometown 5-10/200 Alexandria,Va. 6-6/285 Wilmington, N.C. 6-4/200 Virginia Beach,Va. 6-2/191 Matthews, N.C. 6-0/196 Richmond,Va. 6-4/198 Goochland,Va. 6-4/221 Virginia Beach,Va. 6-3/217 Virginia Beach,Va. 6-2/210 Richlands,Va. 6-0/212 Virginia Beach,Va. 6-2/180 Ashburn,Va. 6-0/178 Virginia Beach,Va. 6-5/245 Stafford,Va. 6-1/285 Highland Springs,Va. 6-2/231 Falmouth,Va. 6-3/245 Virginia Beach,Va.

Pos. Rk. 100 36 65 NR NR 37 38 NR 81 32 NR 35 35 23 52 NR

Pos. Leon Mackey DE Eric Martin TE Derrick McCoy WR LB Quillie Odom Vinston Painter OL Kendrick Pressley ATH Dyrell Roberts ATH Peter Rose ATH Allen Stephens LB Bruce Taylor LB Dwight Tucker DT Michael Via OL DB Eddie Whitley Lorenzo Williams DB Ryan Williams RB

Wake Forest National Rank: 58th; Conference Rank: 10th Scott Betros Ramon Booi Terrence Davis J.T. Dixon Joey Ehrmann Derricus Ellis Chris Givens Riley Haynes Gabe Irby

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Pos. LB OL WR TE LB DE RB LB OL

Ht./Wt. 6-2/225 6-4/339 6-2/180 6-4/220 6-3/197 6-1/234 6-0/200 6-0/206 6-3/314

Hometown Jacksonville, Fla. St. Augustine, Fla. Snellville, Ga. Chatham,Va. Baltimore, Md. Rome, Ga. Wylie,Tex. St. Augustine, Fla. Mount Airy, Ga.

Pos. Rk. 42 45 NR NR 46 NR NR NR NR

Lovell Jackson Joe Looney Kenny Okoro Andrew Parker Chance Raines Kevin Smith Ted Stachitas Garrick Williams

Pos. ATH OL DB TE OL WR QB OL

Ht./Wt. 5-10/180 6-4/309 5-11/180 6-5/225 6-2/270 6-4/199 6-0/180 6-4/316

Hometown Pos. Rk. Tampa, Fla. NR Lake Worth, Fla. 26 Greensboro, N.C. NR Jacksonville, Fla. 42 Jacksonville, Fla. NR Plano,Tex. NR Ponte Vedra Bch., Fla. 20 Columbia, Mo. NR

OSCEOLA â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

Top 100 Classes by Rivals.com School

Total

5 star commits

4 star commits

3 star commits

Avg stars

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

32 23 22 33 21 24 19 30 19 24 26 26 23 20 21 24 30 31 19 28 27 22 28 32 26 23 27 33 19 28 25 19 29 18 21 18 25 27 22 20 24 14 15 24 27 20 21 26 20

3 3 4 2 3 2 2 2 3 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

19 16 12 15 12 13 13 13 9 17 11 13 12 12 7 7 7 6 8 4 6 6 6 3 5 2 6 4 5 2 6 7 3 7 5 4 6 2 5 2 3 4 3 3 4 3 1 4 1

8 4 4 8 5 8 4 8 7 5 13 8 11 7 9 14 18 22 9 16 19 14 16 15 14 16 16 22 9 20 10 8 18 7 12 11 10 14 12 18 14 6 10 9 7 7 13 6 11

3.72 3.96 3.82 3.33 3.81 3.67 3.89 3.33 3.79 3.63 3.58 3.42 3.52 3.55 3.24 3.17 3.07 3.10 3.32 3.07 3.15 3.18 3.00 2.75 2.92 3.00 3.04 2.91 3.16 2.96 2.88 3.16 2.83 3.17 3.05 3.06 2.88 2.78 3.00 3.10 2.83 3.00 3.07 2.63 2.56 2.65 2.71 2.54 2.65

44 45 46 47 48 49

Alabama Notre Dame Florida Miami Oklahoma Georgia USC Florida State Ohio State Michigan LSU Clemson UCLA Texas Colorado Texas A&M Minnesota Virginia Tech Oregon Auburn Arizona State South Carolina Illinois Ole Miss Washington Missouri Oklahoma State Kansas State Pittsburgh Nebraska N.C. State Maryland Boston College North Carolina California Tennessee Arkansas Southern Miss Arizona Kansas Wisconsin Penn State Texas Tech West Virginia Mississippi State Rutgers Michigan State Syracuse Georgia Tech

50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 61 62 63 64 65 67 68 69 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 89

95 96

Stanford Baylor Oregon State Iowa Louisville South Florida UCF Kentucky Wake Forest Fresno State Utah Virginia Iowa State Purdue Middle Tenn Duke W Michigan Cincinnati Toledo Marshall Troy Connecticut Hawaii Northwestern Tulsa Louisiana Tech Kent State San Diego State Indiana Nevada Akron East Carolina Temple BYU Miami-OH Eastern Michigan North Texas Boise State Washington St New Mexico Colorado State Florida Inter. SMU Ohio Vanderbilt Memphis Wyoming Louisiana-Mon. UTEP TCU Houston

17 22 17 24 22 24 18 20 17 22 15 18 23 25 25 17 26 24 25 21 34 22 20 20 23 16 22 25 19 22 23 21 26 25 18 25 27 20 25 23 25 26 28 20 21 17 23 22 27 15 20

0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

8 8 10 13 11 8 11 8 8 9 9 7 6 10 5 7 1 6 5 8 8 3 7 6 5 3 2 4 5 3 4 3 2 11 1 1 8 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 3 3 3 6 3

2.71 2.45 2.76 2.54 2.59 2.50 2.61 2.50 2.47 2.41 2.73 2.50 2.35 2.48 2.28 2.41 2.12 2.25 2.20 2.38 2.24 2.14 2.25 2.30 2.30 2.19 2.18 2.08 2.26 2.14 2.17 2.14 2.08 2.52 2.06 2.04 2.30 2.25 2.20 2.17 2.16 2.15 2.14 2.20 2.19 2.29 2.13 2.14 2.11 2.40 2.15

theosceola.com

OSCEOLA â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

Rivals team rankings by position 5 star

4 star

3 star

Avg

1 1 2 3 2 3 2 3 3 1 1 1 2 1 1

1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1

0 0 1 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0

5.00 5.00 3.50 3.00 3.50 3.00 3.50 2.67 2.67 4.00 4.00 4.00 3.50 4.00 4.00

Running Backs 1 Texas 2 Ole Miss 3 Michigan 4 Colorado 5 UCLA 6 Clemson Boston College 7 8 Auburn Oregon 9 10 Oklahoma 11 Virginia Tech 12 Tennessee 13 Washington 14 Pittsburgh 15 Florida State

5 6 4 3 3 2 5 3 3 1 2 3 4 2 4

0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

2 1 3 1 2 2 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 2 1

3 2 1 0 1 0 2 2 1 0 1 3 1 0 1

3.40 3.17 3.75 3.67 3.67 4.00 2.80 3.33 3.67 5.00 3.50 3.00 2.75 4.00 2.75

Wide Recievers 1 Alabama 2 Florida 3 Miami 4 Oklahoma 5 Georgia 6 Notre Dame 7 Southern Miss 8 LSU 9 Maryland UCLA 11 California 12 Pittsburgh 13 Minnesota 14 Virginia Tech 15 Kansas State

4 4 6 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 5 2 4 6 4

1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

2 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 3 3 2 0 2 1 1

1 0 3 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 5 3

4.00 4.25 3.50 4.00 4.50 4.00 4.50 4.00 4.00 4.0 3.20 4.00 3.25 3.17 3.25

Tight Ends 1 Notre Dame 2 Michigan 3 Ohio State 4 Maryland California 5 6 USC Illinois 7 Oregon Colorado LSU 11 Tennessee 12 Wake Forest Kansas 14 Missouri Clemson Florida State Oklahoma

2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1

1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1

0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 0

4.50 4.00 3.50 3.50 3.50 4.00 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.50 4.00 3.00 3.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00

Offensive Line USC 1 Ohio State 2 3 Notre Dame Michigan 4 Alabama 6 Clemson 7 Georgia Oklahoma 9 Washington 10 Nebraska 11 LSU 12 Florida 13 N.C. State Texas A&M 15 Arizona State

5 3 4 6 3 4 4 3 6 4 6 3 5 6 5

2 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0

3 1 3 3 2 3 2 1 2 0 2 0 2 0 1

0 0 1 2 0 1 2 1 3 3 4 2 1 5 4

4.40 4.67 3.75 3.33 4.33 3.75 3.50 4.00 3.17 3.50 3.33 3.67 3.00 2.83 3.20

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14

Team

Missouri Notre Dame Baylor UCLA Alabama Miami Arkansas Rutgers Ole Miss Florida State N.C. State Stanford Clemson Arizona Minnesota

theosceola.com

total

commits commits commits stars

Defensive Tackle Miami 1 2 Alabama Florida 3 4 Kansas State Notre Dame 5 6 Maryland 7 Texas USC 9 N.C. State 10 Illinois 11 Texas A&M 12 Mississippi State 13 Arizona State 14 Ohio State 15 Southern Miss

3 4 3 4 3 4 2 2 4 2 3 2 3 2 4

1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 1 0 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 0

1 3 1 3 1 2 0 0 2 0 2 1 2 1 3

4.00 3.27 3.33 3.25 3.67 3.50 4.00 4.00 3.00 4.00 3.33 3.50 3.33 3.50 2.75

Defensive End 1 Alabama 2 USC 3 Texas A&M Texas Tech 4 5 Clemson Oklahoma 6 7 Florida State Georgia 8 9 Ohio State 10 Auburn 11 West Virginia South Carolina 13 Notre Dame 14 Washington 15 North Carolina

4 3 4 5 2 2 3 3 3 4 6 4 2 2 3

0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

3 3 3 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2

1 0 1 3 0 0 1 1 1 1 3 2 0 0 1

3.75 4.00 3.75 3.40 4.50 4.50 4.00 3.68 3.67 3.50 2.83 3.50 4.00 4.00 3.67

Linebackers 1 Miami Florida State 2 3 Colorado 4 Penn State Florida 5 6 Michigan 7 Notre Dame Georgia 8 9 Alabama 10 Virginia Tech 11 Oklahoma 12 Ohio State 13 North Carolina 14 Minnesota 15 N.C. State

6 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 5 4 2 5 5 4

1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

3 3 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1

2 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 3 2 0 2 3 2

3.83 4.25 3.60 4.00 3.75 4.00 3.75 4.00 4.00 3.40 3.50 4.00 2.80 3.00 3.00

Defensive Backs 1 LSU 2 Miami 3 UCLA Texas 4 5 Oklahoma State Alabama 6 South Carolina 7 8 Ole Miss 9 Florida 10 Minnesota 11 Notre Dame 12 Clemson 13 Boston College 14 Mississippi State 15 Michigan

6 6 5 4 6 4 4 7 3 7 3 5 5 5 2

1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2 4 4 3 3 3 3 0 3 2 3 1 1 2 2

3 1 1 0 3 0 1 5 0 3 0 3 4 1 0

3.67 3.50 3.80 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.75 2.71 4.00 3.00 4.00 3.00 3.20 3.00 4.00

Athletes 1 Alabama 2 Georgia 3 Florida 4 Virginia Tech Florida State 6 Ohio State Minnesota 7 8 N.C. State 9 LSU 10 Kansas State 11 Arizona State 12 Syracuse Arkansas 14 Texas A&M 15 Miami

5 4 2 7 3 3 5 5 3 3 2 3 3 2 4

1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

4 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

0 2 0 5 1 2 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 0

4.20 3.75 4.50 3.00 3.67 3.33 3.00 3.00 3.33 3.33 3.50 3.00 3.00 3.50 2.50

OSCEOLA • FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

FSU gets quick start on ‘09 class Nation's top junior DT commits to Seminoles By Chris Nee and Michael Langston

Just one day after National Signing Day 2008, Florida State got its 2009 recruiting class started with a bang when the Seminoles landed five-star defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel from Madison County. McDaniel is several months away from beginning his senior season, but he already is regarded as one of the nation's elite prospects. When Rivals.com released its first Rivals100 rankings for the Class of 2009, McDaniel was one of only 14 recruits to earn a five-star rating. He was the only Florida prospect to earn that honor. "It's been a lifelong dream of mine to suit up for the Seminoles,” McDaniel said. “I want to help the Seminoles get back on top of college football and put the fear back in the spear, where it belongs." McDaniel, who already has been courted by just about every big program in the country, has more than 25 offers as a junior. But in the end, his relationship with the FSU coaching staff had a big influence on his decision to become a Seminole. "I feel the most comfortable with the coaches at FSU,” McDaniel said. “I've visited the campus so many times. I can't even keep track of it. On every visit, they make me feel like I'm a part of the team already. I'm so excited and thrilled to now be officially part of that family. I'm done with everything recruiting. That's it, I'm a Seminole.” Now, McDaniel said, his top priority is helping the Seminoles keep the momentum going. He said he hopes to help the recruiting effort, the same way Nigel Bradham and E.J. Manuel did with the 2008 class. "The coaches want me to be the lead guy and make this the best class in America,” McDaniel said. “I'm not a big talker, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure everyone knows what it's like to be a Seminole. Our team is not that far away, and we are just missing more leadership and that's what I plan to bring to the table, along with my dominant style of play." After McDaniel's announcement, Warchant.com went to the experts,

Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Jeremy Crabtree and Rivals.com Recruiting Analyst Barry Every, for their thoughts on FSU's first commitment for the 2009 class. "I haven't seen everybody in the country,” Crabtree said. “But just based upon what we saw at the U.S. Army AllAmerican Combine, where he dominated everybody he went up against, that to me jumped out as an immediate guy that can make a nice impact. His tape looks really impressive also." Following the combine, McDaniel was named Rivals.com's pick for overall Combine MVP. Every, who was also in attendance in San Antonio, said the reason he was rated the best of the group was simple. "The fact that he dominated everyone I saw him go against," Every said. "And the o-line group had some pretty big names in it. Jacobbi is only 6-foot, 277 [pounds], but he still had no problem beating kids 65, 285 or 6-6, 290." The only possible knock on McDaniel is that he measured in at just a little over 6-feet recently. When Rivals.com creates their rankings, they attempt to project a player's value at the NFL level, so a 6-foot defensive tackle may bring some criticism. Nevertheless, Crabtree says that McDaniel is very deserving of his ranking.

"For every rule, there is an exception. For every 6-foot-4 defensive tackle in the NFL, there is a 6-foot one. There are guys who are nose tackles that are that size," Crabtree said. "It shouldn't be an issue because he plays so physical, so strong, so tough, so mean, so relentless that I don't care how tall he is. He could be two-feet tall, he is still a very talented football player. This kid has got it all." Prior to working with Rivals.com, Every served a stint as an administrative recruiting assistant at Florida State from 1997-2000. He said McDaniel's height is not an issue and in fact reminds him of a former Seminole. "He can play the nose for FSU,” Every said. “Heck, Odell Haggins was a d-lineman for FSU and he wasn't that tall. When I was at FSU, we had a nose tackle by the name of Jerry Johnson and he was maybe 5-11, and he was pretty dang good." Most of all, the commitment of McDaniel means that Florida State, which is coming off a No. 8 ranked signing class, has started the 2009 class with a bang by landing the top prospect in the state of Florida. "It is an amazing start," Crabtree said. "It is a great way to send a message that Florida State is going to recruit at a high level and that they are going out there to get after it and find the best players not only in the state of Florida but across the country." Every agreed that it was an important commitment, but he added that the race is far from over. "The good is he is probably the premier nose tackle in the country that can

Jacobbi McDaniel stuff the run and is an excellent pass rusher,” Every said. “His name also may help FSU attract other top kids. Plus he is a December graduate, which means he can go through mat drills and spring ball. The bad is now every school that still covets this star can sit back and attack just one school, and that is FSU. And yes this does happen, unfortunately." One other significant note from both national analysts is that McDaniel is a quality person off the field in addition to being a great athlete. For that reasons, and all of the reasons above, Crabtree says that the Seminoles should be very happy with their first commitment for 2009. "He is a real good attitude kid who goes really hard," Crabtree said. "I think people will be real happy he is on your team and not the others."

TheOsceola.com Your source for FSU news theosceola.com

OSCEOLA â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

Rivalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; top prospects for 2009 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

Matt Barkler Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei Future USC QB threw for 3,560 yards and 35 TDs in 2007. Jamarkus McFarland Lufkin (TX) Lufkin Had 67 solo tackles, 18 TFLs and six sacks as a junior. Cierre Wood Oxnard (CA) Santa Clara Ran for more than 2,600 yards and scored 42 TDs in 2007. Russell Shepard Houston (TX) Cypress Ridge Ran for 1,525 yards and 18 TDs while passing for 794 yards and eight TDs in 2007. Jacobbi McDaniel Greenville (FL) Madison Was the top defensive lineman at the U.S. Army All-American Combine in San Antonio. Dre Kirkpatrick Gadsden (AL) Gadsden City Had six interceptions as a junior and has more than 20 offers to date. Manti Te'o Honolulu (HI) Punahou Recorded 90 tackles, five sacks and rushed for 400 yards and 10 TDs as a junior. Rueben Randle Bastrop (LA) Bastrop Was a key offensive weapon on state championship team. Devon Kennard Phoenix (AZ) Desert Vista Had more than 100 tackles and two dozen sacks on the year. Bryce Brown Wichita (KS) Wichita East Was an all-state selection for the second consecutive year. William Campbell Detroit (MI) Cass Tech Stood out on the defense line at the U.S. Army All-American Combine. Garrett Gilbert Austin (TX) Lake Travis Threw for 4,826 yeards and 52 TDs and rushed for 400 yards and six TDs in 2007. Marlon Brown Memphis (TN) Harding Academy Had 41 catches for 861 yards and six TDs to go along with 629 yards rushing and 10 TDs. Dorian Bell Monroeville (PA) Gateway Recorded 131 tackles, 25 TFLs and had 11 sacks in 2007. Jarvis Jones Columbus (GA) Carver Lead his team to the 2007 4A state championship. Tyrik Rollison Sulphur Springs (TX) Sulphur Springs Threw for 3,691 yards and 37 TDs, also added 554 yards rushing and seven TDs in 2007. Kevin Newsome Chesapeake (VA) Western Branch Threw for more than 1,500 yards and topped 600 rushing yards for a 10-2 team. Chris Davenport Mansfield (LA) Mansfield Recorded 120 tackles, 20 TFLs and 18 sacks as a junior. Vontaze Burfict Corona (CA) Centennial Was leading tackler on DI state fina. David Oku Midwest City (OK) Carl Albert Ran for 1,628 yards and 20 TDs and averaged nine yards per catch as a junior. Justin Turner Massillon (OH) Washington Recorded 40 tackles, three INTs, five TFLs and returned 11 kicks for 355 yards. Logan Heastie Chesapeake (VA) Great Bridge Caught 53 passes for 972 yards and 16 TDs in 2007. Craig Drummond Chicago (IL) Morgan Park Had 67 tackles and 18 sacks during his junior season. Tom Savage Philadelphia (PA) Cardinal O'Hara Showed great arm strength and size at the U.S. Army All-American Combine. Lamar Miller Miami (FL) Killian Rushed for 1,122 yards and 12 TDs as a junior. Marcus Hall Cleveland (OH) Glenville Academic Campus Stood out on offensive line at the U.S. Army All-American Combine. Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman Justin Chaisson Recorded 90 tackles and 24 sacks for 2007 state champions. Nico Johnson Andalusia (AL) Andalusia As a sophomore recorded 126 tackles and had 13 TFLs. Dion Sims Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's Was one of the key leaders on Div. 3 state finas. Craig Loston Aldine (TX) Eisenhower High School Was Region 19-5A defensive player of the year and is a cousin of Russell Shepard. Fresno (CA) Edison Rolando Jefferson Averaged more than 24 yards a catch and had 11 TDs in 2007. Jajuan Harley Tallahassee (FL) Rickards As sophomore recorded 92 tackles, three interceptions and returned two kickoffs for TDs. Wolfforth (TX) Frenship Mason Walters Was first-team all-district and honorable mention all-state in 2007. Je'Ron Stokes Philadelphia (PA) Northeast Had 28 catches for 617 yards and six TDs as a junior. Miami (FL) Gulliver Prep Frankie Telfort Recorded 57 tackles in only five games. D.J. Fluker Foley (AL) Foley Recorded 78 tackles and had seven sacks on the season. Willie Downs Tallahassee (FL) Godby As a sophomore caught 31 passes for 450 yards and six TDs to go along with six interceptions. John Simon Youngstown (OH) Cardinal Mooney Was a defensive stalwart on 2007 state fina. Patrick Hall Ventura (CA) St. Bonaventure Was a two-way player for CIF DIII state champions.

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OSCEOLA â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

2008 Rivals100 1.Terrelle Pryor 2. DaQuan Bowers 3. Mike Adams 4. Julio Jones 5. Patrick Johnson 6. Darrell Scott 7. Marcus Forston 8. Baker Steinkuhler 9. A.J. Green 10.Will Hill 11. Matt Kalil 12. Michael Brewster 13. R.J.Washington 14. Blaine Gabbert 15.Tyron Smith 16. Nigel Bradham 17. Omar Hunter 18. Matt Patchan 19. Jermie Calhoun 20. Kyle Rudolph 21. DeVier Posey 22. DeAndre Brown 23. Arthur Brown 24. Richard Samuel 25. Dayne Crist 26. Jonathan Baldwin 27. Michael Floyd 28. Burton Scott 29. Stephen Good 30.Tyler Love 31. Blake Ayles 32. Ethan Johnson 33. Lamaar Thomas 34. Jerrell Harris 35. Alonzo Lawrence 36. Aaron Williams 37.Trevor Robinson 38. Brandon Harris 39. Lucas Nix 40.Wes Horton 41. Darryl Stonum 42. Armond Armstead 43. E.J. Manuel 44. Boubacar Cissoko 45. DeAngelo Tyson 46. Etienne Sabino 47. Ryan Williams 48. D.J. Monroe 49. Dann O'Neil 50. Jarvis Humphrey

Pos Jeannette (Pa.) Jeannette QB Bamberg (S.C.) Bamberg-Ehrhardt DE Dublin (Ohio) Coffman OL Foley (Ala.) Foley WR Pompano Beach (Fla.) Ely DB Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure RB Miami (Fla.) Northwestern DT Lincoln (Neb.) Lincoln Southwest OL Summerville (S.C.) Summerville WR Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep ATH Anaheim (Calif.) Servite OL Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater OL Keller (Tex.) Fossil Ridge DE Ballwin (Mo.) Parkway West QB Moreno Valley (Calif.) Rancho Verde OL Crawfordville (Fla.) Wakulla LB Buford (Ga.) Buford DT Seffner (Fla.) Armwood OL Van (Tex.) Van RB Cincinnati (Ohio) Elder TE Cincinnati (Ohio) La Salle WR Ocean Springs (Miss.) Ocean Springs WR LB Wichita (Kan.) Wichita East Cartersville (Ga.) Cass ATH Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame QB Aliquippa (Pa.) Aliquippa WR St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall WR Prichard (Ala.) Vigor ATH Paris (Tex.) Paris OL Mountain Brook (Ala.) Mountain Brook OL Orange (Calif.) Lutheran TE Portland (Ore.) Lincoln DE Fort Washington (Md.) Friendly ATH Gadsden (Ala.) Gadsden City LB Lucedale (Miss.) George County DB Round Rock (Tex.) McNeil DB Omaha (Neb.) Elkhorn OL Miami (Fla.) Booker T.Washington DB Jefferson Hills (Pa.) Thomas Jefferson OL Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame DE Sugar Land (Tex.) Dulles WR Elk Grove (Calif.) Pleasant Grove DT Virginia Beach (Va.) Bayside QB Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech DB Statesboro (Ga.) Statesboro DT Miami (Fla.) Dr. Krop LB Manassas (Va.) Stonewall Jackson RB Angleton (Tex.) Angleton DB Grand Haven (Mich.) OL Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill DT

Ht/Wt 6-6/235 6-4/267 6-7/308 6-4/215 6-1/193 6-0/204 6-2/286 6-6/290 6-4/184 6-3/203 6-7/281 6-6/305 6-3/245 6-5/226 6-5/260 6-2/230 6-1/295 6-7/265 6-0/210 6-6/229 6-2/190 6-6/208 6-1/210 6-0/197 6-5/228 6-6/233 6-3/195 5-11/194 6-6/300 6-7/285 6-4/245 6-4/266 5-11/181 6-2/220 6-1/187 6-1/175 6-6/304 5-10/174 6-6/295 6-6/230 6-2/180 6-4/287 6-5/215 5-8/171 6-2/276 6-3/222 5-10/192 5-9/165 6-8/291 6-2/290

School list Clemson Ohio State Alabama LSU Colorado Miami Nebraska Georgia Florida USC Ohio State Oklahoma Missouri USC Florida State Florida Florida Oklahoma Notre Dame Ohio State Southern Miss Miami Georgia Notre Dame Pittsburgh Notre Dame Alabama Oklahoma Alabama USC Notre Dame Ohio State Alabama Alabama Texas Notre Dame Miami Pittsburgh USC Michigan USC Florida State Michigan Georgia Ohio State Virginia Tech Texas Michigan Texas theosceola.com

OSCEOLA â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

2008 Rivals100 51. Janoris Jenkins 52. Jameel Owens 53. DeSean Hales 54. A.J. Harmon 55. Mark Barron 56. Nick Perry 57. Kavario Middleton 58. Aldarius Johnson 59. Mike Glennon 60. Barrett Jones 61. Ramon Buchanan 62. Lynn Katoa 63. Aaron Hester 64. Garrett Goebel 65. Marcus Robinson 66. Devoe Torrence 67. Jordan Futch 68. Andrew Luck 69. Joshua Jarboe 70. Chris Tolliver 71. Rahim Moore 72. Jonas Gray 73. Brendan Beal 74. Ryan Baker 75. Jarmon Fortson 76. Jeff Fuller 77. Gerell Robinson 78. Cyrus Gray 79. Brice Butler 80. Corey Liuget 81. Brandon Beachum 82.T.J. Bryant 83.William Green 84.Tommy Streeter 85.Toby Jackson 86. Stacey McGee 87. J.B. Shugarts 88.Tavarres King 89. Darius Fleming 90. Joseph Ibiloye 91. Ryan Bass 92. Brandon Taylor 93. Derrick Hall 94. De'Anthony Curtis 95. Dan Buckner 96. D.J. Shoemate 97. Uona Kavienga 98. Bryce Givens 99. Kemonte Bateman 100. Nick Moody theosceola.com

Pos Pahokee (Fla.) Pahokee DB Muskogee (Okla.) WR Klein (Tex.) Oak RB Louisville (Ga.) Jefferson County OL Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul's ATH Detroit (Mich.) Martin Luther King DE Lakewood (Wash.) Lakes DE Miami (Fla.) Northwestern WR Centreville (Va.) Westfield QB Memphis (Tenn.) Evangelical Christian OL Melbourne (Fla.) Palm Bay DB Salt Lake City (Utah) Cottonwood Sr. LB Compton (Calif.) Dominguez DB Lombard (Ill.) Montini DT Homestead (Fla.) Homestead LB Massillon (Ohio) Washington ATH Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade Madonna LB Houston (Tex.) Stratford QB Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove WR Rayville (La.) Rayville WR Los Angeles (Calif.) Dorsey DB Detroit (Mich.) Country Day RB LB Bethlehem (Pa.) Liberty Blountstown (Fla.) Blountstown LB Columbus (Ga.) Carver ATH McKinney (Tex.) Boyd WR Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton ATH DeSoto (Tex.) DeSoto RB Norcross (Ga.) Norcross WR DT Hialeah (Fla.) Hialeah Youngstown (Ohio) Cardinal Mooney LB Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln DB LB Hoover (Ala.) Spain Park Miami (Fla.) Northwestern WR Griffin (Ga.) Griffin DE DT Muskogee (Okla.) Klein (Tex.) Klein OL Mt. Airy (Ga.) Habersham Central WR LB Chicago (Ill.) St. Rita Garland (Tex.) South Garland DB Corona (Calif.) Centennial RB Franklinton (La.) Franklinton DB Beaumont (Tex.) Central ATH Camden (Ark.) Fairview RB WR Allen (Tex.) Allen Anaheim (Calif.) Servite ATH Los Angeles (Calif.) Leuzinger LB Denver (Colo.) Mullen OL Los Angeles (Calif.) Crenshaw WR Philadelphia (Pa.) Roman Catholic LB

Ht/Wt 5-11/180 6-3/210 5-10/165 6-4/308 6-2/202 6-4/240 6-6/250 6-2/200 6-6/194 6-5/271 6-0/181 6-2/220 6-0/180 6-5/264 6-2/210 6-2/210 6-3/202 6-4/215 6-3/195 6-1/180 6-0/185 5-10/213 6-4/235 6-0/206 6-3/220 6-4/202 6-4/210 6-0/188 6-2/178 6-3/260 5-11/216 6-1/175 6-4/215 6-6/200 6-4/244 6-5/255 6-7/299 6-1/169 6-3/230 6-2/195 5-10/186 5-11/176 5-10/201 5-10/209 6-4/209 6-0/219 6-0/226 6-6/257 6-0/176 6-1/218

School Florida Oklahoma Texas Georgia Alabama USC Washington Miami N.C. State Alabama Miami Colorado UCLA Ohio State Miami list Miami Stanford Oklahoma LSU UCLA Notre Dame Florida LSU Florida State Texas A&M Arizona State Texas A&M USC Illinois Penn State USC Florida Miami Georgia Oklahoma Ohio State Georgia Notre Dame Oklahoma Arizona State LSU Texas A&M Arkansas Texas USC USC Colorado Arizona State Florida State

OSCEOLA â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

2008 Rivals.com Florida 100 1. Patrick Johnson 2. Marcus Forston 3. Michael Brewster 4. Nigel Bradham 5. Matt Patchan 6. Brandon Harris 7. Etienne Sabino 8. Janoris Jenkins 9. Aldarius Johnson 10. Ramon Buchanan 11. Marcus Robinson 12. Jordan Futch 13. Ryan Baker 14. Corey Liuget 15.T.J. Bryant 16.Tommy Streeter 17. Nigel Carr 18. Melvin Ray 19. Lerentee McCray 20. Davon Johnson 21. Jamie Harper 22. C.J. Holton 23. Star Jackson 24. Sean Spence 25. Brandon Washington 26. Benjamin Jones 27.T.J. Lawrence 28.Vincent Williams 29. Jacory Harris 30. Mike Goodman 31. Frankie Hammond Jr. 32. British Footman 33. Jabaris Little 34. Jeremy Lewis 35. Greg Shaw 36. Jeffrey Demps 37. Ricky Barnum 38. Earl Okine 39. Onterrio McCalebb 40. Karnell Hatcher 41. Moses McCray 42. Jeremy Brown 43.Travis Howard 44. B.J. Daniels 45.Travis Arnold 46. Kyle Parker 47.T'Sharvan Bell 48.Travis Benjamin 49. Jermaine Thomas 50. Alfred Jenkins

Pompano Beach-Ely Miami Northwestern Orlando-Edgewater Crawfordville-Wakulla Seffner-Armwood Miami Booker T.Washington Miami Dr. Krop Pahokee-Pahokee High Miami Northwestern Melbourne-Palm Bay Homestead-Homestead High Hollywood-Chaminade Madonna Blountstown-Blountstown High Hialeah-Hialeah High Tallahassee-Lincoln Miami Northwestern Jacksonville-First Coast Tallahassee-North Florida Christian Dunnellon-Dunnellon High Miami Booker T.Washington Jacksonville-Trinity Christian Crawfordville-Wakulla Lake Worth-Lake Worth High Miami Northwestern Miami Northwestern Miami Northwestern Lakeland-Kathleen Davenport-Ridge Miami Northwestern Miami Columbus Hallandale-Hallandale High Tallahassee-Godby Tallahassee-Lincoln West Palm Beach-Palm Beach Lakes Miami-Monsignor Pace Groveland-South Lake Lakeland-Lake Gibson Gainesville-Gainesville High Fort Meade-Fort Meade High Delray Beach-Atlantic Tampa-Hillsborough Orlando-Boone Miami Dr. Krop Tallahassee-Lincoln Madison-Madison County Jacksonville-Bartram Trail Kissimmee-Osceola Belle Glade-Glades Central Jacksonville-First Coast Jacksonville-Terry Parker

Pos DB DT OL LB OL DB LB DB WR DB LB LB LB DT DB WR LB WR LB ATH RB DB QB LB OL OL WR LB QB OL WR RB TE DT OL RB OL DE RB DB DT DB DB QB DB QB ATH WR RB WR

Ht/Wt 6-1/193 6-2/286 6-6/305 6-2/230 6-7/265 5-10/174 6-3/222 5-11/180 6-2/200 6-0/181 6-2/210 6-3/202 6-0/206 6-3/260 6-1/175 6-6/200 6-3/220 6-2/185 6-2/200 5-11/163 6-0/210 6-2/195 6-3/182 6-0/186 6-4/315 6-6/270 6-0/185 6-0/210 6-4/169 6-5/270 6-0/151 6-1/182 6-4/240 6-3/271 6-5/267 5-8/162 6-2/246 6-6/235 5-10/154 6-2/186 6-2/268 5-10/163 6-0/172 6-1/203 5-10/184 6-0/188 6-0/169 5-11/141 6-1/190 6-0/170

School LSU Miami Ohio State Florida State Florida Miami Ohio State Florida Miami Miami Miami Miami LSU Illinois USC Miami Florida State Alabama Florida Miami list Miami Alabama Miami Miami Miami Florida Florida State Miami Boston College Florida JUCO Florida State Miami LSU Florida Michigan Florida Auburn LSU Florida State Florida Ohio State South Florida Florida State Clemson Auburn Miami Florida State Illinois theosceola.com

OSCEOLA â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

2008 Rivals.com Florida 100 51. Joe Wylie 52. Harry Adams 53. Xavier Brewer 54. Carlton Thomas 55. Micanor Regis 56. Joe Looney 57. Shaq Wilson 58. Javonta Boyd 59. Orhian Johnson 60. Matt Sanders 61. Malcolm Munroe 62. Andrew Datko 63. Kwamaine Brown 64. Marty Everett 65. A.J. Grant 66. Avis Commack 67. Patrick Nixon 68. Rashard Hall 69. Brynn Harvey 70. Chris Martin 71. Justin Feagin 72.Tarik Rollins 73. Richard Watson 74. Jahleel Addae 75. George Baker 76. Eric Smith 77. Martavious Odoms 78. D.C. Jefferson 79. Philip Pierre-Louis 80. Dwight Tucker 81. Casey Kelly 82. Jeff Brinson 83. Kendall Thompkins 84. Anthony Mains 85.Toshmon Stevens 86. Damion Allen 87. Sancho McDonald 88. Darius Morgan 89. Jeremy Longo 90. Jarien Moreland 91. Anthony Hill 92.Thearon Collier 93. Janary Gray 94. Dorian Graham 95. Carlton Lewis 96. Brian Moore 97. Christian Thompson 98. Ramon Booi 99. Brandon Whitty 100. Dominique Battle theosceola.com

Lauderdale Lakes-Boyd Anderson Ft. Lauderdale-Dillard Jacksonville-Bartram Trail Frostproof-Frostproof High Pahokee-Pahokee High Lake Worth-Lake Worth High Jacksonville-First Coast St. Petersburg-Northeast Gulfport-Boca Ciega Crestview-Crestview High Miami Coral Reef Fort Lauderdale-St.Thomas Aquinas Kissimmee-Osceola Bushnell-South Sumter Jacksonville-Sandalwood Jacksonville-First Coast Jacksonville-Middleburg St. Augustine-St. Augustine High Largo-Largo High Fort Walton Beach-Choctawhatchee Delray Beach-American Heritage Hollywood-Chaminade Madonna Tallahassee-FAMU High Riverview-Riverview High Miami Archbishop Carroll Seffner-Armwood Pahokee-Pahokee High Winter Haven-Winter Haven High Fort Lauderdale-St.Thomas Aquinas Oviedo-Oviedo High Sarasota-Sarasota High St. Petersburg-Northeast Miami Northwestern Naples-Golden Gate Crescent City-Crescent City High Orlando-Dr. Phillips Miami Booker T.Washington Citra-North Marion Fort Lauderdale-Cardinal Gibbons Belle Glade-Glades Central Pensacola-Pensacola High Miami Booker T.Washington Miami Central Fort Lauderdale-St.Thomas Aquinas St. Augustine-St. Augustine High Coral Gables-Ransom Everglades Fort Lauderdale-St.Thomas Aquinas St. Augustine-Nease St. Augustine-St. Augustine High Delray Beach-American Heritage

Pos. DB WR DB RB DT OL LB DT ATH OL LB OL RB DT DB WR ATH DB RB DT ATH LB RB RB ATH RB WR QB ATH DT QB RB WR DE DE WR QB WR DE OL DT WR DB DB DB OL DB OL DT DB

Ht./Wt. 6-2/171 6-0/175 5-10/169 5-7/159 6-3/300 6-4/309 6-0/220 6-3/290 6-2/178 6-4/293 6-3/195 6-5/285 5-8/185 6-4/300 6-1/190 6-4/182 5-10/180 6-2/190 5-10/204 6-4/291 6-0/190 6-2/187 6-0/227 5-11/170 5-11/167 5-10/239 5-8/164 6-6/230 5-10/175 6-2/280 6-2/191 5-11/203 5-10/165 6-7/225 6-5/198 6-2/180 6-2/187 6-4/191 6-4/212 6-4/319 6-4/301 5-9/163 5-11/190 5-10/168 6-3/190 6-3/275 6-1/195 6-4/339 6-3/245 6-0/165

School Miami Auburn Clemson Georgia Miami Wake Forest South Carolina Kansas State Ohio State Clemson Georgia Tech Florida State Kansas State N.C. State Florida International Florida State Illinois Clemson UCF UCF Michigan Clemson Georgia Tech Central Michigan South Florida Auburn list Rutgers Auburn Virginia Tech Tennessee Iowa Miami Wisconsin Florida State list Middle Tennessee Troy Georgia UCF Florida State Miami list Syracuse Clemson Duke Auburn Wake Forest Western Kentucky Cincinnati

OSCEOLA • FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

Spetman tabbed to replace Dave Hart By Derek Redd

When new Florida State athletics director Randy Spetman got the call from his friend, consultant Chuck Neinas, asking him if he would be interested in interviewing in Tallahassee, Spetman wanted to make sure Neinas wasn't kidding. "He has a tendency to joke with me," Spetman said with a smile. Spetman had dealt with it before. He thought they were kidding when, as director of command and control as an Air Force colonel in Stuttgart, Germany, someone e-mailed him about the AD job at the Air Force Academy, a position he ultimately held for 10 years. But Neinas was serious about Florida State. So was FSU president T.K. Wetherell, who hired Spetman over the weekend and introduced him in a Monday morning press conference at the Moore Athletic Center. Spetman replaces Dave Hart, who resigned in December one year before his contract was to expire. Wetherell told Hart this past summer that Hart's contract would not be renewed. Wetherell said Spetman would get a five-year contract, the terms of which were still being ironed out. Spetman will work at FSU full-time beginning this week. Retired as an Air Force colonel, Spetman has been the AD at Utah State since 2004. He had been the AD at Air Force from 1996-2003. He emerged from a four-candidate pool that included former FSU interim AD Wayne Hogan, former FSU football player and current Detroit Lions assistant general manager Martin Mayhew and former Florida Marlins president Don Smiley. That pool was a diverse one, calling on candidates with very different backgrounds. Hogan was a former associate AD at Florida State, served as AD at the University of Montana and currently is an associate AD at Georgia Tech. Mayhew was a two-sport FSU athlete and a former NFL defensive back who earned a law degree at Georgetown and has handled personnel and contract negotiations in America’s most powerful professional sports league. Smiley directed the Marlins when they won their first World Series title and now is in charge of Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wis., called on its Web site the largest music festival in the world.

Spetman brought a varied resume of his own, coupling a career of military service with one in athletic administration. Those years of military service concerned some members of the search committee, who wondered if the athletic department would be run in military style if he were hired. Spetman said, though, that if one were to look at Utah State’s athletic program, one would see that it was run “like a family, not a military organization.” He had seen good times while at Utah State. The athletic program captured four Western Athletic Conference championships, led the conference with a 78 percent graduation rate and maintained above a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. He said he'd continue both athletic and academic success at FSU. "You do it by building a great team of professionals that provide the resources to be successful and contribute to the program and just be out there so they know we support them," he said. That will be one of Spetman's first orders of business, creating his staff by filling a lot of empty seats in the offices of upper management. Along with Hart, three associate ADs, Charlie Carr, Pam Overton and Kim Record, also resigned. "I never believed you would come into an institution like this and have so many vacancies at the top," Spetman said. "I will look for some individuals that I have confidence in and can come here and really lead this program. I also know that this community, (Wetherell) and his people will give me the resources of Florida State alumni I can bring to help cultivate to program and help me be knowledgeable. A lot of the big decisions an AD would have to make have already been made. FSU has decided on a succession plan for the football program, with offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher replacing Bobby Bowden when he retires. Men's basketball coach Leonard Hamilton received a contract extension earlier this season. The university also made significant changes in its athletic academic support program, hiring Bill Shults to replace Mark Meleney as program director and bringing in Mary Wright to head the tutoring program. Spetman enters the FSU athletic program as it is about to sent its final report to the NCAA detailing its investigation into academic misconduct. A number of stu-

RICK JONES — OSCEOLA

Randy Spetman will leave Utah State to be FSU’s athletics director. dent-athletes have been suspended after receiving answers for an online music course from university tutors. Wetherell said that report should go to the NCAA in the next few weeks. Spetman said the scandal never made him wary of taking the job. "I think (FSU has) been very forthright and handled it with great integrity and character," he said. "They've done a tremendous job in the investigative process. It was a bump in the road, but I

don't think it jeopardized anything this university represents." Wetherell said Monday that Spetman followed all the principles he used in searching for his new AD, among them a commitment to student-athletes, honor and loyalty and finding someone "who wanted us more than we wanted them. "I don't think I've seen anybody more excited to come to Florida State University since I got selected to come to Florida State University," Wetherell said.

Spetman speaks with the media

The following is a transcript of a Q&A session between media members and new Florida State athletics director Randy Spetman shortly after Spetman had been announced as Dave Hart’s replacement:

Q: Did you get a feeling of where you stood (after your interview)? RS: No, I didn’t know how I stood, because I knew … I read the (newspaper) articles and I was glad to be last because I picked up some of what everybody was interested in. I thought the student-athletes asked the most direct and the hardest ques-

tions. They had me on defense. One of the young golfers asked me, “You’re coming from a university that doesn’t have the resources we have. Why would they bring you here? How will you help us win national championships?” That’s a pretty direct questions. As I told him, you do it by building a great team of professionals to provide the resources to be successful and to contribute to the program and just know that we’ll be out there and be supportive. I didn’t know what was going to happen and I knew the other three candidates

were extremely qualified and a very diverse group. I think it helps to have someone who’s been in an AD position, especially with what the university is going through.

Q: When you went through the process and heard all the different voices, what did you think was the dominant theme in what they wanted in the next AD? RS: Well they wanted somebody to come in and bring integrity and character to the program. We’ve got to get rid of the

bump we have in the road (with the academic scandal). And to bring someone in to be a communicator in the community with the alumni and the fans and work directly with them and work hard as they’ve done here in the past to make sure the student-athletes graduate. I think that’s where I’ve been very successful in the institutions I’ve been at before, so I hope to continue that. Q: You’ve got a lot of vacancies Please see SPETMAN, next page theosceola.com

FEBRUARY 13, 200 8 • OSCEOLA

President Wetherell discusses Spetman hire The following is a transcript of a Q&A session between media members and Florida State president T.K. Wetherell following the announcment of Randy Spetman’s hiring as FSU’s new athletics director:

Q: Did you know (Spetman) at all before you met him in Nashville? TKW: I had heard about him. We’ve had a lot of people from Florida State in the military, people like Johnny Crow who had played with me years ago. I knew of him, but I hadn’t met him. Q: It seemed like the process had been accelerated more than some might have thought. Back in October, you said maybe by the end of the school year, you guys might hire somebody … TKW: We always wanted somebody sooner than later, so we pushed it along pretty well. With all the vacancies (in the athletic department), it became clear we needed to get somebody hired and get them in here and get a team started to be built. That had a lot to do with it. Q: What one thing impressed you more than anything else (about Spetman)? TKW: He’s sincere. He’s as honest as the day is long and he’s competent, clearly. He’s been an athletic director for 10 years. He knows what he’s doing. He can balance a budget and those kinds of things. He came in Friday and went back to Utah Saturday, where I think they dedicated their south end zone type of thing. He personally gave, of his money, I think $35,000 to $50,000. And he felt obligated to go back and participate in that. That kind of thing speaks volumes to me. Q: What are you paying him? Have you worked that out yet? TKW: We’re working on that.

SPETMAN, from previous page administratively that you have to fill. How do you go about that? Do you have a philosophy that you’ll follow? RS: I’d never believe you’d come into an institution like this and have so many vacancies at the top, so I can actually build the team I want to have. I will look for some individuals I know I have confidence in that can come here and lead this program. I also know this community and the president will help give me resources like Florida State alumni that will help me cultivate the program and help me be knowledgeable, since I’m not an FSU grad. So I’ll look at and interview people in that regard. I’ve been fortunate over the years, I think, in pulling staffs together. My dad was a banker in Iowa and he taught me that he could talk to a person over the course of 20 minutes and know that I can loan him money because he’s going to pay me back. Somehow, I sort of have that same characteristic he had, where I can talk to you and determine somewhere down the line that you’re theosceola.com

T.K. Wetherell Q: What about the terms? TKW: It’ll be five-year with an option at the end. Q: So this deal, essentially is five years? TKW: Yes, and he’s insisted that his bonus package be tied to graduation rates, management … Q: A little different than the last one (with Dave Hart)? TKW: A little different than the last one. Q: What do you think is the most important thing is on his to-do list? TKW: We talked about that today. I think he’s got to get a staff built. That’s important to him. I think he needs to start meeting some people here, FSU-type of folks. He needs to get familiar with ISP (FSU’s multimedia partner) and our internal operations. But I think the staff issue is going to be good for us and bring you in and make you successful in the program. My responsibility is that, if I bring you in, I have to educate you and make you successful and work very hard to do that. Q: What’s the difference between this AD job and the two AD jobs you’ve had? RS: The level of exposure. This is one of the top programs in the nation and the media attention to this is much different. At Utah State, we’re kind of lost in the media. We’re not in Salt Lake City and Utah and Brigham Young University get all the publicity there. We’re kind of second fiddle, although our local papers did a very good job. But we’re at the pinnacle here so we need to make sure we’re doing things right and that we communicate with you and let you know what’s happening here and keep you ahead of the game. Q: Having worked with (former Air Force football coach Fisher DeBerry), do you see some ties there in terms of how you might be able to relate to

obviously … we’ve got a lot of open positions.

but when you got down to it, there was really one type of person that they wanted.

Q: Did you have any conversations as far as (the deparment’s perceived strategy of) “circle the wagons” was concerned? TKW: Well, he was concerned about it. He wanted to see the athletic department more a part of the university, rather than “circle the wagons” internally. That was important to me and it was important to him with the whole student-athlete experience, not just the athletic experience.

Q: Will all bonuses be tied to academic performance? TKW: No, there’s an academic bonus, a Directors’ Cup bonus, a management bonus …

Q: That was part of the management study three or four years ago. That had been a long-simmering issue with you, hasn’t it? TKW: (Spetman) read the MGT report and we talked about what he would do differently. You know, hindsight’s always 2020. That whole conversation took a lot of time. Q: Are there challenges coming from another region in terms of filling staff? TKW: I was a little worried when we went into the thing. How many applications were you going to get? We had all this stuff going on. But Florida State is going to attract (people). I came to realize this is one of the best jobs in America, whether it’s the AD job, the assistant AD job. He’ll have plenty of applications. He won’t have to worry about that. Q: How close of a race was it between the four guys? TKW: We deliberately brought in different types of people. If you look at them, they were all different. Some were FSU folks. Some weren’t. Some were businesstypes. Some were AD-types. We went through that process deliberately to have some choices. It was fun to listen to all the tapes of all the interviews. They all brought something different to the table,

Coach Bowden? RS: I totally do. It’s amazing. Fisher DeBerry read on the internet that I was a candidate for this job and he called me and Bobby Bowden is one of his dear friends. And Fisher called me and we had quite a conversation about the great chance I have to work with one of the icons and the legends of the business. So I’m excited to do that. Q: Do you have a short-term plan of action? RS: Yeah, my short-term plan in the next month is to get around and meet everybody. One of my first trips is to meet all the deans of all the colleges so they know who I am and to make sure they know I’m committed to academics. I have a lot of boosters, a lot of alumni and fans to meet. I need them to know who I am and that they can talk to me. Of course, we have to continue with the NCAA and make sure that (academic scandal) is all closed before we move forward. Then over the course of the next year, I hope to write a strategic plan.

Q: No postseason (bonus)? TKW: No, there’s no win-or-loss bonus. Q: Is there a ballpark figure on the package? TKW: It’s top three or four in the ACC. It’s comparable to what we’re doing in the ACC. It depends on where the performances come in. It depends on where you come out in the Directors’ Cup, what your graduation rate is, whether you balance the budget, that kind of stuff. Q: Is he going to make less than the president of the university? TKW: Actually, no, he’s going to make more than the president of the university. (Laughing) There’s a bunch of people around here that make more than what the president makes. Q: You mentioned that the ACC is one of the premier conferences. Was there any concern that he hadn’t had enough experience in the major conferences? TKW: No, not really. You look at the last athletic director (Hart) and he didn’t come from a BCS school. There have been a bunch of others that haven’t come from BCS schools. Then you start looking at Utah and that guy (Urban) Meyer, he did all right coming out of that state. I think (Spetman) can handle it. You look at it and he’s been at Air Force, Utah State, worked for the President of the United States and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He can probably handle me OK.

Q: When you talk about keeping the students there to graduate, what are the keys to that retention? RS: It’s watching them and making them successful in the classroom and in the community. So you provide them resources so they can be successful, whether that is tutors or study halls or getting them with mentors in the system. I think that’s the big thing we found, that having mentors helps them continue on. Q: With not having as many resources at Utah State as they do at Florida State, how tough is it to create those programs when you’re not dealing with the type of resources you’ll have here. RS: It’s hard, but you find in great universities loyal alumni, fans and faculty to support you. We had that at Utah State and we have that here. So what you do is get those resources, people that have been in the program and know how to be successful.

OSCEOLA • FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

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OSCEOLA • FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

FSU wins, but Swann sustains torn ACL Staff Reports

After losing six of its past seven games, Florida State enjoyed a muchneeded Atlantic Coast Conference victory last Wednesday at Miami. But after the way the first half of the 2007-08 season went for the Seminoles, it almost seemed appropriate that the victory came with a devastating loss. Senior guard Isaiah Swann, Florida State's top three-point shooter, sustained a torn ACL in his left knee during the game, and his status is uncertain for the rest of the season. Swann went down while driving toward the basket in the first half and missed the rest of the game. An MRI on Thursday revealed the torn ligament, but FSU officials would not say that the injury is season-ending. “We feel badly for Isaiah because he is a valuable member of our team and a great teammate,” said head coach Leonard Hamilton. “Our team physician and our athletic trainer will monitor Isaiah daily and work with him regarding his treatment and rehabilitation process.” Swann entered the week ranked fifth in the ACC for three-pointers per game (2.25). He also is the Seminoles' thirdleading scorer (11.8 points per game) and ranks second on the team with 69 assists. Swann's injury is the latest blow for a Florida State team that has faced a series of setbacks. Freshman center Solomon Alabi was sidelined for the year with a leg stress fracture; forward Julian Vaughn missed several games with an undisclosed medical condition; forward Ryan Reid missed nine games due to a suspension; and two other players transferred.

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Swann was one of three players averaging more than 30 minutes per game. He had never missed a game in his Seminole career.

FSU 62, MIAMI 55 Toney Douglas scored 28 points to lead Florida State past Miami 62-55 on Wednesday night, the Seminoles' fourth straight win in the series. Jason Rich added 14 points and Uche Echefu scored 10 for the Seminoles (1410, 3-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), which used an 11-0 second-half run to take the lead for good. Jack McClinton scored 16 points for Miami (15-7, 2-6), which has dropped seven of its last 10 games. The Hurricanes and Seminoles struggled with early shooting woes. The score was 2-2 during the first 5:35, and Miami didn't manage a field goal until Brian Asbury connected 6:25 after tip-off. But Douglas gave Florida State a spark. He scored 11 points in the final 4:51 of the first half, including his third 3pointer with one second remaining to give Florida State a 30-25 edge heading into intermission. And Douglas keyed the second-half spurt by the Seminoles, who trailed 37-34 before the 11-0 run that was capped by his fifth 3-pointer with 9:44 remaining. Lance Hurdle's 3-pointer with 34.1 seconds left got Miami within 58-55, but the Hurricanes - who shot 31 percent - got no closer. The Seminoles played the second half without guard Isaiah Swann, who left the game with a left leg injury. The severity was not known.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AP

Jason Rich drives around a UM defender during the Seminoles’ win.

OSCEOLA • FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

Seminoles strive for late-season surge By Derek Redd

Florida State sophomore forward Cayla Moore never met a loose ball she didn’t want to dive for, nor has she met a rebound she didn’t want to fight for. “Playing against boys toughened me up a lot,” she said. “You get scratched up knees, everything. When you’re playing guys who are 6-foot-2 already and we’re all 15 years old, it really helps you out.” The FSU women’s basketball team should keep that toughness in mind as it heads down the home stretch of its season. After winning three straight games following a poor showing against Duke, the Seminoles (15-9, 5-4 in the ACC) have dropped three of their last four. Their latest loss came at the hands of Virginia. The Seminoles took them to overtime before losing in Tallahassee earlier this season. Sunday’s game wouldn’t be so close. The Seminoles shot just 34 percent in Charlottesville in their 77-58 loss to the Cavaliers. FSU started out on fire, shooting 50 percent in the first half, but they went frigid in the second half, shooting just 21 percent. In one eight-minute stretch in the second half, the Seminoles could score just five points. FSU didn’t help itself either, committing 28 turnovers in the game, which led to 24 Cavaliers points. “I thought we did an excellent job of defending them in their half-court sets,” junior Mara Freshour said to reporters after the game. “We really locked down in the half court, but it was just transition, transition, transition that really took the

wind out of our sails.” FSU also was outscored in the paint 44-14 on Sunday, including 30-4 in the second half alone. The Seminoles need a spark for the final five games of the regular season. Virginia swept Florida State for the first time in three seasons, taking a firm grasp on fourth place in the ACC, a spot the Seminoles were used to holding. Points in the paint have become tough, now that sophomore Jacinta Monroe is the lone scoring threat down low. She needed to shoulder that burden after center Britany Miller became academically ineligible and was lost for the season. While Monroe has to pile in the points in the post, Moore has taken on all the little things, the rebounds and loose balls. In FSU’s one win in the past four games, 57-54 against North Carolina State, she hit three of four shots for six points, pulled down three rebounds and swiped a steal. In Florida State’s last game against Virginia, she grabbed five boards. Semrau said that selflessness has made her an important part of the team. “Here’s kid who came into my office and I said, ‘Here’s what we can do for you at Florida State. What can you do for us?’” Semrau said. “And she said, ‘Coach, I may not be able to score, but I can defend and rebound.’ “How many coaches get to hear that?” Semrau asked. “For her to say ‘That’s what I want to do,’ that’s a luxury.” Semrau also mentioned that Moore has improved as a scorer, something the Seminoles will need down the stretch.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AP

Jacinta Monroe works for position in the paint earlier this season.

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OSCEOLA • FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

Seminole Schedules 2008 FSU baseball schedule 02/22/08 vs. Duquesne 02/23/08 vs. Duquesne vs. Duquesne 02/24/08 vs. Duquesne 02/26/08 Philadelphia Phillies 02/28/08 at Auburn 02/29/08 at Auburn 03/01/08 vs. Auburn 03/02/08 vs. Auburn 03/04/08 vs. UNC Asheville 03/05/08 vs. UNC Asheville 03/07/08 vs. Maryland 03/08/08 vs. Maryland 03/09/08 vs. Maryland 03/11/08 vs. Georgia 03/12/08 vs. Georgia 03/14/08 vs. Georgia Tech 03/15/08 vs. Georgia Tech 03/16/08 vs. Georgia Tech 03/18/08 at Florida 03/21/08 at Virginia Tech 03/22/08 at Virginia Tech 03/23/08 at Virginia Tech 03/25/08 vs. Stetson 03/26/08 vs. Stetson 03/28/08 at Wake Forest 03/29/08 at Wake Forest 03/30/08 at Wake Forest

4:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 6:35 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.

04/01/08 vs. Florida (Jax) 04/02/08 at Jacksonville 04/04/08 vs. Virginia 04/05/08 vs. Virginia 04/06/08 vs. Virginia 04/11/08 at Boston College 04/12/08 at Boston College 04/13/08 at Boston College 04/15/08 vs. Florida 04/16/08 vs. North Florida 04/18/08 vs. Miami 04/19/08 vs. Miami 04/20/08 vs. Miami 04/25/08 at North Carolina 04/26/08 at North Carolina 04/27/08 at North Carolina 04/29/08 at Stetson 04/30/08 at Stetson 05/03/08 at Clemson 05/04/08 at Clemson 05/05/08 at Clemson 05/07/08 vs. Jacksonville 05/09/08 vs. Savannah State 05/10/08 vs. Savannah State 05/11/08 vs. Savannah State 05/12/08 vs. Savannah State 05/15/08 vs. NC State 05/16/08 vs. NC State 05/17/08 vs. NC State 05/21/08 ACC Tournament

2008 FSU softball schedule 02/08/08 vs. Southern Miss Tallahassee, Fla. vs. Louisville Tallahassee, Fla. 02/09/08 vs.Troy Tallahassee, Fla. 02/10/08 vs.TBD Tallahassee, Fla. 02/12/08 at Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. Seminole Classic 02/15/08 vs. Jacksonville Tallahassee, Fla. 02/16/08 vs. Bethune Cookman Tallahassee, Fla. 02/17/08 vs. Michigan State Tallahassee, Fla. Tallahassee, Fla. vs. UAB Jacksonville, Fla. 02/19/08 at Jacksonville Jacksonville, Fla. at Jacksonville 02/23/08 vs. North Carolina Tallahassee, Fla. vs. North Carolina Tallahassee, Fla. 02/24/08 vs. North Carolina Tallahassee, Fla. Tallahassee, Fla. 02/27/08 vs.Troy Tallahassee, Fla. vs.Troy NFCA Leadoff Classic Columbus, Ga. 02/29/08 vs. Massachusetts Columbus, Ga. vs. Hofstra Columbus, Ga. 03/01/08 vs.Tennessee (W) Columbus, Ga. vs.Texas A&M Columbus, Ga. 03/02/08 vs. Iowa FSU Invitational Tallahassee, Fla. 03/07/08 vs. Connecticut vs. Appalachian State Tallahassee, Fla. Tallahassee, Fla. 03/08/08 vs. Georgia State Tallahassee, Fla. 03/11/08 vs. Connecticut Tallahassee, Fla. vs. Connecticut Charlottesville,Va. 03/14/08 at Virginia Charlottesville,Va. at Virginia Charlottesville,Va. 03/15/08 at Virginia Tallahassee, Fla. 03/18/08 vs. Lipscomb Tallahassee, Fla. vs. Lipscomb Judi Garman Classic Fullerton, Calif. 03/20/08 vs. Arizona State vs. Long Beach State Fullerton, Calif. Fullerton, Calif. 03/21/08 vs. Arizona Fullerton, Calif. vs.Washington 03/22/08 at Cal State Fullerton Fullerton, Calif. 03/26/08 vs. Georgia Southern Tallahassee, Fla. vs. Georgia Southern Tallahassee, Fla. 03/29/08 vs. Boston College Tallahassee, Fla. vs. Boston College Tallahassee, Fla. 03/30/08 vs. Boston College Tallahassee, Fla. Tallahassee, Fla. 04/02/08 vs. Florida A&M College Park, Md. 04/05/08 at Maryland at Maryland College Park, Md. 04/06/08 at Maryland College Park, Md. 04/09/08 at Central Florida Orlando, Fla. at Central Florida Orlando, Fla. 04/12/08 vs. Georgia Tech Tallahassee, Fla. vs. Georgia Tech Tallahassee, Fla. 04/13/08 vs. Georgia Tech Tallahassee, Fla. 04/16/08 vs. Florida Tallahassee, Fla. vs. Florida Tallahassee, Fla.

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W, 11-3 L, 3-4 L, 1-3 TBA 6:00 p.m. ET 4:45 p.m. ET 12:15 p.m. ET 11:00 a.m. ET 1:15 p.m. ET 4:00 p.m. ET 6:00 p.m. ET 1:00 p.m. ET 3:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 3:00 p.m. ET 5:00 p.m. ET 11:00 a.m. ET 1:30 p.m. ET 11:00 a.m. ET 11:00 a.m. ET 10:00 a.m. ET 2:30 p.m. ET 4:45 p.m. ET 12:15 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 4:00 p.m. ET 4:00 p.m. ET 6:00 p.m. ET 1:00 p.m. ET 4:00 p.m. ET 6:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 6:30 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 6:30 p.m. ET 6:30 p.m. ET 4:00 p.m. ET 6:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 6:00 p.m. ET 1:00 p.m. ET 3:00 p.m. ET 1:00 p.m. ET 4:00 p.m. ET 6:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 4:00 p.m. ET 6:00 p.m. ET

7:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. TBA

2007 MEN’S BASKETBALL

2007 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

11/09/07 at FGCU Fort Myers, Fla. N9 Nicholls State W, 81-58 Georgia Southern W, 92-67 N12 1 11/11/07 vs. North Florida Tallahassee, Fla. N16 2 UAB W, 78-70 Chicago, Ill. 11/15/07 DePaul N17 2 Cleveland State L, 69-66 Chicago, Ill. 11/16/07 FIU N18 2 USF L, 68-67 Tallahassee, Fla. 11/20/07 vs. Fordham N20 Georgia State W, 78-48 at Florida W, 65-51 N23 11/23/07 at Florida Gainesville, Fla. N27 3 Minnesota W, 75-61 Bloomington, Ind. 11/30/07 at Indiana Stetson W, 72-59 N30 Oakland, Mich. 12/02/07 at Oakland D2 Samford W, 61-45 12/06/07 at Texas A&M College Station,Tex. D8 Maine W, 95-55 vs. Butler L, 79-68 D15 4 12/16/07 vs. Alabama St. Tallahassee, Fla. D18 College of Charleston W, 66-61 12/20/07 at UAB Birmingham, Ala. D22 at Providence L, 101-95 Tallahassee, Fla. 12/27/07 vs. Samford at Georgia Tech W, 66-64 D30 ^ 12/29/07 vs. Georgia Miami, Fla. J5 La Salle W, 81-76 at Clemson L, 97-85 J12 ^ Miami, Fla. 12/30/07 Hofstra J16 ^ Duke L, 70-57 Tallahassee, Fla. 01/03/08 vs. LSU J20 ^ at Wake Forest L, 74-57 01/06/08 vs.Virginia Tech Tallahassee, Fla. Virginia W, 69-67 J23 ^ Durham, N.C. 01/11/08 at Duke TV J26 ^ NC State L, 69-66 J29 ^ at Virginia Tech L, 89-80 01/17/08 vs.Wake Forest Tallahassee, Fla. North Carolina L, 84-73 F3 ^ Clemson, S.C. 01/20/08 at Clemson F6 ^ at Miami W, 62-55 01/24/08 at Miami Coral Gables, Fla. F14 ^ Wake Forest 9:00 p.m. 01/26/08 vs.Virginia Tallahassee, Fla. F16 ^ at Maryland 3:00 p.m. F19 ^ Clemson 7:00 p.m. 02/03/08 at Georgia Tech Atlanta, Ga. F23 ^ Boston College 12 Noon 02/07/08 vs. N.C. State Tallahassee, Fla. F27 ^ at NC State 7:00 p.m. Charlottesville,Va. 02/10/08 at Virginia M4 ^ at North Carolina 8:00 p.m. 02/17/08 at UNC Chapel Hill, N.C. M8 ^ Miami 12 Noon 02/21/08 vs. B. College Tallahassee, Fla. M13-16 5 at ACC Tournament TBA * -- exhibition game at Donald L.Tucker Center; ^ -- 02/24/08 at Maryland College Park, Md. ACC Game; 1 – Glenn Wilkes Classic at Tallahassee, 02/28/08 vs. Miami Tallahassee, Fla. Fla.; 2 – Glenn Wilkes Classic at Daytona Beach, Fla..; 03/01/08 vs. Clemson Tallahassee, Fla. 3 – ACC/Big Ten Challenge at Tallahassee, Fla. 4 – 03/06/08 ACC Tournament Greensboro, N.C. Wooden Tradition at Indianapolis, Ind.; 5 – at Charlotte, N.C. 03/07/08 ACC Tournament Greensboro, N.C.

W, 93-53 W, 75-48 L, 79-68 W, 70-50 W, 77-42 W, 81-78 W, 85-78 L, 85-75 L, 81-67 W, 94-42 W, 66-52 W, 52-51 L, 71-62 W, 72-54 L, 73-61 W, 67-63 L, 70-38 W, 80-54 W, 63-39 W, 75-70 (OT) L, 69-66 (OT) L, 83-73 W, 57-54 L, 77-58 1:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. ET TBA 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET TBA TBA

03/08/08 ACC Tournament Greensboro, N.C.

TBA

03/09/08 ACC Tournament Greensboro, N.C.

TBA

OSCEOLA â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 13, 200 8

ACC releases 2008 football schedules Staff Reports

The 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference football schedule was released last week. This year's schedule is capped off with the fourth annual Dr Pepper Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game, which this year will be played on Dec. 6 in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Twenty of the league's 48 non-conference games (42 percent) are against 14 teams that earned bowl berths in 2007, including four games with teams that finished ranked in the nation's final Top 15, including second-ranked Georgia (Georgia Tech), third-ranked Southern Cal (Virginia) and two games against No. 14 Florida (Florida State, Miami). Non-conference opponents who earned bowl bids this past season are Alabama, Central Florida (2 games), California, Colorado, Connecticut (2), East Carolina (3), Florida (2), Georgia, Navy (2), Rutgers, South Florida, Southern California and Texas A&M. In addition, this doesn't include two games scheduled against South Carolina and one against Northwestern, which were bowl eligible, as well as two games against Notre Dame and one game with Nebraska. In all, the ACC will play seven games on Thursday night, which will be nationally televised by ESPN beginning with the season-opening N.C. State at South Carolina game on Aug. 28 but also including North Carolina at Rutgers (Sept. 11), Clemson at Wake Forest (Oct. 9), Florida State at N.C. State (Oct. 16), Maryland at Virginia Tech (Nov. 6), Virginia Tech at Miami (Nov. 13) and Miami at Georgia Tech (Nov. 20). Here is a look at the 2008 ACC slate: 2008 ACC Team by Team Football Schedules Boston College Aug. 30 at Kent State (Cleveland) Sept. 6 Georgia Tech Sept. 20 UCF Sept. 27 Rhode Island Oct. 4 at NC State Oct. 18 Virginia Tech Oct. 25 at North Carolina Nov. 1 Clemson Nov. 8 Notre Dame Nov. 15 at Florida State Nov. 22 at Wake Forest Nov. 29 Maryland

Clemson Aug. 30 Alabama (Georgia Dome)

Sept. 6 The Citadel Sept. 13 NC State Sept. 20 SC State Sept. 27 Maryland Oct. 9 at Wake Forest (Thu.) Oct. 18 Georgia Tech Nov. 1 at Boston College Nov. 8 at Florida State Nov. 15 Duke Nov. 22 at Virginia Nov. 29 South Carolina

Duke Aug. 30 James Madison Sept. 6 Northwestern Sept. 13 Navy Sept. 27 Virginia Oct. 4 at Georgia Tech Oct. 18 Miami Oct. 25 at Vanderbilt Nov. 1 at Wake Forest Nov. 8 NC State Nov. 15 at Clemson Nov. 22 at Virginia Tech Nov. 29 North Carolina

Georgia Tech Aug. 28 Jacksonville State Sept. 6 at Boston College Sept. 13 at Virginia Tech Sept. 20 Mississippi State Oct. 4 Duke Oct. 11 Gardner-Webb Oct. 18 at Clemson Oct. 25 Virginia Nov. 1 Florida State Nov. 8 at North Carolina Nov. 20 Miami (Thu.) Nov. 29 at Georgia

Maryland Aug. 30 Delaware Sept. 6 at Middle Tennessee State Sept. 13 California Sept. 20 Eastern Michigan Sept. 27 at Clemson Oct. 4 at Virginia Oct. 18 Wake Forest Oct. 25 NC State Nov. 6 at Virginia Tech (Thu.) Nov. 15 North Carolina Nov. 22 Florida State Nov. 29 at Boston College

Miami Aug. 28 Charleston Southern (Thu.) Sept. 6 at Florida Sept. 20 at Texas A&M Sept. 27 North Carolina Oct. 4 Florida State Oct. 11 UCF Oct. 18 at Duke Oct. 25 Wake Forest Nov. 1 at Virginia Nov. 13 Virginia Tech (Thu.) Nov. 20 at Georgia Tech (Thu.)

FSU FACES LOADED HOME SCHEDULE As anticipated, Florida State will play seven games on Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium this fall and also play one non-conference game in Jacksonville once again.The home portion of the schedule is highlighted by visits from reigning ACC Champion Virginia Tech, ACC Atlantic Division Champion Boston College, 2006 ACC Champion Wake Forest and in-state rival Florida. Here is a look at the Seminoles' 2008 schedule:

2008 FLORIDA STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent Sept. 6 Western Carolina Sept. 13 Chattanooga Sept. 20 Wake Forest Colorado Sept. 27 Oct. 4 Miami Oct. 11 Bye Oct. 16 NC State Virginia Tech Oct. 25 Georgia Tech Nov. 1 Nov. 8 Clemson Nov. 15 Boston College Nov. 22 Maryland Nov. 29 Florida Nov. 29 at NC State

North Carolina Aug. 30 McNeese State Sept. 11 at Rutgers (Thu.) Sept. 20 Virginia Tech Sept. 27 at Miami Oct. 4 Connecticut Oct. 11 Notre Dame Oct. 18 at Virginia Oct. 25 Boston College Nov. 8 Georgia Tech Nov. 15 at Maryland Nov. 22 NC State Nov. 29 at Duke

NC State Aug. 28 at South Carolina (Thu.) Sept. 6 William & Mary Sept. 13 at Clemson Sept. 20 East Carolina Sept. 27 South Florida Oct. 4 Boston College Oct. 16 Florida State (Thu.) Oct. 25 at Maryland Nov. 8 at Duke Nov. 15 Wake Forest Nov. 22 at North Carolina Nov. 29 Miami Virginia Aug. 30 Southern California Sept. 6 Richmond Sept. 13 at Connecticut Sept. 27 at Duke Oct. 4 Maryland

Location Tallahassee, FL Tallahassee, FL Tallahassee, FL Jacksonville, FL Miami, FL Raleigh, NC Tallahassee,FL Atlanta, GA Tallahassee, FL Tallahassee, FL College Park, MD Tallahassee, FL

Oct. 11 East Carolina Oct. 18 North Carolina Oct. 25 at Georgia Tech Nov. 1 Miami Nov. 8 at Wake Forest Nov. 22 Clemson Nov. 29 at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech Aug. 30 East Carolina (Charlotte) Sept. 6 Furman Sept. 13 Georgia Tech Sept. 20 at North Carolina Sept. 27 at Nebraska Oct. 4 Western Kentucky Oct. 18 at Boston College Oct. 25 at Florida State Nov. 6 Maryland (Thu.) Nov. 13 at Miami (Thu.) Nov. 22 Duke Nov. 29 Virginia Wake Forest Aug. 30 at Baylor Sept. 6 Mississippi Sept. 20 at Florida State Sept. 27 Navy Oct. 9 Clemson (Thu.) Oct. 18 at Maryland Oct. 25 at Miami Nov. 1 Duke Nov. 8 Virginia Nov. 15 at NC State Nov. 22 Boston College Nov. 29 Vanderbilt

FSU announces baseball TV, Webcast schedule SunSports and Fox Sports Net (FSN) announced Friday that it will televise 11 Florida State baseball games this season. Fans will be able to see five road games as well as six games played on Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium. Five of those contests will feature conference opponents, including four games on the road, three at Clemson and one in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech. Florida State is also expanding its coverage on the Internet as 20 home games

will be shown live on ACC Select. Raycom Sports and PlayON! are offering an ACC Select Spring Pass for $24.99, where fans can gain access to all Seminole athletic events beginning Feb. 13 through June 30, 2008. The spring pass will go on sale starting Wednesday, Feb. 13. Fans can also gain access to ACC Select by purchasing single event passes for $4.99, a monthly all-event pass for $9.99 per month, or an annual allevent pass for $69.99. For more informa-

tion on ACC Select, go to www.accselect.com. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ACC Select schedule includes nine conference games featuring Georgia Tech, Virginia, Miami and N.C. State. Baseball webcasting begins opening weekend as all three games against Duquesne will be shown live over the Internet. The first three TV games will feature Southeastern Conference opponents in Auburn, Georgia and Florida. The television schedule kicks off on March 1 at

Mike Martin Field as the Seminoles take on Auburn at 2 pm in a game shown on SunSports. Georgia makes the trek to Tallahassee for two games on March 11-12, with the first airing live on FSN at 6 p.m. The Seminoles will then wrap-up their SEC TV slate as they travel to Florida on March 18 in a game shown on FSN at 6:30 pm. Other non-conference television games include Stetson and two games against Savannah State. theosceola.com

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Campus Stroll FSU baseball tabbed to win division Staff Reports

Florida State was perhaps the most surprising team in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season. But if the Seminoles deliver a similar performance in 2008, it will be expected. Looking to build off of last year's divisional title and school-record 24-6 mark in league play, the Seminoles were selected to repeat as Atlantic Coast Conference Atlantic Division Champions, as determined by a vote of the league's 12 head coaches. Defending ACC champion North Carolina was picked to repeat as the league champion in 2008 as well as capture its third straight Coastal Division crown. The Seminoles return five position starters and five pitchers who saw action off the mound in 2007, including a pair of starting pitchers in senior Ryan Strauss and junior Bo O'Dell. In all, the Seminoles welcome back 13 of 31 letterwinners for the upcoming season. Florida State will start the season ranked 12th by Collegiate Baseball and 13th by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, while Buster Posey and Jack Rye were named Preseason All-Americans. Three of the top four hitters from last year's squad that recorded the highest team batting average in school history are back for the Garnet and Gold in 2008. Posey,

Rye and Jason Stidham ranked two, three and four, respectively, in hitting last year. Florida State garnered 66 points including seven first place votes. The Seminoles also received two votes to capture the ACC Championship which will be held at the Baseball Grounds in Jacksonville, Fla. The tournament will be played in a round-robin format for the second year in a row May 21-25. "We are very excited to be picked to finish first in the Atlantic Jack Division as we approach the season opener," said head coach Mike Martin. "But at the same time we know that there is still a lot of work that needs to be accomplished before any of this can happen." With 67 points and nine first-place votes, North Carolina garnered the top spot in the Coastal Division. In 2007, UNC

returned to the College World Series for the second year in a row but later fell to defending champion Oregon State in the first two games of the championship series. The Tar Heels posted an overall record of 57-16 including a 21-9 record in the ACC last year. This marks the third year of divisional play in the ACC, as the Atlantic Division has produced two different winners in Clemson (2006) and Florida State (2007). North Carolina has laid Rye claim to both Coastal titles. Last year, the Seminoles were picked to finish second in the Atlantic Division. Below is a listing of the preseason coaches' poll by divisions with 2007 records. ACC Overall Champion North Carolina - 7

Florida State - 2 Miami - 2 Virginia - 1

FSU HOLDS LEADOFF DINNER FSU's baseball team will hold its 23rd Annual Leadoff Dinner on Thursday, Feb. 21. The dinner will be held on the third floor ballroom of the University Center Club at Doak Campbell Stadium. The event will kickoff with a social hour beginning at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person for individual seating and $125 for patron seating, which includes dinner for two with a member of the 2008 team. Seating is limited, so fans interested in attending are encouraged to purchase their tickets as soon as possible. Fans can purchase tickets online at Seminoles.com.

RYE SIDELINED FSU will begin the regular season without one of its best players, as right fielder Jack Rye went down with a broken thumb during the opening day of practice on Feb. 1. Rye was expected to miss up to six weeks with the injury. Ruairi O'Connor is expected to be the leading candidate to fill in until Rye returns.

Connecting the dots Despite a loss to Troy earlier in the day, Florida State kept Louisville from a perfect weekend with a 6-4 win as FSU's Early Bird Tournament came to a close Saturday, Feb. 9. Senior and tournament MVP Brittany Osmon's seventh-inning home run secured the victory and the tournament crown as the Seminoles advanced to 2-2 on the season. "I love it, that's what you play for," Osmon said. "I wasn't going out there to hit a homerun; I just wanted to help the team by hitting the ball hard and trying to get a base hit. It was pretty sweet that I got it over the fence." Taking the win for Florida State was sophomore Terese Gober, who pitched seven complete innings in the victory over Louisville, ending the weekend at 2-1. Earlier in the day against Troy, Gober set a new career high of 12 strikeouts and brings her season total to 26 after shutting down three in her second game of the day. Leading the Seminoles at the end of four games is senior Whitney Buckmon, who went 9-for-15 over the two-day tournament. ... The Florida State swimming and diving team finished its home season by defeating Florida Atlantic on Friday afternoon at the Leach Center Pool. The Seminole women defeated the Owls 160-118 to earn their school-record 16th victory of the season. The Florida State men (10-4, 2-2) beat FAU by a score of 178-98. "That's 16 wins now for the women's team and that's the theosceola.com

most ever," said FSU head coach Neil Harper. "I'm excited about that and I'm also excited about our crowd. A lot of fans came out today and it was a good way to finish up our home season." The FSU women's team (16-2, 5-0) was lead by sophomore Stevi Steinhauer, who swept the sprint events. The Pensacola, Fla., native won the 50 free in a time of 23.72 and touched the wall in the 100 free in 51.78. Freshman C.J. Hendry (Evans, Ga.) also won two events on the afternoon. Hendry was victorious in the 100 backstroke (57.27) and 200 butterfly (2:03.87). On the men's side it was a pair of Florida State seniors who led the way. Ian Powell won three events on the afternoon. Powell led off the meet with a win in the 100 back (51.41) and took home a second victory in the 200 free. His third and final win came in the 200 back (1:50.94). ... No. 14 Florida State men's tennis lost its first match of the season, dropping a 5-2 decision to No. 19 Florida in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday afternoon. "We didn't play really well in singles I'm disappointed," FSU head coach Dwayne Hultquist said. "I felt like we did some good things, but Florida's a good team and they outplayed us today in the singles." ... If a 6-0 team record doesn't say enough about the power of FSU's No. 22-ranked women's tennis squad, winning 50 matches in a row to start the season certainly does. With nine

more victories in singles and doubles against Jacksonville University on Feb. 10, the Seminoles prolonged their record of perfection, which stands as the best spring season start in program history. "Going 500 in the first six dual matches is a pretty incredible feat," said head coach Jennifer Hyde. "We haven't had anyone even slip up and miss a point, which is very impressive. The team has some very specific things they want to accomplish this season and their resolve to do that is impressive. I think it shows in how they've performed in the last 50 matches." In the 27-year history of FSU women's tennis, no team has ever had such a powerful start to the season. ... With the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing rapidly approaching, the Canadian Women's National Team has called on one of Florida State's own to help in preparation for the Olympic Games. National Team head coach Even Pellerud has hired FSU's Paul Rogers to serve on this year's staff as the goalkeeper coach for Team Canada. Rogers will take an immediate leave of absence from his coaching duties with the Seminoles to join the Canadian National Team in training for the CONCACAF tournament which will be played in Mexico April 2-13. Rogers will rejoin Florida State as soon as his duties with the Canadian National Team are complete. "The chance to work with a national team at any level does not come around too

Brittany Osmon often," stated Rogers. "I am very grateful to Mark (Krikorian) and Florida State University for allowing me to take this opportunity to work with the Canadian National Team. This is an exciting time in my life to have the chance to work with the finest soccer players in Canada." Rogers joined the Florida State staff in the summer of 2007 as his primary responsibilities with the Seminoles included the training of the goalkeepers and team defending along with other recruiting and scouting duties.

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