Florida State Seminoles Football: 5 Positions to Worry About in 2012

As the old saying goes, a team is only as good as its weakest member.

Florida State enters 2012 with the potential to win the ACC championship and make their first appearance in the BCS since 2005.

Everyone knows the positions that are strong for the Seminoles—a defensive line led by stud end Brandon Jenkins. Star safety Lamarcus Joyner and experienced quarterback E.J. Manuel highlight a team bringing back a wealth of experience in 2012.

However, in order for the Seminoles to realize their great potential, they must get solid play from each position on the field.

Here are five positions that Florida State will be worrying about entering the season.

Right Tackle

In 2011, the offensive line was at the heart of many of the issues that plagued Florida State in their hunt to capture an ACC title.

The Seminoles were the worst team in the ACC in terms of sacks allowed, and the run blocking often left their talented stable of running backs running right into the line of scrimmage.

When building an offensive line the tackle positions are a great place to start. The Seminoles actually had a pair of talented tackles who departed after the 2011 season. Replacing Zebrie Sanders—who was taken in the fifth round of the NFL draft—won't be an easy task.

Bryan Stork appears to be the front-runner to start at right tackle heading into the summer. Stork came to Florida State as a tight end, played guard in 2011, and now moves to right tackle.

His versatility is good but whether he can be an anchor for this offensive line remains to be seen.

Left Tackle

Even more important for the Seminoles offensive line will be ensuring that E.J. Manuel's blindside is protected.

Keeping Manuel healthy and his jersey clean will be a top priority this season as he has the potential to be an All-Conference kind of player—if he has time to throw the ball.

But, if Manuel gets injured...let's just say this isn't the same team with backup quarterback Clint Trickett at the helm.

Florida State will be attempting to replace another NFL tackle prospect at this position as 2011 starter Andrew Datko was a seventh-round selection in the 2012 draft.

Penciled in to start at the all-important position is sophomore Cameron Erving. In 2011 Erving was a backup nose guard.

At 6'5" and 305 pounds, Erving has the size and athleticism to eventually become a great left tackle but the transition from defense to offense could take some time. The Seminoles will need him to be a fast learner during the team's easier non-conference slate so that their line play is not a liability going into ACC play.

Center

Yet another offensive line position that the Seminoles should be worrying about, as it's clear that the success of the 2012 season is riding on the early development of the offensive line.

Center is a widely under-appreciated position and it is extremely beneficial to have experience at the position as they often serve as the leader of the O-line, making all of the pass-protection calls and pre-snap adjustments.

The Seminoles won't have the luxury of a veteran center in 2012.

Projected starter Austin Barron played sparingly in 2011 as he dealt with injuries for a majority of the season. Backup Sterling Lovelady may have an awesome name, but he didn't see much of the field last year either.

With an inexperienced offensive line like this one, leadership will be key, so having Barron step up as a leader would be a big boost for this team.

Whether he is ready to do that or not remains to be seen.

Weakside Linebacker

Make no mistake, this defense is absolutely stacked with NFL-caliber talent and figures to be one of the best defenses in the entire country.

So any position that can be considered a "weakness" will have an experienced, talented core of players around it to make up for any mistakes.

The Florida State front seven has an astounding six returning starters in 2012. That leaves one player to replace in this upcoming season—NFL-bound Nigel Bradham. Bradham had been a lynchpin on the Seminole defense for years and his production will be missed.

Projected to replace Bradham is former strong safety Nick Moody. Transitioning from safety to linebacker is sure to have its hiccups at times during the season, but he should be just as good if not better than Bradham in coverage.

Even with the potential Moody has, the weakside linebacker position remains a question mark in an otherwise stellar front seven.

Strong Safety

Much like the front seven, the Seminoles secondary returns a high percentage of starters—three of four starters return to their roles from last season, including 2011 All-ACC safety Lamarcus Joyner.

The only spot needing to be filled is the strong safety position after the departure of Terrence Parks.

With few holes in the Seminole defense, head coach Jimbo Fisher and company can bet that offenses will test the most inexperienced starter in the defensive backfield.

That means that projected starter Terrence Brooks must be ready to play from day one.

Brooks has played a little bit of everything in the past—from wide receiver to corner to free safety. There's little doubt that he has the athleticism and ball skills to be a successful safety.

Putting together all of those skills to solidify this Florida State defense will be key in elevating this unit from a great one to dominant one.