Florida State Football 2012: Latest News, Updates and More from Spring Practice

Florida State is hoping that this is the season they are able to return to the top of the college football world after a few hiccups in recent years. And in the watered-down ACC, this appears to be set up perfectly for the Seminoles.

They return 18 starters from last year's squad, including nine on each side of the ball and have a favorable schedule to compete for the ACC title. But of course there are questions heading into the spring that need to be answered before the Seminoles and their fans can begin celebrating.

Will that offensive line figure things out? Can E.J. Manuel take that next step and lead Florida State to the promised land? Those are just some of the questions that need to be answered as they prepare for the spring game that takes place on April 14.

Stay tuned for all of the latest updates throughout spring practice on your Florida State Seminoles.

Quarterback Battle?

We saw a sneak peak of what quarterback Clint Trickett is capable of when E.J. Manuel went down last season with an injury. He followed that up by completing 12 of 23 passes for over 170 passing yards in the recent spring game.

Could the sophomore possibly take the seniors job away from him?

“They’ll keep battling (into the preseason) and we’ll keep playing them and see where they’re at.” Head coach Jimbo Fisher said via the Orlando Sentential.

Manuel is a talented quarterback, with playmaking ability, but he hasn't quite taken that next step in his game and continues to make costly mistakes. The senior will likely remain the starter heading into the regular season, but that leash is getting a lot shorter knowing that there is a solid quarterback roaming the sidelines waiting for a shot.

Vince Williams Injury

Senior linebacker Vince Williams was competing with Telvin Smith for the starting linebacker position, but that competition will have to be put on hold for a while. Williams has broken his leg and will miss the rest of the spring as he recovers. We may miss him for a while, but head coach Jimbo Fisher says he will be 100 percent by the time the regular season starts.

"In four or five weeks, he'll be fine," Fisher said.

Williams was the fifth leading tackler last season with 54, had two sacks and intercepted a pass as well.

Timmy Jernigan Out

Sophomore defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan will miss the remainder of spring practice as he suffered an MCL injury. He should be fine for the regular season as he's only expected to miss four to six weeks due to the injury.

"He had an MCL tear, slight meniscus tear," coach Jimbo Fisher said. He'll be out for about 4-6 weeks and he'll be fine. He'll miss the rest of spring practice, but he's fine. It's relieving. After I saw it on film, I didn't feel as bad. It was a deal where someone fell from behind."

Jernigan was a solid contributor on the defensive side of the ball for the Seminoles last season, recording 30 tackles and 2.5 sacks in the 13 games he appeared in.

Focus Is to Keep E.J. Manuel Healthy

Last season, quarterback E.J. Manuel took a lot of unnecessary hits and was injured for a good part of the year, including missing all of the game against Clemson. This season the main focus is to keep their senior quarterback healthy as he may be the X-factor in reaching the national championship game.

“Last year was frustrating, but I think it’s something you build character from,” Manuel said. “Injuries are a part of the game. You’re never going to be healthy. You’ve got to play whether you’re 80 or 90 percent or 20 percent. If you’re going to play, you have to go out there with the mindset to win.”

We all know the defense is one of the best in the country, but on the offensive end they struggled at times to score and lacked the big play ability. Manuel can provide that with his versatility, but he's got to be healthy in order to do so. 

With question marks at the offensive line, it's going to be interesting to see just how Florida State is able keep their quarterback upright.

Updates

This slideshow will continued to be updated with the latest news, quotes, position battles and more throughout spring practice. Stay tuned for everything involving your Florida State Seminoles.