FSU Football: Depth Chart Analysis, Complete 2015 Preview and Predictions

The year 2015 hasn't been kind to Florida State so far.

The Seminoles opened the new year with a devastating 59-20 loss to Pac-12 champion Oregon in the Rose Bowl playoff semifinal, ending their long winning streak and hopes of a repeat national championship.

A massive exodus of starting talent from that 2014 team to the NFL—combined with the disastrous semifinal—has plenty of college football experts down on Florida State heading into the 2015 campaign. A spring camp with several injury woes and a pair of off-field incidents didn't help matters for the program, either.

But this is still the same team that won 29 straight games and is the three-time defending ACC champion. If a certain graduate transfer can step in for a former Heisman winner and lead a young but extremely talented roster, these Seminoles should stay championship contenders.

Here is Bleacher Report's complete preview of the depth chart, schedule and outlook for the 2015 Florida State Seminoles.

Coaches

Position	Name	Years with School
Head Coach	Jimbo Fisher	6
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks	Randy Sanders	3
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers	Lawrence Dawsey	9
Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs	Charles Kelly	3
Associate Head Coach/Defensive Tackles	Odell Haggins	22
Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line	Rick Trickett	9
Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends	Tim Brewster	3
Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs	Jay Graham	3
Defensive Ends/Outside Linebackers	Brad Lawing	1
Linebackers	Bill Miller	2
Strength and Conditioning	Vic Viloria	6

Jimbo Fisher has an almost entirely intact staff coming back for the 2015 season, with the only exception being new defensive ends and outside linebackers coach Brad Lawing. The coaching veteran replaces Sal Sunseri, who joined the NFL's Oakland Raiders.

Lawing has been in the SEC for the last several seasons, serving as an assistant for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina from 2006-2012 before spending the last two years with Will Muschamp at Florida. According to Brent Sobleski of CollegeFootballTalk, Lawing has developed 15 NFL defensive linemen, including former No. 1-overall pick Jadeveon Clowney.

The newest FSU assistant will be tasked with fixing a pass rush that only recorded 17 sacks last season—which ranked No. 108 nationally.

Florida State is transitioning to a 3-4 system under second-year defensive coordinator Charles Kelly after struggling in 2015 with a 4-2-5 base, according to Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinel. The creation of more pressure off the edge will be a work in progress, Lawing says, because of the changes.

"If you got schemes that are constantly changing, sometimes you end up with square pegs you are trying to fit in a round hole," Lawing said, via Tom D'Angelo of the Palm Beach Post. "It’s not their fault, it’s just things changed. We’ve tweaked a few things, but we feel now we got our guys in positions where they can do what we want them to do."

What to watch for on offense

Position	1st String	2nd String	3rd String
QB	Sean Maguire or Everett Golson*	J.J. Cosentino	Deondre Francois
RB	Dalvin Cook	Mario Pender	Jonathan Vickers or Jacques Patrick
FB	Freddie Stevenson	Colton Plante
WR (X)	Travis Rudolph	Ja'Vonn Harrison	Da'Vante Phillips
WR (Z)	Jesus Wilson	Ermon Lane	George Campbell or Kermit Whitfield
TE	Ryan Izzo	Jeremy Kerr or Mavin Saunders
LT	Roderick Johnson	Ethan Frith	Abdul Bello
LG	Kareem Are	Cole Minshew
C	Alec Eberle	Corey Martinez	Ryan Hoefeld
RG	Wilson Bell	David Robbins	Keith Weeks
RT	Chad Mavety or Derrick Kelly	Brock Ruble
K	Roberto Aguayo
KR	Kermit Whitfield	Dalvin Cook	Jesus Wilson or Mario Pender
PR	Jesus Wilson	Travis Rudolph

One of the biggest stories of the entire college football offseason has been the battle to replace former Heisman-winning quarterback Jameis Winston. While this year's No. 1 overall NFL draft pick struggled with turnovers in 2014, he still finished 27-1 as a starter for the Seminoles and will be a tough act to follow.

Winston's backup, Sean Maguire, is currently locked in a head-to-head battle with Notre Dame graduate transfer Everett Golson for the starting job.

Golson also had problems with interceptions last season but provides much more game experience and athleticism than Maguire, whose main advantage is his familiarity with Fisher's offensive system.

Mark Wallheiser/Associated Press

The two players are currently splitting first-team reps at quarterback during practice, according to Curt Weiler of Tomahawk Nation. With so much inexperience on offense—only four returning starters—Fisher's sticking with Maguire wouldn't be completely surprising. But Golson's skills and resume still make him the favorite.

Fisher's reluctance to name a starting quarterback could be due to the rest of the first-time starters on offense.

"It makes it hard for them to get in a rhythm (and) hard for them to gain confidence," Fisher said after a recent practice, via Safid Deen of the Tallahassee Democrat. "You throw a ball, and a guy (doesn't) get open or things like that. It's hard to gain confidence, and then you start doubting."

Florida State lost its top two receivers from last season in wide receiver Rashad Greene and tight end Nick O'Leary. Their replacements come from a deep group, but they haven't had a ton of success as a whole.

Sophomore Travis Rudolph and junior Jesus Wilson each had four touchdown receptions last season and will have to be leaders for a unit that has blue-chip talent in George Campbell, Ermon Lane, Da'Vante Phillips and Ja'Vonn Harrison.

The biggest concern will be on the offensive line, where the Seminoles must replace four starters. Sophomore Roderick Johnson, who started just five games last season, is the lone player with quality experience—FSU has the second-fewest line starts in college football, as noted by Phil Steele.

But it's not like Florida State is completely devoid of bodies on the offensive line. Earlier this week, Sonnone broke down the battles during fall camp:

"

Eberle and fellow redshirt freshman Corey Martinez took turns at center during camp, and right guard was a rotating door between sophomore Wilson Bell, junior Chad Mavety and true freshman Cole Minshew. Minshew also worked at center but a sprained ankle has slowed his progress thus far. Right tackle is a little more stable, as redshirt freshman Derrick Kelly has received a majority of the first-team reps during the portion of practice that is open to the media.

"

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Last, but certainly not least, Florida State received a boost to its offense earlier in the week when sophomore running back Dalvin Cook was found not guilty of battery stemming from an incident with a woman in June.

Cook's reinstatement to the team gives Florida State its leading rusher from last season and solidifies its depth at the position. With Cook away from practice, Mario Pender impressed coaches with his work as a first-team running back. A healthy Pender should form a nice combination with Cook this fall.

"Whenever he's been healthy, he's been pretty good for us," co-offensive coordinator Randy Sanders said, via Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times. "He's fast. He's strong. He's elusive. He's intelligent. He understands protections. He understands what his role is when he's not getting the ball."

What to watch for on defense

Position	1st String	2nd String	3rd String
DE	DeMarcus Walker	Rick Leonard	Chris Casher
DT	Nile Lawrence-Stample	Derrick Mitchell Jr.	Demarcus Christmas or Frederick Jones
NG	Derrick Nnadi	Keith Bryant	Arthur Williams or Justin Shanks
Buck	Lorenzo Featherston	Jacob Pugh	Josh Sweat
MLB	Reggie Northrup	Ro'Derrick Hoskins	Lorenzo Phillips*
WLB	Terrance Smith	Tyrell Lyons
CB	Jalen Ramsey	Malique Jackson
CB	Marquez White	Ryan Green
FS	Lamarcus Brutus	Keelin Smith	Calvin Brewton
SS	Nate Andrews	Derwin James
Star	Tyler Hunter	Trey Marshall
P	Carson Beatty

Florida State's defense is much more experienced than the younger group on the offensive side of the ball. The Seminoles will be led by their dynamic secondary, which returns three players with starting experience.

After standing out at nickel last season, Jalen Ramsey is back to his natural position at cornerback, where he is a surefire candidate to be one of the nation's best players in 2015.

"As an all-around defender, Ramsey rivals (USC's Su'a) Cravens for all-purpose adaptability, finishing fourth last year on FSU’s blue-chip defense in total tackles (79), second in tackles for loss (9.5), first in passes defended (12, including two interceptions) and tied for first in forced fumbles (two)," Matt Hinton of Grantland wrote.

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Ramsey is joined by Marquez White at the other cornerback position, senior Tyler Hunter at the star and Lamarcus Brutus at free safety. Nate Andrews is currently listed as the first-team strong safety, but 5-star early enrollee Derwin James emerged as a potential starter this offseason, especially after his pick-six of Maguire in the spring game.

Florida State's linebacker corps has experience in seniors Reggie Northrup, the team's leading tackler in 2015, and Terrance Smith.

But the depth behind the two is lacking, especially after JUCO transfer Lorenzo Phillips wasn't cleared to practice until earlier this month. Matthew Thomas was supposed to be a factor after recovering from a shoulder injury but has been ruled ineligible for the season.

Like the linebackers, the defensive line was also nicked by injuries in spring camp, but that unit has recovered to develop some more depth in the offseason.

Jeff Gammons/Getty Images

Senior DeMarcus Walker was third on the team in tackles for loss last season and will step back into a spot at defensive end. Derrick Nnandi and Nile Lawrence-Stample are currently on the first-team defensive line with Walker, according to Ariya Massoudi and Lucas Casas of the Orlando Sentinel. 

Lorenzo Featherston and Josh Sweat have each battled health issues at the "Buck" edge-rusher position this offseason. Sweat, a top-10 recruit, missed the entire spring while recovering from a knee injury, but he's been going full speed at practice and looks ready to be an important contributor.

"Fisher categorized Sweat’s recovery as 'freaky' and has routinely gone out of his way to make mention of the rookie’s performance in camp," Sonnone wrote. "For a team in need of natural pass-rushers, it is likely that the Seminoles will turn to Sweat sooner rather than later this season."

Injury news

Name	Injury	Duration
DE Chris Casher	MCL sprain and knee surgery	Indefinitely
DE Lorenzo Featherston	Knee surgery	Indefinitely
LB Matthew Thomas	Shoulder	Out for season (ineligible)

Both Casher and Featherston underwent arthroscopic knee surgery earlier this month and are still away from practice, according to Weiler.

Featherston's recovery is expected to be shorter than Casher's. The first-team Buck received high praise from Lawing earlier this month.

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

"He’s just got to continue to stay on the field in practice," Lawing said, via D'Angelo. "Coming out of high school, there were a lot of times he missed playing time."

Casher, who is listed as a third-team defensive end, could be out for a lot longer. He suffered an MCL sprain before the scope.

As D'Angelo noted, the junior has failed to live up to his 5-star billing out of high school, as he has just made two starts in his Seminole career. 

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

X-factor

Kermit Whitfield had a sophomore slump in 2014 after a freshman campaign that included a momentum-changing, 100-yard kick return for a touchdown against Auburn in the national title game. Last season, Whitfield failed to return a kickoff for a score, and his average return fell by 16 yards.

The speedy junior is focused on a bounce-back year on special teams but is also working to improve his game on the offensive side of the ball. He only had 11 catches for 145 yards last year and just three carries for 40 yards.

"He had always been a great return guy but (in high school) they didn’t throw a lot," Fisher said, via D'Angelo. "Details of routes, learning how to play and interacting with zone and man and all the things you learn in college, takes time and maturity. He still has to prove it. But so far I’ve been very pleased."

Whitfield's breakaway speed would be a welcome boost to the inexperienced Florida State offense this season, especially with a new quarterback. Look for him to be more of a home run threat as a receiver this year.

"You can do all different types of things with him," Fisher told D'Angelo. "When the ball is in his hands and you miss him, the numbers on the scoreboard change."

Make-or-break games

Date	Opponent	Location
Sept. 5	Texas State	Tallahassee
Sept. 12	South Florida	Tallahassee
Sept. 18	Boston College	Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Sept. 26	BYE	BYE
Oct. 3	Wake Forest	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Oct. 10	Miami	Tallahassee
Oct. 17	Louisville	Tallahassee
Oct. 24	Georgia Tech	Atlanta, Georgia
Oct. 31	Syracuse	Tallahassee
Nov. 7	Clemson	Clemson, South Carolina
Nov. 14	NC State	Tallahassee
Nov. 21	Chattanooga	Tallahassee
Nov. 28	Florida	Gainesville, Florida

While Florida State's nonconference schedule doesn't have an early test such as Oklahoma State or a midseason matchup against Notre Dame, the slate still has a few tests that will be challenging.

Louisville is a dark horse in the Atlantic division this season, and the Cardinals will be coming off a bye week when they visit Doak Campbell Stadium in the middle of October. If their new starters can come together early in the season, the Cardinals defense could cause some problems for the young FSU offense.

Florida State follows up that contest with a trip to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets played close games with Florida State in two of the last three ACC Championship Games, and now the Seminoles must deal with the Paul Johnson option attack earlier in the year.

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Then, of course, the biggest game of the Florida State schedule will come on Nov. 7, when the Seminoles visit Clemson. The winner of this game has gone on to win the division every year since 2009, and this time the Tigers will most likely be the favorites—they are already the preseason pick to win the league.

The intriguing matchup at that point in the season will be between Florida State's offense and Clemson's defense, two units that have blue-chip talent but not a lot of experience coming back from last season. The last time FSU visited Death Valley, it smashed Clemson, 51-14, and went on to win the national title.

Mark Wallheiser/Associated Press

Prediction

Along with Alabama, no other team in college football is more adequately prepared to handle a large amount of turnover on a title-winning roster than Florida State. The top-five recruiting classes and the trophies under Fisher explain it all.

Luckily for Florida State, the defense that regressed in its first season under new leadership has the potential to bounce back thanks to the presence of Ramsey, Northrup, Andrews and Smith. There are depth issues, especially at linebacker, but the move toward more of a 3-4 system should benefit the areas that ailed the Seminoles last season.

The offense is a major question mark without knowing who the starting quarterback will be. Golson has a strong arm and a willingness to make plays with his feet, while Maguire can bring some much-needed consistency to an offense in transition. The easier start to the season will help the new-look offensive line jell.

Looking at the schedule, it's difficult to see this Florida State team going undefeated, but neither should there be a breakdown. The inexperience will hurt in some road matchup, and the Seminoles will split the Clemson and Georgia Tech contests. The new starters should be able to pick up solid wins before the true tests start.

Other than those big games and a trap contest against Louisville, Florida State should be able to flex its 5-star muscles on a weaker-looking schedule. The best-case scenario here is a loss at Georgia Tech, a bounce-back win at Clemson and a shot at revenge on the Yellow Jackets in the ACC title game.

Overall Record: 11-1

ACC Record: 7-1

Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com.

Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.