

That's the gamble they're willing to take.



Photos: Sports Illustrated swimsuit models






Those two teams won the school's only national championships.



"Social media is a powerful thing," Fisher said.








---Caught a couple of glances at Franklin myself during the open portions of the practice session. He certainly looked the part of a developing quarterback; and I don't mean that negatively. He seemed poised, threw well, and threw with purpose.

Below are a few other observations.

---As mentioned before, with the switch from defense to offense, Newberry changed his number from No. 51 to No. 4. He takes on the same number that Brandon Jenkins and Chris Thompson famously shared in the 2012 season. Both were sidelined by season-ending injuries.

Along with Newberry, cornerback Nick Waisome and defensive end Dan Hicks are in a bit of a battle for the No. 6. Both defenders wore it in the spring, and neither has given it up so far in the fall. Eventually, one of them will have to part ways with the number when the season begins. Per NCAA rules, duplicate numbers can not be worn on the field by multiple players at the same time.

---Speaking of changes with Newberry, he's made one cosmetic alteration, too. Gone are the dreadlocks that covered his head. Now, the sophomore has a low, classic, Caesar-style haircut.

Hicks and cornerback Tyler Hunter, on the other hand, have gone to extremes with their hair. Both are sporting mohawks this preseason. Hicks has dyed the puff of hair that runs along the middle of his head garnet. Hunter has dyed his gold.

---While the rotations and starting combinations can and most likely will change for certain position groups throughout the preseason, there were no real surprises Tuesday. Hicks got several starting reps at defensive end. The offensive line was intact, featuring the starting group of Cameron Erving, Josue Matias, Bryan Stork, Tre' Jackson and Bobby Hart.

As Fisher mentioned at the ACC Kickoff, there were switches in the defensive secondary. Some edge cornerbacks were shifting into the slot-corner positions, and linebackers were shifting between interior and exterior blitzing patterns. The back seven will be highly versatile for the Seminoles this year. As a result, you should expect to see much more of the rotations once the year begins.

---Three NFL teams had representation at FSU's first preseason practice. They were the Miami Dolphins, the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens. The Senior Bowl also had a representative there.

---Tight end Kevin Haplea also was out on the practice fields Tuesday, but he didn't participate. He won't be participating at all this year. The senior, who likely will be offered a medical redshirt for this season, was off on the sideline, wearing a massive brace up and down his right leg.

Haplea tore his ACL earlier this summer during an offseason workout.

---One of the areas the Seminoles worked on the most during the media availability time was punt blocks. Specifically, they worked on getting players who could be potential special teams edge rushers into a mythical backfield and attempting to fundamentally block a kicker's punt without running into him.

Several players were working out there. Among them: linebackers Nigel Terrell, Freddie Stevenson and E.J. Levenberry, safety Karlos Williams and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Defensive back Stephen Davis also was in the mix, and appeared to consistently execute the drill.


OK, that's all from Day 1. Come back to the Chopping Block for even more out of Day 2.
