NEWS & NOTES: Oct. 17

Is it too early to look ahead to the 2002 college football season? Generally, I'd say yes, but not when it comes to Florida State. All I can say to the ACC and the entire nation is this: Enjoy it while you can, because before you know it, things will be back to normal. The Seminoles may be 3-2 and suffering through a dismal campaign by their national-championship standards, but they figure to be back with a vengeance next year.

	Redshirt freshman Chris Rix has replaced Chris Weinke as Florida State's starting QB, but will he keep the job?

Heading into this season, the question was whether Bobby Bowden and his staff would be looking to reload or rebuild in Tallahassee. The fact that the latter is true shouldn't come as a surprise. Just consider all the talent that moved on: Heisman Trophy-winning QB Chris Weinke, RBs Travis Minor and Jeff Chaney, WR Marvin "Snoop" Minnis, TE Ryan Sprague and three starters on the offensive line.

Remember, too, that Bowden has had to adjust his staff over the past two years. Longtime defensive assistant Chuck Amato became the head coach at North Carolina State, while former offensive coordinator Mark Richt left before this season to become the head coach at Georgia.

As for next season, the Seminoles have a chance to become reestablished as a national-championship contender once again. Their only key losses on offense will be at wide receiver, since Javon Walker and Atrews Bell are both seniors. That shouldn't be a problem, however, since the Seminoles have plenty of high-level talent returning at that spot. In fact, quality depth is being developed at a number of positions on offense, since Bowden has been forced to use 12 first-year performers this season.

At QB, redshirt freshman Chris Rix is the current starter and has shown future star quality on occasion this season, but he'll have to hold off a pair of talented youngsters -- Adrian McPherson and Fabian Walker -- to remain at the helm. With his superior arm strength, don't count out Walker, even though he was forced to sit out the 2000 campaign and will have some catching up to do in the spring. So despite the potential and ability Rix has shown, a three-way battle at QB is possible.

In the backfield, versatile junior Nick Maddox is expected to return, as are sophomore Greg Jones and Eric Shelton. The 'Noles will lose FB William McCray to graduation, but Randy Golightly will be coming off the injury list; Shelton also could be in the fullback mix.

In recent years, FSU has lost a ton of talent at wide receiver. The list includes Peter Warrick, Ron Dugans, Laveranues Coles and Marvin "Snoop" Minnis. Compounding matters this year were season-ending injuries to Robert Morgan and Anquan Boldin. In 2002, though, Morgan and Boldin are expected to return, along with Talman Gardner and three talented youngsters, Craphonso Thorpe, P.K. Sam and Willie Reid.

At tight end, Patrick Hughes will be the likely starter next season. This season he's been alternating with senior Carver Donaldson. On the offensive line, the Seminoles will return all five starters, keyed by OT Brett Williams.

On defense, the Seminoles entered this season having lost a number of high-profile, super-talented performers in the front seven and the deep patrol. DEs Jamal Reynolds, David Warren and Roland Seymour moved on, as did blue-chip linebackers Tommy Polley and Brian Allen. In the secondary, FSU lost both starting cornerbacks, Tay Cody and Clevan Thomas, plus physically gifted safety Derrick Gibson. The special teams also were affected with the graduation of punter Keith Cottrell.

Whether the defensive line will be able to perform up to past standards again in 2002 is debatable, but top-flight DT Darnell Dockett is expected to return, and the 'Noles hope DE Alonzo Jackson can stay healthy for the entire campaign. This season, Jackson has been hampered by a knee sprain. He's expected to return to action within the next two weeks. Jeff Womble should again work alongside Dockett on the D-line next season, with Kevin Emanuel and Chris Howard in the mix at defensive end.

The key graduation loss in FSU's front seven next season will be middle linebacker Bradley Jennings (expect to see him in the NFL next year). This past week in the loss to Miami, Jennings recorded 15 stops. But both starters at outside linebacker, Kendyll Pope and Michael Boulware, are sophomores. Pope is coming off a 14-tackle effort against Miami.

The graduation of top-drawer free safety Chris Hope will be significant next season, so this spot will be watched closely during spring practice. Rover Abdual Howard is also a senior; his replacement could be talented freshman Jerome Carter. At cornerback, sophomores Stanford Samuels and Rufus Brown and junior Malcolm Tatum should be back. But this is an area where some highly skilled first- and second-year performers could provide an impact. Freshman Dominic Robinson, generally regarded as the No. 1 prep cornerback in the country last season, figures to push for a starting job in 2002.

As for special teams, freshman place-kicker Xavier Beitia has gained experience and figures to have a solid future.

Overall, what has transpired thus far in 2001 at Florida State shouldn't come as a major surprise. With the landscape of college football so dramatically changed, reloading is no longer a given, especially when you lose so many integral performers and assistant coaches. But in 2002, the Seminoles will be the preseason favorite to win the ACC -- and if a few key holes are filled, they could catapult themselves back into the national-championship hunt.

D-LINEMEN COULD DOMINATE DRAFT'S FIRST ROUND
The early portion of the NFL draft this year should feature a number of defensive linemen, with North Carolina's Julius Peppers, Tennessee's John Henderson, Wisconsin's Wendell Bryant and South Carolina's Kalimba Edwards heading that list.

Also in the mix and figuring to garner first-round interest are Florida's Alex Brown, Washington's Larry Triplett, Fresno State's Alan Harper, Alabama-Birmingham's Eddie Freeman and Mississippi State's Dorsett Davis.

Another defensive-line prospect, Notre Dame's Anthony Weaver, has been in the top 10 of my senior draft board since August. While he may not be as flashy as some, Weaver's consistency has to be commended. Against West Virginia this past week, Weaver was Notre Dame's leading tackler (seven stops including a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage).

With key games on the horizon against USC, Boston College, Tennessee, Stanford and Purdue, Weaver will have plenty of opportunities to shake the underrated tag.

TWO STARS HELP CORNHUSKERS' TITLE HOPES
You can debate whether Nebraska has the overall star power to win the national championship this season, but the Cornhuskers are fortunate to have a big-time performer on both sides of the ball.

Senior QB Eric Crouch ranks as one of the top option quarterbacks to play the game. And in the deep patrol, senior Keyou Craver has few peers at cornerback.

The athletically gifted Craver (5-10¼, 189 pounds) -- a star triple jumper on the track team -- is currently the second-leading tackler on the Nebraska defense (38 stops). Despite the fact that opposing QBs usually avoid his side of the field, Craver still has managed to pace Nebraska's deep patrol with 11 pass breakups (plus two interceptions).

Craver's skills are evident on special teams, too. He's averaging 10.8 yards on 17 punt returns. Against Baylor this past week, he returned four punts for 51 yards.