Monday Mailbag: A New Year, replacing Treshaun Ward, and early 2023 record thoughts

A new year is bringing new expectations for Mike Norvell and Florida State between the lines. However, there are still over six months remaining until the Seminoles kick off their 2023 campaign against LSU in Orlando which means there will be plenty of storylines to follow leading up to the season.

For now, we're in the middle of the first peak of the offseason. The college football season has concluded, National Signing Day is over, and there's a slow dredge ahead until spring football gets started in early March. It doesn't get any easier with a recruiting dead period in place.

That makes it the perfect time to try and draw up some excitement by drumming up NoleGameday's first mailbag of 2023. Let's see what's on the docket to begin the week.

Any kickers coming in for FSU? - @lkg276

The Seminoles are bringing in a Preferred Walk-On transfer in former East Tennessee State kicker Tyler Keltner to compete with returning starter Ryan Fitzgerald. Keltner was a two-time All-Southern Conference kicker at ETSU, connecting on 56/74 of his field goal attempts and 131/131 on PATs for 299 total points in three years. He holds program records for field goals and PATs made.

Expect Fitzgerald and Keltner to compete throughout the spring and summer. No matter who wins the job, there will be a capable backup waiting in the wings if some type of issue arises.

Who do you think out of the transfers will have the best season in 2023? - @cooper_snelson

This is tough because Florida State was able to land multiple transfers who will probably make an impact on the roster in 2023. Above all, I've got to go with South Carolina tight end transfer Jaheim Bell and Virginia cornerback transfer Fentrell 'Deuce' Cypress II.

Bell is a multi-faceted weapon who will contribute on offense at tight end, in the backfield, and out wide. He caught 55 passes for 728 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for three more scores over the last two years.

Cypress II fits the mold of long and lengthy defensive backs that Florida State is looking for. He started all nine games that he appeared in for Virginia in 2022, recording 39 tackles, one fumble recovery and 14 pass breakups. Combining the talent of Cypress II with the experience and coaching acumen of new hire Patrick Surtain Sr. will be interesting.

Who is the most likely to significantly contribute out of the true freshmen? - @watchutalkingbout_willisss

At this point, there are two true freshmen who I think could make big impacts out of the gate for Florida State. The obvious choice is five-star wide receiver Hykeem Williams, who is already on campus and participating in the offseason program with the Seminoles. The team is bringing back a lot of talent and experience out wide in 2023 but Williams may prove himself too skilled to stay off the field. I'm not sure if he leaps into a starting role this year but a spot in the upper half of the rotation is not out of the question.

Outside of that, FSU still has a clear need at safety and four-star prospect Conrad Hussey will enroll in Tallahassee this summer. Hussey was one of the top defensive back prospects in his class and he's a physical hitter with good instincts. It's possible that he plays early in his career alongside expected starters at safety, Akeem Dent and Shyheim Brown.

Is FSU making any off-field hires? - Sheldon Walker

This would be the time to do it. Last offseason, Florida State made eight support staff hires from January to March (Darrick Yray, Gabe Fertitta, Keiwan Ratliff, Corey Fuller, Greg Moss, Antonio Rodriguez, Justin Crouse, and John Garrett). At this point, the Seminoles have yet to lose a member of their off-field staff and were quick to replace Marcus Woodson with the hire of Patrick Surtain Sr.

It wouldn't be a surprise if Florida State continues to bulk up its shadow staff but I'm not sure if a move is imminent at this stage.

Who is going to replace big Coop in the race with Mike? - Tom Kirkpatrick

The player who makes the most sense is Fabien Lovett, since he'll essentially be playing the leadership role that Robert Cooper held at Florida State last season. There are some other contenders though like Dante Anderson and Bishop Thomas, who both participated in the pre-practice race at times in 2022. Anderson seemed to hold a slight edge on Mike Norvell in speed so that could make for an intriguing competition.

Which game is more important? Clemson or LSU? - @britt.newsome

It's easy to get caught up with LSU after the way that game went a year ago for Florida State. The Tigers return a ton of talent under Brian Kelly in what projects to be one of the top contests on the opening weekend of the season.

With that being said, I've got to roll with Clemson holding a slight edge in importance. For one, the Tigers are a conference opponent for the Seminoles - one who the team has come up short against in seven consecutive matchups.

If Florida State loses to Clemson, the Seminoles no longer control their own destiny in the ACC. If they fall to LSU to open the season and don't lose again, they'll play for a conference championship and have a chance to make the playoffs.

Who is your favorite FSU player ever? @lil_drew2279

It's hard for me to focus on just one player so I'll throw out a couple of names - quarterback Charlie Ward, offensive lineman Bryan Stork, and cornerback/returner Greg Reid.

Ward was the first Heisman winner in program history and has always represented Florida State well on and off the field. Stork is someone that I became enamored with during his playing days and he developed into one of the best offensive linemen to ever wear garnet and gold. Reid is one of the most exciting Seminoles to come through Tallahassee this century. His ability to flip the momentum of a game with a single punt or kick return remains unmatched.

How does FSU replace Treshaun Ward's production? - @brenon_speaks

On paper, Florida State has enough talent in the backfield to replace former star Treshaun Ward, who transferred to Kansas State last month. Ward was second on the team behind Trey Benson with 95 rushes for 628 yards with seven touchdowns on the ground. Benson and Lawrance Toafili will remain at the top of the rotation but there are some highly thought after players that the Seminoles are looking at to step up in redshirt freshman Rodney Hill and former Penn State transfer Caziah Holmes.

Hill rushed 27 times for 144 yards and a score in 2022. Holmes was named Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year after practicing with Florida State following his transfer. He appeared in 12 games in two years with the Nittany Lions, totaling 56 carries for 254 yards and two touchdowns while adding six catches for 37 yards.

What's the toughest game on Florida State's schedule next year? - Brad Maxwell

It's a toss-up between LSU and Clemson, in my opinion. I've got to lean with the Tigers that Florida State hasn't defeated between the lines since 2014. It's been a long time since the Seminoles took down Dabo Swinney and owned the ACC. FSU has come up short in Death Valley during its last four trips.

Will 2023 be the year Mike Norvell begins to flip the script?

What do you think FSU's record will be in 2023? - @blakebranham2

I don't want to put an official prediction out this early but I feel like the schedule is extremely manageable for Florida State. The month of September will be tough with the Seminoles only having one home game while taking on LSU at a neutral site plus Boston College and Clemson on the road. Don't sleep on the back-to-back road trip towards the end of the season at Wake Forest and at Pittsburgh either.

If FSU can survive the opening weeks of 2023, we could be talking about something special in Tallahassee if the team can keep its focus on the main goal. Anything less than double-digit victories will be considered a disappointment.

Say we go 11-1 with the one loss being a bad Pitt team. We win the ACC title beating Clemson twice. What do you think the playoff committee decides considering we have one bad loss? - Michael Carpenter

In that case, I don't know that the committee would be able to hold the loss to Pittsburgh too negatively against Florida State if the Seminoles have two wins over Clemson, a victory against LSU, an undefeated conference record, and a sweep of the primary rivals (Miami, Florida). In this day and age of the sport, one bad loss likely won't keep a team out of the playoffs but two definitely will.

One thing that does make this scenario interesting is that FSU would lose to Pittsburgh on November 7 and then only have four more opportunities to prove itself worthy of a playoff spot.

Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the 2023 offseason

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