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Jeremy Pruitt's meteoric rise to defensive coordinator at FSU is more a testament to his dedication and tenacity that luck.

The move was his idea. Out to prove his versatility and skills, despite his size, Lamarcus Joyner is attempting to return to cornerback for the first time since high school.

Junior safety Lamarcus Joyner is a stabilizing force in the Seminoles secondary thanks to lessons learned from many people along the way.

It's never too early to look ahead, so here are five key positions the Noles must address in 2013.

With 10 starters possibly departing after this season, the Florida State defense got a glimpse of what its future might hold, as youngsters Karlos Williams and Mario Edwards Jr., performed well in the ACC title game.

For Florida State players and coaches who've worked to reach a BCS bowl, their enthusiasm is understandable. For fans and the college football world at large, however, this Orange Bowl has been met with a collective groan.

Florida State thinks its has an elite team, and statistics back that up, but a lackluster schedule and an inopportune loss makes its status unclear.

Florida State's game at Virginia Tech on Thursday figures to be the most hostile environment they'll face this season, and the Seminoles haven't been nearly as dominant as they are at home.

They might be a team's star receiver, but to the FSU secondary, they're targets. Judging by the Seminoles' performances, they're hitting the bullseye.

The FSU-Miami rivalry has lost some of its luster, but don't tell that to the Seminoles from South Florida.

Senior DE Bjoern Werner implored the defense to put the NC State loss in the rearview mirror, and he led by exampl against Bsoton College.

FSU and quarterback EJ Manuel dominate Boston College to bounce back from a huge loss last week

Florida State's EJ Manuel and NC State's Mike Glennon have known each other since their high school days in Virginia and they'll take their friendly rivalry to the field one more time Saturday.

Jimbo Fisher knows FSU won't get any style points for its 30-17 victory over USF, but he'll take any road win.

FSU's Cornellius Carradine made the biggest play of the game when he forced a fumble, leading to Christian Jones' touchdown to put the Seminoles past USF

Florida State has every right to celebrate its win over Clemson, but the Seminoles know they must avoid a letdown.