Team MVP: With a solid team such as the ‘Noles there are several ways that the MVP award could go to. However, going into the season the must be MVP has to be Chris Rix. If he gets it going, the Noles will be a force for the National Championship. If he struggles, they will find themselves finishing second place in the ACC. Right behind Rix for this award would be Alex Barron and Craphonso Thorpe. 

Quarterback: Once again, the success of the Seminoles season will depend on Chris Rix. As a junior, he made strides to improvement, but continued to fallback against Miami, particularly when it came to protecting the football.  Going into his senior season, there is a chance to claim his place in Seminoles football history, but there will always be doubts about whether he can lead this team to a National Championship. If the senior can protect the football and improve the passing game, the offense is ready to take off.  Backing up Rix will be Wyatt Sexton and two freshmen in Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee.  Look for Weatherford and Lee to redshirt if Sexton can successfully hold the back-up position. 

Running Back/Fullbacks: Although the offense will miss Greg Jones power, the speed and versatility of Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker will make up for that loss. Both backs can break off 70 yard touchdowns and provide Rix with a solid option out of the backfield as a safety valve. Both backs battled injuries last season and will need to stay healthy in 2004. If either back gets injured, Willie Reid may fill in. 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: The big question surrounding the wide receivers will be health of Craphonso Thorpe. He was injured in the victory against N.C. State, and had to miss the rest of the season. All indications point to a healthy Thorpe returning in 2004, but he may be rusty early on.  The rest of the receiving corps consists of Chris Davis, Chauncey Stovall and Dominic Robinson. Willie Reid should see some time at receiver as well.  Davis, Stovall and Robinson are ready to explode if they can get consistent quarterback play.   

Offensive Line: Going into the 2003 season, the offensive line was going to need some patchwork as they had lost four starters. After the season, the line developed into a strong unit.  The key clog on the line was All-ACC performer Alex Barron. Joining Barron on the line will be center David Castillo and tackle Ray Willis. The line should give Rix solid protection and open holes for the running game. Look for a strong season from this experienced unit. 

Defensive Line: Last season, this was one of the Seminoles biggest strengths of the team. With Darnell Dockett and Kevin Emanuel, the defensive line wrecked havoc on opposing offenses. Now that both players have graduated, the defense will look to reload. Although there isn’t experience returning, there is no shortage of talent. Eric Moore and Travis Johnson will be productive players and expect Broderick Bunkley to have a breakout season. This unit may struggle early on, but they have enough talent to get after the quarterback.

Linebackers: Although the defensive line lost several key players, the linebackers took a bigger hit. The loss of Michael Boulware, Allen Augustin and Kendyll Pope creates a huge void at the position. However, similar to the defensive line, there is enough talent to make-up for the loss of experience. Stepping in for those three players will be the talented Ernie Sims and A.J. Nicholson. Buster Davis and Sam McGraw will be solid players in the middle of the defense. Expect Sims to have a big season and has the potential to become the best player on this defense in 2004. 

Secondary: Another position, another one the Seminoles have to reload at.  The loss of Stanford Samuels and Rufus Brown at the cornerback position creates another void for young players to step into. The Seminoles defense always finds a way to reload and most importantly, they play their players with their starters to keep up when they have to reload. Antonio Cromartie and Pat Watkins are excellent players that the defense can build around.  Also, Leroy Smith and Bryant McFadden are capable players at cornerback. 

Special Teams: Special teams have always seemed to haunt the Seminoles against Miami. After missing another kick against the Hurricanes, you have to wonder how much that will shake Xavier Beitia and his confidence. After missing the game winning kick against Miami in 2002, he went through a stretch where he struggled. Beitia is a solid kicker and he will find a way to bounce back.  The Noles will miss the solid hangtime that punter Jessie Stein had, but expect a capable replacement to emerge. 

Final Thoughts: Although the team has lost a ton of talent and experience on the defensive side of the ball, the Seminoles will find a way to reload.  The new players will be hungry to prove themselves and they do have game experience, so they won’t be walking into the situation blind. Offensively, the Seminoles have nearly everyone back except Greg Jones. The offense will miss Jones and his power, but they have a talented one-two punch in Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington. Any success of the offense is dependant on the play of quarterback Chris Rix. If Rix has a solid season, the Seminoles are a contender for a National Championship, if he struggles, they may not be able to beat Miami or win the ACC.  The offensive line should be a strong area with the return of Alex Barron and David Castillo. If Xavier Beitia can overcome his struggles of the past two seasons, he can be an excellent player. Overall, the schedule is very manageable.  If the Noles get by Miami in the first game, they could find their way into the National Championship game.  If they lose, they are still a strong contender for an at large BCS bid.