Tomahawk Nation: for Florida State Seminoles fans: Recent Episodes
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The official home for audio programming from Tomahawk Nation, SB Nation's community for fans of the Florida State University Seminoles basketball team.
It felt like Christmas morning. Florida State practicing for the first time this season in glistening white helmets produced an uptick in energy amongst the players and staff. A switch-up in gear raises eyebrows, and the team warmed up a little harder than usual as they broke them out. Mike Norvell mentioned that in the last two Wednesday practices, the team had a lot of “inconsistencies” but felt that they were up to the task yesterday and today. Florida State went for longer today than usual as the coaching staff wants to get the players back on the “ normal routine” since last week was a shorter week. The head coach did not offer an update on possible changes from Hurricane Lee, and it sounds like the ACC will take that one down to the wire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles football team hits the road this weekend after a blowout win over the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Up next? Another team of Eagles, this time of the Boston College flavor. The Seminoles will potentially battle the Eagles and the weather, as Hurricane Lee looms off the eastern coastline. We’ll discuss what to expect from the Eagles and the weather on this episode of the Line of Scrimmage podcast. Each week, we’ll be speaking with members of the beat that covers FSU’s upcoming opponent, getting all the details from those who know those teams best. This week, we’ll connect with Curtis Flannery of BCInterruption. Are there areas that the Boston College Eagles can get the upper hand on Saturday? Will the BC defensive line shut down the Seminole offense? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tuesday looked to be Florida State’s most consistent practice since the beginning of fall camp. Mike Norvell did not mention any up-and-down moments during his press conference. The phrase missed opportunities was not spoken either. The Seminoles seem to be sharpening their skills, and the improvements are apparent week to week. The Florida State head coach seemed calm by Mike Norvell's standards, mentioning there was a lot of “good on good work” and “saw some guys really responding.” Johnny Wilson answered the bell today at practice along with the defensive tackles and young linebackers who were today's stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles football team is riding high after their weekend victory over LSU. Up next is the home opener for the Seminoles, a matchup with Southern Miss. We’ll discuss what to expect from the Golden Eagles on this episode of the Line of Scrimmage podcast. Each week, we’ll be speaking with members of the beat that covers FSU’s upcoming opponent, getting the nitty gritty details from those who know those teams best. This week, we’ll connect with Steve Helwick of the Underdog Dynasty. What are the strengths of Southern Miss on offense and defense? Can the Eagles compete or even upset FSU this Saturday? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Does it really get any better than Week 1 of college football? This year, yes. To be honest with you guys, this slate overall is kinda weak. We’re lucky Florida State and LSU arrived on our doorstep on Sunday because I’d classify the Saturday games under more of an “interesting” category than “must-watch.” I guess it’s better than a pretty rough Week Zero where none of the games involved two Power Five teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football is back — and so is the Line of Scrimmage podcast. Each week, we’ll be speaking with members of the beat that covers FSU’s upcoming opponent, getting the nitty gritty details from those who know those teams best. Up first — a conversation with with Zachary Junda of And the Valley Shook, who helped us break down the LSU Tigers last season ahead of the first matchup in the series as well as an inside look at the Tigers’ recruiting class earlier this year. What does LSU bring to the table on offense, defense and as a whole? Is the hype surrounding the Tigers real? Can Florida State pull off a second straight win? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The countdown to the season opener for the Florida State Seminoles against the LSU Tigers is just days away. It’s a highly anticipated game to kickoff a highly anticipated season. The Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Ben Meyerson — released their 2023 season and LSU preview episode earlier this week. But with so much excitement for the year, one episode wasn’t quite enough. So we brought in the DraftKings Network’s Mike Golic Jr. to talk Florida State’s climb back to the national title conversation, Mike Norvell’s ascension through the coaching ranks and the Noles’ competition for the ACC crown. Mike Norvell’s Rise in College Football Four games into Mike Norvell’s second season at the helm, Florida State was at what felt like rock bottom. The Noles had just lost to the Louisville Cardinals to open the year with an 0-4 record including the shocking Week 2 loss to Jacksonville State. Golic remembers calling that game against the Cardinals for ESPN and getting to attend practice the Friday before. Despite the 0-3 start to that point and the pressure ratcheting up around his job security in the fan base, the former Notre Dame offensive lineman recalls the mood around practicing being unexpectedly spirited, cheerful and confident It’s not something you’d think to have around a struggling team. But Norvell’s team had it. From that point, FSU has gone 15-6 and finds itself staring down enormous expectations in the chase for the ACC and the College Football Playoff. Golic believes all that stems from the attitude Norvell instilled even in the face of losing. Jordan Travis, Heisman contender Norvell not alone in climbing out of the hole. That week against Louisville, McKenzie Milton took every snap at quarterback. The now star quarterback Jordan Travis was on the bench with a shoulder injury, three weeks removed from being benched against Notre Dame and losing the job in that Jacksonville State game. Now, Travis has the third best odds to win the Heisman Trophy. How did Travis make this transition and what is the real ceiling for him this season? Golic believes he is one of the best athletes in all of college football. Yes, one of the best runners, but he’s also shown incredible growth with his arm from that 2021 season. Are the expectations legit? Florida State enters the 2023 season as near co-favorites in the ACC with the Clemson Tigers and in the top eight in odds to win the national title — a stark contrast from where they were a year ago. It’s breakneck speed from the bottom to potentially the top of the ladder, but Golic says the transfer portal allows programs to microwave the roster. Florida State has excelled at it with a roster full of transfer names leading the way. He’s a big fan of Trey Benson’s running style and how he sets up his blockers for success. He’s excited to see how Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman work as a one-two punch at receiver. But most of all, he’s excited to see how Norvell uses Jaheim Bell, one of his favorite players to watch while calling South Carolina games over the last few seasons. Competition within the ACC Talking heads have been predicting the demise of Clemson for a couple years now, but it hasn’t happened yet. And until someone takes it from them, Golic says they have to remain the favorites to win the conference again. But that doesn’t mean FSU isn’t ready and capable to dethrone them. He sees the ACC as a two-team conference at this point unless somebody makes a large jump and surprises. Pitt, Miami, North Carolina and NC State are all teams certainly capable of contending for the crown, but they remain a tier below the top-two in the conference in Florida State and Clemson For more detail and insight on Golic’s thoughts on Florida State, the ACC and the CFP, listen to this bonus episode of the Seminole Wrap podcast available now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What hurricane? Even with Hurricane Idalia in the back of everyone’s mind in Tallahassee, it was business as usual for the Seminoles. Head coach Mike Norvell brought his usual energy, but the sense of urgency was more significant in the tone of his voice. During his media availability, he said that he “liked what I saw today” and felt “ the work was where we needed it to be.” Florida State was in full pads today, an overall solid practice for the team. Norvell believes his team will meet tomorrow and are “tracking the storm every hour,” but it should not cause a predicament in their preparation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles released their first depth chart of the 2023 season on Monday, six days before the season opener against the LSU Tigers. The highly touted, top-ten matchup between the No. 8 Seminoles and No. 6 Tigers will be a primetime showdown at 7:30 PM this Sunday on ABC. Last year, the two squads faced off an instant classic that saw the Seminoles come out on top in a last-second thriller by way of a blocked extra point. According to DraftKings, the Seminoles remain a 2.5-point underdog against the Tigers, with the over/under set at 58.5. On the depth chart are a few names that were expected — Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback Jordan Travis and potential top 10 NFL Draft pick defensive end Jared Verse, for example — but a few Florida State newcomers have earned starting status according to the week’s projected depth chart. Some of the more notable? At the wide receiver position, Destyn Hill and Winston Wright Jr. have emerged as starters, as well as tight ends Kyle Morlock and Jaheim Bell. Highly touted defensive transfers in defensive lineman Braden Fiske and defensive back Fentrell Cypress II also locked down top spot on the chart, while Keon Coleman has been tabbed as punt returner. Quarterback: Jordan Travis Running back: Trey Benson Running back: Lawrance Toafili Wide receivers: Johnny Wilson, Destyn Hill, Winston Wright Jr., Keon Coleman Tight end: Kyle Morlock Tight end: Jaheim Bell Left tackle: Robert Scott Jr. Left guard: Casey Roddick Center: Maurice Smith Right guard: D’Mitri Emmanuel Right tackle: Jeremiah Byers Defensive end: Jared Verse Defensive tackle: Braden Fiske Defensive tackle: Fabien Lovett Defensive end: Patrick Payton Linebackers: Kalen DeLoach, Tatum Bethune Nickel: Jarrian Jones Cornerback: Fentrell Cypress II, Renardo Green BUCK: Shyheim Brown Safety: Akeem Dent Kick returner: Deuce Spann Punt returner: Keon Coleman Kicker: Ryan Fitzgerald Punter: Alex Mastromanno Kickoff specialist: Ryan Fitzgerald Long snapper: James Rosenberry Jr. Holder: Alex Mastromanno Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to Week 1. Florida State football is finally here. Game week arrives for the Seminoles as a date with the LSU Tigers in Orlando is just six days away. With the first game of the year arriving in less than a week, the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Ben Meyerson — discuss their expectations for Sunday’s marquee matchup and the rest of Florida State’s season. What’s the key matchup for FSU vs. LSU? The only top-ten contest of opening weekend, Florida State vs. LSU figures to be a tight one. The spread from DraftKings has LSU as small 2.5 point favorites, a position its held for a few weeks now, entering Monday. With last year’s tight contest as a guide, this game figures to come down to the margins. One play can and likely will make the difference. So where could those big plays come from? Our guys are keeping their eyes on the LSU rushing attack against Florida State’s front as the Tigers try to establish a new identity behind their offensive line and Florida State’s wide receivers against the LSU secondary as their new bevy of weapons figures to give the new faces playing for the Tigers some fits. Who will win? Brian, Ben and Jon each give their predictions for the game with no one expecting a contest finishing even a touchdown apart, but they were split on who would ultimately end up with the edge. (Long time listeners may not be surprised by who split that decision. Plus a wager on the game to be paid out on next week’s pod.) What are their expectations for 2023 and what would be considered a failure? Each member of the team shares their thoughts on where they see the Noles season finishing when they look into their crystal ball. The spoiler alert there is that each of them are picking progression over last season. But what if things were to go wrong? What should be the baseline expectation for this team if they remain healthy in the key spots? And where would this team have to finish for the year with so much excitement and expectations be considered a disappointment? Can Florida State fans be happy if they fail to grab the ACC title? This is an action item request: Let us know what you think. Could FSU’s season be considered successful without being ACC Champions? Regardless of how it is, the crew is in agreement — 2023 will be a fun year to be a Florida State fan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football took to Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday night for the final practice of preseason camp, with head coach Mike Norvell excited about the opportunity for his team to get a quick feel for their home field. “I thought tonight was a good night, getting back out in Doak Campell,” he said after practice. “We wanted to get a little bit of experience of that. I thought they came out and worked. It was a tough practice, we wanted and needed one I thought there were some up and down moments throughout practice, but all in all, I’m liking what I’m seeing from this team.” “I thought there were some moments of elite-level intensity today, and there were some moments where we, especially later in practice, kind of jumped on guys. I’s been a real camp, we’ve gotten after it..really good moments in today’s practice, but some of those times where maybe [we’re] not as sharp we got to continue to get better.” Norvell met with the media after practice to offer impressions on the night’s work output and overall fall camp thoughts and Florida State’s season opener vs. the LSU Tigers approaches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
College football is back in our lives. Yes, it’s a snack size week zero once again, but it’s more than we had a week ago. One new new big addition to our pod network this season? A new show, Sharpen the Point. Each Friday. Brian Pellerin and Chris Tyndall will talk about the games that stand out that weekend — some weeks maybe two games, others maybe 10 — as well as, another new addition, which matchups will make the difference. Chris is an avid college football daily fantasy player who possibly knows more about third-string running backs and college football injury reports than many college coaches may know. So we’ll leverage his deep knowledge of those things to hopefully give us a deeper look into the games and his perspective on where he’s interested in building lineups for this week’s competitions. We will be getting all the lines and salaries from DraftKings because they provide lines and DFS prices so it’s easier to track picks. Whether you like picking games or playing DFS, we want the podcast to be something any fan of college football can enjoy and learn something from and hopefully we can accomplish that for you. Allow us some growing pains as we build the plane in the air and let’s have some fun with what’s shaping up to be a very fun college football season for the Garnet & Gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Red and white — with the occasional green. All of fall camp, those have been the only jersey colors worn. That changed today, with scout team players donning new jet-black Nike practice jerseys for the first time this fall as what Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell alluded to yesterday came to fruition — it was time for the team to begin to amp up its efforts in locking in for its season-opening matchup vs. the LSU Tigers. It was the first time extensive scout work had been done this fall, officially shifting the team's focus from camp and reacclimating to the standard to opening the season in Camping World Stadium. Norvell reiterated this during his media availability this morning, saying that Thursday “was the first day of LSU looks and things that we anticipate.” Practice looked different, but some players took it in stride and did not miss a beat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In less than two weeks, the Florida State Seminoles will open their 2023 season against the LSU Tigers in Orlando. It’s the second time in as many years the two will face off against each other, but the stakes feel much different this go around. Both teams have found themselves ranked in the top ten of the AP and Coaches poll to start the year — last season, both were unranked. LSU and FSU are in the top seven best odds to win the College Football Playoff this season, according to DraftKings Sportsbook — last season, ten wins for either team felt like a long shot. The questions from last season around the two quarterbacks are now all but gone as LSU’s Jayden Daniels and FSU’s Jordan Travis are in the top five favorites to hoist the Heisman trophy. A lot of the perceptions around the teams have changed, but what really makes them so different from a year ago? On this week’s episode of the Seminole Wrap podcast, Brian Pellerin is joined by Grant Chachere, an LSU beat writer from And The Valley Shook, to talk about the Tigers. What changed after last year’s game? Last year’s contest was an ugly 24-23 Florida State win. Neither team amounted much in the way of explosive plays, but it was LSU who really couldn’t find their footing. The Bayou Bengals lacked anything that resembled a dangerous offense until late in the contest. Outside of those final two drives, it was anything but pretty. The offense had errant snaps. The kicking unit had multiple kicks blocked. The punt return team muffed multiple returns. Like I said, not pretty. But LSU ended up winning 10 games in route to claiming the SEC West title over Alabama. Now, the Tigers are expected to compete for the SEC and national titles. So what’s changed? Jayden Daniels As mentioned above, Jayden Daniels is among the favorites to hoist the Heisman this year, but you wouldn’t know it from last season’s game against FSU. By all accounts, he’s taken to Brian Kelly’s staff and taken control of the offense. So what allowed him to blossom last season? What does he look like so far this year? And is the hype warranted? LSU offensive weapons Kayshon Boutte was the talk of the town last season, but it was Malik Nabors who showed out. He blossomed as the year went along and is now the most dangerous weapon on the Tigers’ offense. What does he bring to the table and who else do the Noles need to look out for? LSU defense The LSU defense was solid in last year’s contest, but there were a few faces that became stars that were not on the field that night. Who are Harold Perkins, Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo? And how could their presence impact Florida State’s offense this year? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With two weeks to go until Florida State Seminoles football takes on the LSU Tigers in a season-opening top-ten clash, the already-established need for elevated execution and consistency is hitting another level. After the Seminoles’ second scrimmage of preseason camp, head coach Mike Norvell, offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and special teams coordinator/defensive ends coach John Papuchis all took to the mic, speaking on individual and positional performances but emphasizing the challenge placed before the team ahead of an expectations-filled season. “Florida State is not for everybody — it’s just for the real ones,” Norvell said. “It’s for the ones that when they say they want to go and accomplish great things, then you know we’re going to help them work towards it.” Head coach Mike Norvell “The way our guys competed is really going to help. We put some guys in positions to help us and emerge in bigger roles, and like I told the team, there’s some guys that played a lot of football that gotta work and gotta get better or you can be passed by. I really like our depth, I like the competitiveness within each room. As we’re getting closer, every day counts and every rep counts.”Offensive coordinator, offensive line coach Alex Atkins “Jordan was Jordan — he got in there and operated efficiently. Made good decisions, took care of the ball. It’s good to see him go out there and operate. I love him. Sometimes you get accustomed to seeing it and you kind of take it for granted, but he’s a special player.”Video via Warchant Defensive coordinator Adam Fuller “We got a chance to be as good as there is. I think we got a really strong nucleus of players, we’re constantly trying to build depth because you know, you’re going to need it, but I feel really confident about the group of guys that we have. We’re going to have to continue to work at it and continue to execute on game days, but I don’t put any limits on what this group can accomplish both defensively and as a team and we’ve got the right people. But that right group of people needs to continue to push in the right direction and I’ve got no questions about who we coach right now. I’m excited to go to work and jump in this season with them.”Special teams coordinator, defensive ends coach John Papuchis “I thought today was our best day probably as a unit for the specialists in terms of overall assessment. I think in terms of kickers, both guys have had a really good camp and I think here in the next week or so we’re going to have to make some tough decisions but both guys have competed well. There’s been pretty consistent performances from both kickers, and that’s a good thing to have that kind of competition in camp. It makes everybody better and then it also obviously creates depth for your roster moving forward.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The college softball offseason is in full swing with transfers finding new homes, teams starting to take shape and new rules coming down from the NCAA. The picture of 2024 for the Florida State Seminoles and everyone else is starting to come into focus. As we wait on Team 41 to open their season, the Seminole Softball Wrap podcast crew — Gwyn Rhodes and Brian Pellerin — sought out national college softball writer Brady Vernon of D1Softball.com to discuss the stories of the offseason so far. Covered in this episode: Transfer Portal The biggest moves of the new year so far are centered around the Oklahoma Sooners. One of the best pitchers in the sport out, another in... and then some. Gwyn and Brian get Brady’s perspective on Jordy Bahl’s move to Nebraska, Kelly Maxwell’s jump across the state of Oklahoma to try and fill Bahl’s shoes, Alana Vawter’s move to the SEC and more. Does he see this as a weakening of college softball’s dominant force? Who are the teams that currently could push OU for the Women’s College World Series this year? Florida State The Noles are of course among that crew. They’ve built a powerhouse program perpetually in the top ten with the goal of OKC every year. But how does that translate to their national reputation? Brady sure thinks so, saying he believes OU fans look at FSU as their biggest competition each season and the program consistently pushing to compete. 2024 won’t be much different. The lineup is largely back so the bats should continue to find ways. In the circle, losing Kat Sandercock will hurt, but Brady has confidence in the growth of Makenna Reid into that role. Plus there’s another pitcher that he thinks is ready to find that stride in Tallahassee this season. Conference Realignment The Big Ten and the Big 12 have raided the Pac-12 leaving no conference left with a west coast base. It’s a move driven by football that will almost certainly have impacts on softball as well. The west coast used to run the sport and recruiting it well remains crucial to a strong program. Could the loss of a regional conference on the west coast open the door to more teams recruiting out there? And does the SEC gain an advantage as the only truly regional conference. New Rules for 2024 The NCAA released some new rules for the upcoming season including limits on assistant coaches interacting with umpires, the addition of the PitchCom system to relay pitches/plays like MLB has added, changes to the pitching mechanic rules around airborne feet and some replay review changes. Brady shares his thoughts on what catches his eye as the changes most likely to impact the sport people going forward.
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The Florida State Seminoles are less than three weeks from the opener against the LSU Tigers in Orlando. With the season drawing near, the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Ben Meyerson — flip to the defensive side of the ball and preview the crew looking to shut down opposing offenses. 2022 Ranks for FSU Last year, the defense was 20th in scoring defense (allowing 20.6 points per game), 15th in total defense (allowing 321 yards per game), 75th in rushing defense (allowing 156.38 yards per game) and 4th in passing defense (allowing 165.4 yards per game). PFF had the Seminoles graded out as the No. 29 overall defense in the country (87.1), No. 30 rush defense (84.9), No. 39 tackle grade (71.5), No. 36 pass rush grade (81.4), and No. 54 coverage grade (78). 2023 Areas for Improvement The defense was a solid unit for 2023 that produced in nearly every game, but they do have some areas to grow next season. Turnovers One spot the pod crew is looking for is the turnovers. While there’s a good deal of luck intertwined with getting turnovers, aggressive style and heads-up play can make a difference in gaining that extra edge. The defense has plenty of room to grow in the area after 2022 — can they turn that luck around for this season? Slowing the run The passing offense was one of the best in the country, but teams were certainly able to run the ball on them. Those games were largely when Fabian Lovett was off the field with injuries. Lovett is back and they’ve added to the DT group through the portal. Is that enough to fix the rushing issue? The trio dive in deeper on the latest episode of the Seminole Wrap — listen below, as well as on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to your shows. Position Previews The crew will go front to back looking at depth, talent and more for each unit. Follow along with our team’s position preview articles as well.
FSU has one of the country’s best defensive lines
Can the Seminoles’ linebacker corps take another step forward?
Talent infusion, returning production has secondary in great spot
2023 Florida State football schedule Sunday, September 3: LSU Tigers (Orlando) Saturday, September 9: Southern Miss Golden Eagles Saturday, September 16: at Boston College Eagles Saturday, September 23: at Clemson Tigers Saturday, September 30: BYE Saturday, October 7: Virginia Tech Hokies Saturday, October 14: Syracuse Orange Saturday, October 21: Duke Blue Devils Saturday, October 28: at Wake Forest Demon Deacons Saturday, November 4: at Pittsburgh Panthers Saturday, November 11: Miami Hurricanes Saturday, November 18: North Alabama Lions Saturday, November 25: at Florida Gators Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After spending the early part of the practice week in Jacksonville, the Florida State Seminoles made their way back to Tallahassee to take part in the team’s first fall scrimmage. With the start of the season now less than three weeks away, FSU is starting to up the intensity with an elevated sense of urgency ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the LSU Tigers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Florida State is now five days into its fall camp prep, knocking out its penultimate practice before a trip to Jacksonville for a series of practices on the University of North Florida campus. “Tomorrow will be a little bit lesser, since we have a big stretch this week going to Jacksonville,” head coach Mike Norvell said on Tuesday. “It’s kind of our getaway during camp — [that still features] two pretty intense practices.” FSU has taken the trip down to Jacksonville for the last two years, a tradition that’s emerged under Norvell in an effort to break up the grind of camp as well as get a little bit of road prep ahead of the season, allowing the team to get their first feel of the year for hitting the road but maintaining mentalities. The Seminoles are still in the early days of camp, having just thrown on full pads on Saturday, but the pressure is already on for FSU to continue its upward trajectory as it looks to achieve some of the lofty expectations being placed on the squad ahead of the season. Norvell has been impressed with the effort from his team so far — while he noted there were a few mishaps on special teams and a couple of areas that still need refining, the intensity and energy is exactly in line with what he’s looking for. “The depth, the quality of newcomers is something I’m really excited about — seeing those guys maximize opportunities that they’re getting. We’ve got a lot of competition, this is going to be good for us in the long run.” Norvell also shared that the NCAA has denied an eligibility waiver for Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Darrell Jackson Jr. In March, the organization updated its waiver parameters to try and curb the trend of players undergoing multiple transfers during their collegiate careers: In all sports, four-year undergraduate student athletes who decide to transfer to a new NCAA school can generally be eligible to compete for the new school provided that they have not previously transferred and notify their current school by entering the NCAA Transfer Portal during their sport-specific transfer window.Jackson, who began his career with the Maryland Terrapins, transferred to Florida State this offseason in an effort to be closer to his mother who is dealing with health issues. “She thinks it’s her fault, but it’s not,” Jackson said on Tuesday. “I’m going to continue to be there for my mom and see how things play out.” He also claimed that the NCAA did not provide an explanation for the denial of his waiver, saying “I don’t know if they’re trying to prove a point or what?” “I thought that [his reason for transferring] was shown and presented, but ultimately the NCAA, they have a choice of what they’re going to do and the decision that they made,” Norvell said. “It’s sad that he’s gonna miss games....obviously, he’s hurt.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Florida State took to the Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility on Friday for the second day of its preseason fall camp, logging another day of work as it preps for its September 3rd season opener vs. the LSU Tigers. While things haven’t fully kicked into high gear, with FSU still easing its way into full-padded practices, the energy the squad is displaying as it sets the foundation for the season has been encouraging to head coach Mike Norvell. “You’re in just helmets, it’s hard to get a real sense of what [everything’s] looking like,” he said on Friday, “but watching the first step, I really like the way the defense is flying to the ball. You see the depth, you see the competitiveness, DBs being active at the catch point.” Norvell also spoke further on the day’s production, which was a special teams-heavy day as the Seminoles look to solidify their specialists. “Specialists are doing a nice job early in camp...I like what I’m seeing from them,” adding that “[we’re] trying to get a lot of work with the returners,” amongst whom have been Keon Coleman, Destyn Hill, Winston Wright, Deuce Spann, Trey Benson, Caziah Holmes, Lawrance Toafili and Ja’Khi Douglas.
Overall, Norvell thinks his team is ahead of where it’s been in the past, saying that “guys understand expectations. They worked hard and are doing what we’re asking them to do, and they went above and beyond on their own and that’s where you’ve seen a lot of growth from players. They’re confident in what they’re being asked to do.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will they stay or will they go? The Florida State Board of Trustees drew their line in the sand with the ACC this week with former FSU QB Drew Weatherford saying it’s not if but when for the Noles departure from the conference. The question remains though, how and when. And to a lesser extent, where to. The Noles are making no secrets about their desire to make a jump happen sooner than later, but it sure seems like it won’t be that easy. On this episode, the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Ben Meyerson — take a dive into the latest happenings in the conference realignment tectonic shifts and discuss how soon Florida State needs to get out of the ACC to remain competitive at the highest level. They also dive into Mike Norvell’s comments at his camp opening press conference and ACC Kickoff about embracing the expectations his team is facing this season and ramping up practice to be ready for their opening schedule. Plus, the ACC media’s preseason poll laid out some clear tiers among the conference’s top teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles football program is wrapping up its best month ever with commitments from five-star cornerback prospect Charles Lester III and four-star offensive lineman Manasse Itete, who recently decommitted from Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans. Those two commits have placed Florida State in the top ten of the cumulative rankings from the two top recruiting services, with On3 Industry Rankings considering the Seminoles’ current 2024 commitments the No. 5 class with an average rating of 91.46, while the 247Sports Composite Rankings have FSU at No. 7 with a 90.97 average. It’s been too long, but the Three Stars reconvened to discuss all that’s going on in the world of Florida State recruiting — and there is plenty, including:
How big was the commitment of Lester and how would you describe his game? (he’s been a silent since June)
A little background on Itete’s recruitment and how he projects at the next level.
Speaking of offensive linemen, who does Tomahawk Nation recruiting analyst NoleThruAndThru think has the highest ceiling between Itete and fellow commits Jonathan Daniels and Tye Hylton?
Can FSU offensive coordinator Alex Atkins flip another blue-chip OL from SC?
How do we feel about some of the other July commits, including wide receiver Elijah Moore and Tallahassee running back Macahi Danzy?
Where do the Seminoles sit in the 247 Sports Composite team rankings?
Do the Noles have a shot at 5-star Georgia safety KJ Bolden and who might be next to join #Tribe24?
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After a nearly two-month hiatus, the Seminole Softball Wrap podcast makes a return to open up its run of offseason episodes. Over the next few months, hosts Gwyn Rhodes and Brian Pellerin will discuss the latest news around the team and talk to interesting people around the program today, tomorrow and from the past. In their first episode back, they recap everything that’s happened since the last episode around the college softball world in the transfer portal, who Florida State is trying to bring in, who else they’ve recruited this offseason so far and where they may still need to add. Plus, with some distance away from the end of the season, Gwyn and Brian give a way-too-early look at what Florida State returns for 2024 both in the circle and in the lineup. If they weren’t able to make any additions to the team, how would this team fare? That’s all on this episode of the Seminole Softball Wrap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Winning football games has a lot to do with talent, but you also need some luck as well. Whether that’s a bounce of the ball on a crucial play or the way your schedule lays out for you, it can be the difference between reaching your goals and falling short. For Florida State, the goals this season including another year with double digit wins, a trip to Charlotte for the ACC title game and a spot in the College Football Playoff. To get there, they need the talent they’ve acquired to play to their potential and several returning players to take that next step — and there’s been plenty of indication to think they will. But they’ll also need to make the most of the schedule in front of them. On this episode of the Seminole Wrap podcast — Brian Pellerin and Ben Meyerson — break down the biggest games, the timing of the bye week and look at where the toughest surprise tests may come for Florida State. And, the Tiger-centeric question that will define this season, which team poses the toughest test on FSU’s September schedule — LSU or Clemson? Who might be stronger than we think come season’s end? And which opponent could be easier than we think to beat based on their own schedule? That’s all on this week’s episode of the Seminole Wrap podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the offensive side of the ball, not many teams were better in 2022 than the Florida State Seminoles. They were one of the nation’s most explosive offenses, generating 97 plays of more than 20 yards, ranking behind only Georgia and Western Kentucky. They were top five in the country in third-down efficiency, converting at a 51% clip. And they were top ten in the country in rushing yards per carry. Still, there’s room for improvement. On this episode of the Seminole Wrap podcast, Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Ben Meyerson dive into the numbers and look at what could take Mike Norvell’s group from one of the best to the best in 2023.
How can Florida State get more consistent while remaining an explosive threat?
Can the offense sustain their success on third down?
What was missing from FSU’s lack of success in the red zone last season and how can they improve it this year?
What do newcomers like Keon Coleman, Jaheim Bell and others bring that was missing a year ago?
Plus, the guys play a little 2013 Florida State trivia as they compete to name the 6 rushing leaders from the national champion Noles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For the first three seasons of Mike Norvell’s tenure at Florida State, the consistent message has been consistency. It’s not the first time that noun has been prioritized by a coaching staff, but it’s stood out through the way the language Norvell uses permeating through the vocabulary of his players. Two of the best examples of that are quarterback Jordan Travis and running back Trey Benson, who were key figures in Florida State’s offense becoming one of the best in the nation in 2022 — one that ranked 7th nationally in yards per play (6.96) and 10th in yards per game (484.2). Benson shattered preseason expectations, fully proving his recovery from leg injuries suffered at Oregon as he put up 990 yards and nine touchdowns (as well as a thrilling kickoff return for a touchdown vs. Boston College), ranking first in ACC and 13th nationally with average of 6.46 yards per rush. Meanwhile, Travis put up such ridiculous production (226-of-353, 3,214 yards, 24 touchdowns, five interceptions, 417 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns and a two-yard touchdown reception) and elevated his game to such a degree that he’s considered a top Heisman Trophy contender heading into 2023, where he’s one of only four active players with at least 5,500 passing yards and 1,700 rushing yards. The duo spoke with the Florida State media on Wednesday, touching on handling expectations, offseason work, impressions of new teammates Keon Coleman and Destyn Hill, as well as a variety of other topics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Florida State softball season came to a close last week with a runner-up finish in the Women’s College World Series. The Noles swept through their bracket in the opening rounds of the WCWS, entering into the championship round with a perfect record for the first time in school history, but weren’t able to find a way to beat the Oklahoma Sooners in the Championship Series in games one and two. But the year was far from a disappointment for Team 40. This week, the Seminole Softball Wrap podcast crew — Brian Pellerin and Gwyn Rhodes — recap the WCWS semifinals and championship series, review the journey this team took to get to that point, put a bow on the outstanding career of senior pitcher Kathryn Sandercock and others, and look to the future of the program. Who is set to return to Tallahassee for 2024? What will the 2023 recruiting class add to the lineup and in the circle? Where do the Noles still need to help if they want to return to Oklahoma City next season? All that and more on this week’s Seminole Wrap podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Florida State head coach Mike Norvell’s mantra since taking over the Florida State program has been “Keep Climbing.” That attitude led the Noles to take a massive leap to a 10-3 season in 2022, leading to 2023 expectations sky-high after another offseason of high-profile transfer portal additions. But can Florida State reach that ceiling? The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler — a former NFL scout — believes so. On this week’s episode of the Seminole Wrap Podcast, Ryan joins Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and new co-host Ben Meyerson to discuss why he says “the stratosphere” is the ceiling for this team, especially the offense. Ryan also breaks down:
How has Jordan Travis progressed throughout his career? What areas does he still have to grow? And how does he rank compared to the rest of the college football quarterback class for 2024?
What do newcomers like Michigan State wide receiver transfer Keon Coleman and South Carolina tight end transfer Jaheim Bell bring to the offense and how can Mike Norvell and Alex Atkins use them to unlock new ways to attack defenses?
What’s been the key to success for Trey Benson since his arrival at FSU and how does he project to the next level?
We know he has size and speed, but what separates Jared Verse from other defensive ends around the country?
How do Coleman and Johnny Wilson work as one of the biggest wide receiver tandems in the country?
LSU or Clemson: Which team is the toughest opponent on Florida State’s schedule in 2023?
All that and more on the latest Seminole Wrap podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With another high-scoring performance against an in-state rival, the Florida State Seminoles put the finishing touches on a remarkable nine-win season that will see them end the regular season in the top 15 of the College Football Playoff rankings. The Noles were able to outduel the Florida Gators’ A-game without playing their best to send them back to Gainesville as losers. So how was Florida State able to win the shootout without their best offensive effort? How were they able to right the ship following the three-game losing streak in October? And how should Noles fans feel about the program after completing a nine-win season? The Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Max Escarpio — break it all down in this week’s episode of the show. Plus, they each give their thoughts on an ideal bowl opponent and location to close out the 2022 season with the hopes of getting to 10 wins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No. 16 Florida State (8-3, 5-3 ACC) and the Florida Gators (6-5, 3-5 SEC) are set to face off in a Friday primetime matchup in Tallahassee, with each team looking to add a solid momentum mover in the regular season finale. FSU comes into the game with an outside chance at making the Orange Bowl (should Clemson make the College Football Playoff) and a blowout win over one rival already under its belt. Meanwhile, Florida has had a roller coaster of a year that kicked off with an upset win at home vs. Utah but only two wins vs. SEC East competition. The team’s most recent loss, a head-scratcher to the Vanderbilt Commodores, highlighted a good majority of the issues that have plagued the Gators all season long. On this week’s episode of the Line of Scrimmage (where each week we give you insight into Florida State’s opponents from those in the know) we spoke with Richard Johnson of Split Zone Duo, Sports Illustrated, and SEC Network. What has Billy Napier been focused on as he looks to establish himself in Gainesville? What does Anthony Richardson bring to the table for the Gators’ offense and what are his weak points? How will Friday play out? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles football team has shown vast improvement on the field, and it’s being noticed by recruits, including their latest commitment, four-star quarterback Brock Glenn, a flip from Ohio State. The 6’2, 195 pound Glenn attends Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, and has a four-star rating from the 247 Sports Composite List. The sites consider him the 378th best player in his class (22nd best QB and 12th best player in Tennessee). Norvell leaned hard on his Memphis connections when recruiting Glenn and his family, and the Seminole staff kept in contact with the gunslinger despite his verbal commitment to OSU. That persistence paid off in a big way today, as the ‘Noles finally have their QB for #Tribe23. Glenn, who officially visited Florida State in June, also checked out the Auburn Tigers and TCU Horned Frogs, before eventually choosing Ohio State. He holds 30+ offers from teams such as the Cincinnati Bearcats, Duke Blue Devils, Illinois Fighting Illini, Indiana Hoosiers, Kansas Jayhawks, Kentucky Wildcats, LSU Tigers, Michigan State Spartans, Minnesota Gophers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Pittsburgh Panthers, Virginia Cavaliers, and Virginia Tech Hokies. The Three Stars got together for another instant reaction edition of the Florida State of Recruiting podcast to discuss the 2022 quarterback commitment. On this episode, we break down FSU’s newest addition to #Tribe23 and what he can bring to the Seminole QB room. But the fun does not stop there, as we give our thoughts on how the class could finish, while discussing future recruiting ramifications, as well, with a strong finish to the season. The Florida State of Recruiting (FSoR) Podcast features the Three Stars: Josh Pick, Tim Alumbaugh, and David Stout. And if you can’t get enough Florida State in your life, check out our “Tomahawk Nation” podcast family. As always, check out all the latest recruiting updates in the official Tomahawk Nation recruiting thread. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football, a week out from a primetime rivalry matchup vs. the Florida Gators, took care of business against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns to move to 8-3 (5-3 ACC) on the season. It was FSU’s fourth-straight victory of 25-plus points, a run that has solidified the team with two games left on the docket — next Friday and the Seminoles’ eventual postseason destination. Florida has had an up-and-down first season under new head coach Billy Napier. After upsetting Utah to start the season to earn a No. 12 ranking, the Gators dropped games to Kentucky and Tennessee to stumble out of the rankings and have struggled to find a consistent level of play from an offense led by preseason potential first-round pick Anthony Richardson. What has led to FSU's win streak? What can we expect from the Seminoles vs. Gators matchup? Max Escarpio and Jon Marchant break it down on this week's episode of the Seminole Wrap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No. 19 Florida State (8-3, 5-3 ACC) took care of business against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns on Saturday, dominating the Sun Belt opponent to the point that backups were able to enter the game early in the third quarter. They took a 49-17 victory behind phenomenal performances from the starting defense and rushing offense. It was FSU’s fourth straight blowout win, giving the Seminoles eight total on the year just two seasons removed from a 3-6 debut season for Mike Norvell. After the game, Norvell, Fabien Lovett, Treshaun Ward, DJ Lundy, and Robert Scott spoke on the team’s performance and thoughts ahead of next week’s rivalry matchup vs. the Florida Gators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No. 19 Florida State Seminoles football (7-3, 5-3 ACC) is getting set to take on the Lousiana Ragin’ Cajuns (5-5, 3-4 Sun Belt) this Saturday inside Doak Campell Stadium, the penultimate game of the 2022 season. Louisiana, in its first year under Michael Desormeaux after the departure of Billy Napier last season, has fought to work its way back to consistency. They went 2-2 in both September and October, right now 1-1 in the month of November after beating Georgia Southern last weekend. On this week’s episode of the Line of Scrimmage (where each week we give you insight into Florida State’s opponents from those in the know) we spoke with Josh Jagneaux of Ragin’ Review hopped on the Line of Scrimmage podcast. What has led to Louisiana’s inconsistent 2022? What does Desormeaux bring to the table as coach? Who are the names to know on the Ragin’ Cajuns roster? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football, after a third straight blowout vs. an ACC opponent, finished with its best record in conference play since 2016 on Saturday, advancing to 7-3 (5-3 ACC) on the season. No. 20 FSU has shaken off a midseason three-game losing streak to set itself up to finish nicely with just two games remaining on the schedule — the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (5-5, 3-4 Sun Belt), who are coming off a 36-17 win over the Georgia Southern Eagles and the newly-bowl eligible Florida Gators (6-4, 3-4 SEC). What’s gone into the recent surge of dominance from the Seminoles? How could the rest of the year play out? What does this season’s success mean for Florida State moving forward? Brian Pellerin and Jon Marchant talk on those topics and more on the latest episode of the Seminole Wrap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Perhaps you've been distracted by FSU football being good again. Perhaps your tv subscription expired, or you haven't been able to drive to the Tuck, and your radio died, and you forgot how to use the internet, and your neighbor's dog steals the newspaper, and all your friends who love basketball left town. If so, you may be wondering exactly how good the 'Noles look this year. I mean, there's a core returning quartet of Matthew Cleveland, Caleb Mills, Cam'Ron Fletcher, and Jalen Warley. There are critical transfers in Jaylen Gainey and Darin Green. And the freshmen class looks to be the best in years with Baba Miller, De'Ante Green, Cameron Corhen, Tom House, Jeremiah Bembry and Chandler Jackson. Let's get excited, people! Well....we've got some news for you. Gainey blew his knee and will be out all year. So will De'Ante Green. So will Bembry. Chandler Jackson broke his thumb. Fletcher can't practice. And the jewel of the newcomers - Baba Miller - is suspended by the NCAA for a half a year because he attended his own team's training camp. Has anyone else noticed that FSU hoops has been cursed since Covid hit? Luckily the season opened against Stetson. Even with just 8 scholarship players, surely they'd roll Stetson. Right? The next game was tougher. A road game at UCF. How'd it go? Well, through two games there in one team in college basketball (looking at you Mississippi Valley State) that has been worse on the defensive glass than Florida State. And the rest of the defense has been intriguing at best. And the offense? Well, there's a ball and a basket and sometimes the two meet. So here we are, two games into the bright and shiny new season. Come along as Matt and Michael provide some insight. It's gonna be a long season folks, so get comfortable and go 'Noles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No. 23 Florida State, in its ACC finale, put on a near-perfect performance vs. the Syracuse Orange. After scoring 14 points in the first quarter, Florida State’s offense took a bit to get going before finding life again in the third, surging ahead to safely put the game out of striking distance for the Orange. The Seminoles put up 420 yards, once again showing that Mike Norvell has cultivated one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Though the offense had an overall impressive performance, it was the defense that once again showed out, holding a team without a touchdown for the second straight week. Syracuse averaged just 3.3 yards per play, totaling 160 on the night (with most coming in garbage time.) Impressive individual performances were to be found across the board, with running back Trey Benson logging his third straight 100+ yard game, receivers Malik McClain and Johnny Wilson showcasing physicality while scoring on screen passes and quarterback Jordan Travis completing the trifecta of offensive scoring by throwing for, rushing for and catching a touchdown. With the win, the Seminoles (7-3, 5-3 ACC) finish with their best record in conference play since 2016. Next up for Florida State is a home matchup vs. the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (5-5, 3-4 Sun Belt), who are coming off a 36-17 win over the Georgia Southern Eagles. FSU vs. Syracuse stats 38-3 Total yards FSU: 420 Syracuse: 61 Passing yards FSU: 190 Syracuse: 34 Rushing yards FSU: 230 Syracuse: 27 Yards per play FSU: 5.9 Syracuse: 3.3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No. 23 Florida State is set to take on the Syracuse Orange this weekend inside the JMA Wireless Dome. Florida State Seminoles football (6-3, 4-3 ACC) is fresh off a 45-3 blowout victory over rival Miami (4-5, 2-3 ACC) while Syracuse (6-3, 3-2 ACC), once a top-15 team, are on a three-game losing streak after stumbling vs. the Pittsburgh Panthers in a 19-9 loss. On this week’s episode of the Line of Scrimmage, where ahead of each game this football season, we’re giving you insight into Florida State’s opponents from those in the know, we spoke with Andy Pregler of Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician (or Nunes Magician, or TNIAAM, whatever suits your fancy.) Andy gives us insight into where the Orange stand at this point of the season, the source of its losing streak as of late, a prediction for Saturday and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello everyone, happy Wednesday and welcome to Noles News Now, the latest in Florida State Seminoles sports, brought to you by Tomahawk Nation. I’m your host Perry Kostidakis -- let’s jump right in. Florida State has earned its first College Football Playoff ranking since 2016, the year that FSU faced off and beat Michigan in the Orange Bowl. The Seminoles debuted at No. 23 in the second edition of this year’s rankings, an improvement of two spots from the squad’s standing in the AP Top 25. FSU isn’t ranked in the Coaches Poll, but, hey, you can’t win them all, and also -- it doesn’t matter. The ranking is a reflection of the fact that, despite 3 losses, FSU has performed as at least one of the top 25 teams in the country. I’m going to drop a couple of stat bombs on you -- FSU has put together one of the most explosive offenses in the country, a balanced rushing and passing attack led by a significantly-improved Jordan Travis, who has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC and arguably, the country. Florida State is now No. 1 in the country in 20+ yard plays, having logged 69 on the season (62 vs. Power 5 competition.) According to FSU Sports Info, Florida State is one of four teams in the country (and the only team in the ACC) averaging at least 270 yards of passing offense and at least 210 yards of rushing offense per game this season. On the defensive end, while there is still room for improvement in a variety of areas, the Seminoles have also taken a step forward — FSU has allowed the fourth-fewest 20+ yard plays this season (24) while holding opponents to just 19.8 points per game (No. 22 in the country). Also via FSU Sports Info, Florida State is first in the ACC and fifth in the country in pass defense, holding opponents to an average of 165.0 yards per game through the air. The Seminoles also are first in the ACC and rank nine nationally, holding opponents to an average of 6.1 yards per pass attempt FSU leads the nation with 15 touchdown drives of 80+ yards and with seven 90+-yard touchdown drives this season. The Seminoles also rank fourth in explosive play rate differential, trailing only Georgia, Ohio State and Tulane, with an offense explosive play rate of 16.8 percent that ranks sixth nationally and a defense explosive plays allowed rate of 9.2 percent that is 15th in the country So basically -- yeah, Florida State is a pretty good football team. The Seminoles face off against the Syracuse Orange this Saturday at 7 p.m. and are currently 6.5 point favorites. In other FSU news, the soccer team is getting set to take on FGCU in the squad’s NCAA Tournament opener. FSU, the defending national champs and winners of the ACC Tournament, are the overall no. 1 seed and look to be set up well to at the very least make a deep run. Our Prince Akeem Joeffer, the best of the best when it comes to Florida State women’s athletics, has you covered with a layout of the bracket and other thoughts on the program up on the site right now. Those are the main big things of the day -- you can read up on them and more on TomahawkNation.com right now, as well as catch up on all of our past coverage from the week, from football breakdowns to basketball look through. Thank you for listening and supporting us -- if you want more of something we’re doing, if you want us to change anything up, please please either leave a comment on the website or in a review. Thank you again for listening -- we’ll see you next time.
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The Florida State Seminoles are halfway to sweeping their in-state rivalries this season as they gave the Miami Hurricanes everything they could handle and a whole lot more in Saturday’s 45-3 victory. The Noles looked clearly the better team as they ran out to a huge lead and never looked back. They clinched bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019 and did so with the largest margin of victory in the history of the FSU-UM series. This week, the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin and Max Escarpio (as Jon Marchant finishes out his old guy vacation) — discuss what led to the blowout, how the team and program should feel about and what goal should be for the rest of the season. Spoiler Alert: Optimism is plentiful. If you prefer pessimism, the duo discusses the future of the Miami program and Max also shares some thoughts on the upcoming FSU hoops season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome in to Noles News Now, your audio home for all things happening in Florida State athletics on the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. What a welcome back to the FSU-Miami rivalry, Mario Cristobal. Better luck next time. Happy victory Monday to you our listener. Your Florida State Seminoles are now bowl-eligible after a thoroughly, dominant and I mean dominant 45-3 win over Miami this past weekend. Thanks so much for tuning in. I’m Brian Pellerin on this Monday, November 7th. Apologies for the late timing on this podcast this week, we’re trying something different by recording on my Monday lunch break after Mike Norvell’s usual Monday press conference. We start this afternoon in the obvious place and that is Saturday’s blowout in Miami Gardens. The Seminoles asserting their will early taking a huge lead into half and never looking back. The stars on the day — Trey Benson who posted 15 carries for 128 and 2 TDs and then the FSU defense holding Miami to just 3 points in the game that came on their first drive. Otherwise, it was a lot of 3-and-outs plus turnovers. The Canes simply never had a prayer in this one. The stadium started emptying out in the second quarter and looked more like a normal Miami home game throughout the second half. Benson and OL-man Dillan Gibbons earned ACC Player of the Week honors as well. The victory puts Florida State back in the top 25 of the AP poll. They still remain a bit of a ways out in the coaches' poll. The college football playoff rankings drop tomorrow night. This week’s opponent Syracuse, no longer in those polls after dropping a third straight game. That one was a battle of teams playing without their top offensive player. Cuse going without QB Garrett Shrader who appears to be moving close to a return after warming up this past weekend and Pitt is without their star running back. Either way, it was Pitt who came out victorious so Noles headed to Syracuse to face a team on a losing streak, desperate to right their ship. Oddsmakers like FSU as they opened as a 7-point favorite on the road. Outside of the field, two headlines in Tallahassee. First coming Saturday night when the broadcast showed Mike Norvell and Deuce Spann on the sideline where Spann was clearly frustrated as Norvell tried to get his head back in the game. Asked about it today, Norvell said “It’s about me helping to get him back to where he’s in control — when you get to that point, your mind can race to a million different places... He apologized and I just told him I loved him.” Norvell received some praise online for how he handled that moment. The other coming from a potential transfer off this team. This morning, Sam McCall posted online a note that he was entering the transfer portal, but later deleted the post, saying he made it off emotion. So it appears he will remain with the team for the time being. That is certainly something that could come up in this week’s Tribe ‘23 Recruiting and Portal Thread with our experts Josh Pick, Tim Scribble, and David Stout. They’ve got the details on everything you need for potential roster shakeups in both recruiting and the portal. How about the ACC champs? Did you hear about that? Your reigning national champion FSU soccer team has added another trophy to their resume as they picked up the ACC title in a really even 2-1 victory against North Carolina. Florida State has now won nine of the last 12 ACC titles. Incredible run for that program. The NCAA tourney selection show is this afternoon at 4 so it may be out already depending on when you’re listening to this. Good luck going forward, Noles. Let’s go back to back. Hoops season is here also as the FSU men’s team opens their year tonight at 7 pm against Stetson. The FSU women already rolled through its first opponent with a 113-50 win against Bethune Cookman this morning. That’ll do it for today’s Noles News Now. Until next time, I’m Brian Pellerin. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It’s one of the greatest rivalries in athletics. Florida State Seminoles football (5-3, 3-3 ACC) and the Miami Hurricanes (4-4, 2-2 ACC) are set to etch the next chapter in the storied series between the two schools this Saturday. Currently, FSU is a 7.5-point favorite over Miami (according to DraftKings), a reflection of the Seminoles’ uptick in performance this year and a disappointing debut season so far for Mario Cristobal. Last season, the Seminoles snapped a losing streak to the Hurricanes by way of a dramatic 31-28 victory in Tallahassee. This year the two face off inside Hard Rock Stadium for a primetime showdown, scheduled for a 7:30 kickoff and set to be broadcast on ABC. On this week’s episode of the Line of Scrimmage, where ahead of each game this football season, we’re giving you insight into Florida State’s opponents from those in the know, we spoke with Hurricanes’ beat writer Adam Lichtenstein of the Sun-Sentinel. Adam gives us insight into the tumultuous beginning of the Cristobal era, helps break down the Hurricanes on offense and defense, talks Miami’s quarterback situation and offers a prediction for Saturday’s game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fresh off the team’s second bye week of the 2022 season, the Florida State Seminoles were able to thoroughly dominate the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to start their final stretch run. The Noles opened the first quarter rusty, turning the ball over on downs on their opening drive and then fumbling it away on their following possession, but Florida State was able to bounce back from there and nearly triple the Yellow Jackets in yards and double them in first downs on the way to another win. So what helped the Noles get back in the win column? And what do they still need to clean up as they head to Miami for an in-state rivalry game and in search of bowl eligibility? The Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin and Max Escarpio (without Jon Marchant who is on vacation) — break down the answer to those questions plus their predictions for the Seminoles and Hurricanes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome in to Noles News Now, your audio home for all things happening in Florida State athletics on the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. A victory and record breaking Monday for the FSU football team as they enter rivalry week. Thanks so much for tuning in. I'm Brian Pellerin on this Monday October 31st. Happy Halloween. That record breaking effort came from the football team in a blowout win over Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets were clearly no match for FSU as evidence by the 41-16 final score. The Noles were far from perfect in the game and still dominated the yardage, first downs and of course points. Jordan Travis broke his personal passing yardage mark with 394. That was a big piece of a larger FSU historical game as this game was the third time in FSU history that they had a QB throw for 375, a running back for over 100 -- Trey Benson's 111 -- and a wide receiver over 100 with Johnny Wilson going for 111 as well. Another big note was Fabian Lovett made his first appearance since the second game of the season. A huge piece to have back heading into rivalry week against Miami. The Canes coming off a 4-OT 14-12 win this weekend against Virginia that saw no touchdowns. They're far from playing their best football and oddsmakers will tell you that. FSU is an 8-point favorite on this one Sunday night. We'll see if that moves during the week. A win this week would give FSU bowl eligibility but also a nice welcome to the conference to Mario Cristobal. A statement victory could also help in some recruiting battles with the Canes. Mike Norvell and the coaching staff had plenty of potential Tribe 23 guys on campus this past week. For more on that, you can check out our recruiting and portal thread with plenty of great insight all for free. Elsewhere on campus, FSU basketball hit with some bad news this weekend as the NCAA announced star freshman Baba Miller violated guidelines when his family received travel to and from a training camp from his native Spain to the U-S. That ruling puts Miller out of action for half the season. Miller and his family say they immediately paid back the benefits once they learned it violated NCAA rules. Athletic Director Michael Alford was none too pleased with the ruling saying the decision seems disproportionate and inconsistent in today's modern environment. Miller will continue to practice with the team so he's ready to return after his 16-game suspension. The FSU volleyball team dropped a 4-set match to Boston College on Sunday. They'll face Clemson next on Friday. Women's basetball dominated West Georgia 115-46 in an exhibition game. And the No. 5 soccer team closed out their regular season with a 4-1 win over Virginia Tech. That'll do it for today's Noles News Now. Until Wednesday, I'm Brian Pellerin. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football (4-3, 2-3 ACC) is rested up and off its second bye of the season, looking to snap a three-game losing streak this Saturday vs. the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3-4, 2-2 ACC). FSU will also be looking to snap a two-game losing streak to Georgia Tech on Saturday at noon, having lost to the Yellow Jackets off a field-goal return in 2015 and in the opening game of the Mike Norvell era in 2020. The Seminoles are currently 23-point favorites, according to DraftKings, as the Yellow Jackets look to bounce back after a 16-9 loss to the Virginia Cavaliers last Thursday. On this week’s episode of the Line of Scrimmage, where ahead of each game this football season, we’re giving you insight into Florida State’s opponents from those in the know, we spoke with Robert Binion of our SB Nation sister site, From the Rumble Seat. Robert, who was one of the first-ever guests on the Tomahawk Nation podcast network to preview that aforementioned 2020 game, jumped on to talk about Georgia Tech’s new life after firing head coach Geoff Collins, what the quarterback situation for the Yellow Jackets looks like, how the offense and defense have looked and a prediction for Saturday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
With their bye week in the rearview mirror, the Florida State Seminoles now face five games in five weeks to close 2022 strong and build toward 2023. The bye gave them a chance to rest and reset their mindset from a 3-game losing streak. Still ahead of them, a chance to clinch their first bowl game since 2019, the state championship games, a likely ranked contest against Syracuse and a non-conference matchup with Louisiana. The Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Max Escarpio and Jon Marchant — discuss their expectations in each of those 5 games, how they expect Florida State to finish the season and what they need to do to get there. Could the Noles run the table and take all 5 contests? Could there be unexpected stumbles down the stretch? How will these outcomes shape Mike Norvell’s tenure and Florida State’s path back to the top of college football? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football (4-3, 2-3 ACC) sits at a crossroads after losing three-straight games — an undefeated start has turned into a just-over .500 record, with FSU showcasing both frustrating self-inflicted mistakes and clear indicators of growth and progress. The Seminoles currently are in the midst of the team’s second bye week of the year, taking the opportunity to regroup and refocus ahead of the final five games of the year — vs. the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, on the road vs. the Miami Hurricanes, away against the Syracuse Orange and the two home games to finish the year vs. Louisiana-Layfette and the Florida Gators. In lieu of a writer from Florida State’s opponent for the week, on this week’s Line of Scrimmage, we figured that the best way to look back at the past few weeks was to bring on some names from Tomahawk past. Adam Brown (CoachAB) and Trey Rowland of Xs and Noles and Noles247 jumped on to discuss the Seminoles’ offense and defense, players of note and offer season predictions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
For a large majority of Saturday’s loss, the Florida State Seminoles stood toe to toe with the Clemson Tigers. They held the Tigers' rushing attack to under four yards per carry and had plenty of success running the ball on their own. But ultimately, despite the close final score, Clemson was simply too much for Florida State. That game gives the Noles a third consecutive loss heading into their bye week and has sunk FSU’s short-lived hopes of a potential run to Charlotte. Now what? Does this loss sink the direction of the season and the program as a whole? Or is it just another bumpy step on the road back to consistent competitiveness? This week, the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Max Escarpio — look at what went wrong for the Noles in their current skid, why they can’t seem to get over the hump, and what the goal is for the rest of Florida State’s season following the bye week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles lose to #4 Clemson. The Seminoles started off strong against the Clemson Tigers but after going up 14-7 they fell apart and were never able to come back after that point. Jordan Travis and the offense moved the ball well at times with a good opening drive and failed to build on that. The Clemson Tigers did not start the game well but were dominant from the second quarter on led by QB Dj Uiagalelei. The ‘Noles fall to 4-3 losing to three quality opponents in a row. FSU did come back strong to end the game with the final score being 34-28 but from the second quarter on the ‘Noles were down and could not come back to win. While the Seminoles started off 4-0 they have dropped three straight games against Wake Forest, NC State and Clemson their toughest stretch of the season has proven to be very difficult. Looking forward they have a bye week upcoming and 5 more games to end the season with one ranked opponent (Syracuse) and big games against Florida and Miami who have both struggled this season. The bare minimum expectation should be a bowl appearance but 8 to 9 wins is not an unrealistic expectation as FSU will likely be favored in 4 of their 5 final games. The offense has shown flashes at times and the defense has had moments too but they never seem to be in the same game against these more difficult opponents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Two shared opponents, two different outcomes in both matchups. The ACC Atlantic has turned into one of the more competitive divisions in college football this season, with the No. 4 Clemson Tigers, No. 14 Wake Forest Demon Deacons, No. 15 NC State Wolfpack, No. 18 Syracuse Orange and Florida State all battling it out at the top. Clemson (6-0, 4-0 ACC), by way of wins over Wake and NC State, has separated itself as the leader of the pack while the rest scrap it out for pecking order. FSU (4-2, 2-2 ACC) also faced off against the Demon Deacons and Wolfpack but came up short, both frustrating losses that showcased both the steps the Seminoles still have to make in order to elevate to the conference’s elite and the potential it has to belong with them. The toughest test of the season for the Seminoles now comes as they prep to host Clemson at 7:30 p.m. inside Doak Campbell Stadium. The Tigers have won six straight in the series, dating back to a 2014 thriller between the two schools that Florida State pulled off in overtime. Clemson, according to DraftKings, is currently a 3.5 point favorite over the Seminoles. To help break down the Tigers, Will Harper of our SB Nation sister site Shakin the Southland jumped on the latest episode of Line of Scrimmage to talk about Clemson’s season so far, the evolution of quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, the Tigers’ strengths and weaknesses on each side of the ball and a prediction for Saturday night. You can catch some of his answers below, or you can listen here or find the episode on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to your shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles dropped their second straight game to fall to 4-2 on the season and 2-2 in the ACC. Frustrating losses to Wake Forest and NC State have FSU facing a potential 0-3 start to October as they now play host to the No. 4 Clemson Tigers this Saturday. The loss at NC State came via a second-half collapse that saw the run game struggle and quarterback Jordan Travis throw two interceptions leading to a scoreless performance from the offense. So what went wrong for Florida State to lead to that collapse, and is there reason to worry about the two-game losing streak? The Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Max Escarpio — discuss each of those questions and more like the choice to put the ball in the air on the final offensive play instead of playing for the field goal. Plus they look ahead to next weekend, where the Seminoles can improve to pull the upset against Clemson and give their predictions for Saturday.
Everything Florida State Seminoles, all the time. The Tomahawk Nation podcast channel, presented by SB Nation, features insider Seminoles recruiting, football, basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer analysis and commentary, featuring shows hosted by staff writers Tim Alumbaugh, Matt Minnick, Michael Rogner, Brian Pellerin, and Ben Meyerson, featuring contributions by Joshua Pick, David Stout, Jon Marchant, Max Escarpio and the entire Tomahawk Nation staff, produced by managing editor Perry Kostidakis. You can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to your shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State football hasn’t won on the road vs. NC State since 2016. Since 2010, the Seminoles have won just twice inside Carter-Finley Stadium, one of the nation’s most hostile home environments. Both teams are coming off their first loss of the season — FSU having fallen to the No. 15 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 31-21 and the No. 14 Wolfpack falling to the No. 5 Clemson Tigers 30-20. That group of teams (Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State and NC State) seem to be the frontrunners in an extremely competitive ACC Atlantic, with the Seminoles, Demon Deacons and Wolfpack seeming to be jockeying for second. On this week’s Line of Scrimmage, Coach Rob McLamb of FanNation’s All Wolfpack on Sports Illustrated joins us to break down what he describes as a “separator game” that’ll show who is truly a contender to have a significant season. He offers insight into NC State’s offense and defense, names to know, and other insider analysis ahead of Saturday night’s game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football, sitting at 4-1 (2-1 ACC), is looking to buck a few trends this Saturday in Raleigh. The No. 14 NC State Wolfpack present a variety of challenges to Florida State, who looking to bounce back after a 31-21 loss at home to the No. 15 Wake Forest Demon Deacons. FSU hasn’t won on the road vs. NC State since 2016, has lost two straight vs. the Wolfpack, and is looking to avoid turning its first loss of the season into a two-game slide. FSU leads the all-time series vs. NC State 26-15 but the Wolfpack have won five of their last six games against the Seminoles. So can Florida State pull off an upset on the road? What are the main takeaways from FSU’s loss to the Demon Deacons? What is more of a threat — NC State’s offense or defense? Max Escarpio, Jon Marchant and Perry Kostidakis discuss on the latest episode of the Seminole Wrap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello everyone, happy Monday and welcome to Noles News Now, the latest in Florida State Seminoles sports, brought to you by Tomahawk Nation. I’m your host Perry Kostidakis — let’s jump right in. FSU football is turning its attention towards NC State after dropping its first game of the year and falling out of the top 25. The Seminoles couldn’t overcome a sloppy first half in a comeback bid against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and now will have to try to steal one on the road vs. the Wolfpack, who are coming off a top 10 loss to Clemson. Right now, DraftKings has NC State as a 3-point favorite over FSU, which actually is pretty favorable towards the Seminoles — you assume about a 3-point cushion for home teams, so in Vegas’ eyes, this is a relative toss-up. Seminoles will have their hands full, especially with Wolfpack quarterback Devin Leary who is one of the conference’s best, but the team is going to be chomping at the bit to redeem itself after the performance against Wake. That game vs. NC State is set for an 8 p.m. kickoff, it’ll be broadcast on the ACC Network. On the soccer front, No. 7 FSU remained undefeated after notching a 1-0 victory over Miami Hurricanes on Saturday — you can read a full recap on Tomahawk Nation. Up next for the defending national champions is a tough stretch of conference opponents — No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers, No. 16 Notre Dame, No. 4 Duke Blue Devils and then No. 3 North Carolina Tar Heels. FSU has put together one of the country’s best offenses and a defense that has only allowed 4 goals in 10 games, and now it’s going to get a chance to prove itself as it seeks a repeat title. Volleyball beat North Carolina in a five-set thriller to advance to 10-5 on the season and 2-2 in conference play — the Seminoles now face off against Miami this Wednesday. FSU sits No. 20 in RPI while the Hurricanes, who are 11-3 on the season, sit at No. 14. Those are the main big things of the day — thank you for listening and supporting us — if you want more of something we’re doing, if you want us to change anything up, please please either leave a comment on the website or in a review. Thank you again for listening — we’ll see you next time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The last time Wake Forest had a three-game winning streak over Florida State in football was 2008 — also the same year that the two teams met for the first time as ranked opponents. The second iteration of a top 25 game ended up just as unpleasant for FSU, with the No. 23 Seminoles failing to overcome a poor first half and falling to No. 23 Wake Forest 31-21. FSU was a six-point favorite. FSU mustered just 7 points in the first two quarters of the game, sputtering on offense after an 83-yard touchdown drive to start the contest. Its inability to stay on the field was coupled by an inability on the defense’s part to get off it — at halftime, the Demon Deacons were seven-of-12 on third, a large reason behind its 21-7 lead. Florida State came out firing in the second half, managing to cut the lead to a touchdown early in the fourth, but Wake Forest managed to drive 75 yards to more or less put the game away with just under four minutes left. The Demon Deacons had four drives of 70+ yards, scoring points on all of them. It was obvious early on that FSU was sincerely missing the talents of defensive lineman Fabien Lovett and offensive lineman Robert Scott, both of whom would have made a major difference in attacking and defending a Wake line that came to play on both sides of the ball. Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, who has struggled this season, was zero-for-two on the day. The loss is Florida State’s fourth straight as a ranked team (2018 Virginia Tech, 2017 NC State, 2017 Alabama) and likely will push the Seminoles out of the poll once more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to the Line of Scrimmage, where ahead of each game this football season, we’re giving you insight into Florida State’s opponents from those in the know. This week, we welcome Cam Lemons from our SB Nation sister site Blogger So Dear, as No. 22 Florida State Seminoles football is set to take on the No. 23 Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the first of three ranked matchups for FSU. Wake is coming off a thriller vs. Clemson, coming up just short in an upset bid vs. the Tigers. Quarterback Sam Hartman has returned to form as one of the conference’s better passes and while the Demon Deacons have struggled a bit to dominate on defense, are still heading into the matchup as a difficult matchup for a Seminoles team still trying to solidify its return to consistent competitiveness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football is off to its best start in seven years, having just blown out the Boston College Eagles in front of a sold-out crowd to start 4-0 (2-0 ACC) for the first time since 2015. FSU also has a number next to its name for the first time since the 2018 season opener, earning a No. 23/22 ranking (AP/Coaches Poll) heading into this week’s matchup vs. No. 22/21 Wake Forest. It’s the first of three straight games against top 25 opponents, with No. 10 NC State and No. 5 Clemson the next two matchups on the schedule. It’ll be a true indicator of where the Seminoles are in head coach Mike Norvell’s third season — have they taken a step to be pretty good, or have they exceeded expectations there? On this week’s Seminole Wrap, the trio break down what has made Florida State so good so far in 2022, what the next few weeks of the season could look like and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles are on a hot streak on the recruiting trail this week, having landed commitments from 5-star WR Hykeem Williams and 4-star LB Blake Nichelson. As the ‘Noles square off against the Boston College Eagles Saturday night (8:00 pm EST, ACC Network), they’ll have an impressive cadre of visitors in attendance across the 2023, 2024, 2025, and even 2026 recruiting classes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Two blue-chip commits in one week. Just a few days after Florida State Seminoles football secured a pledge from four-star California linebacker Blake Nichelson, head coach Mike Norvell and staff earned a commitment from four-star receiver Hykeem Williams. An instant boost to a 2023 Florida State recruiting class that continues to climb, Williams’ commitment is just the latest bit of momentum for the Seminoles on the trail. Florida State put every bit of effort into recruiting the Fort Lauderdale prospect, finally earning his confidence with a 3-0 start to the season. Williams chose the Seminoles over the Texas A&M Aggies, Pittsburgh Panthers, Miami Hurricanes, and Georgia Bulldogs. What kind of athlete is Florida State getting? How does Williams project out at the collegiate level? What went into the Seminoles’ landing the receiver? Three Stars break down Williams’ game as well as what it means for FSU on the latest episode of the Florida State of Recruiting podcast. Florida State Recruiting Class of 2023 (click on names for links to commitment articles) RUNNING BACK: 4 star Samuel Singleton Jr. (FL) WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Darren “Goldie” Lawrence (FL) WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Vandrevius Jacobs (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Lucas Simmons (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Roderick Kearney (FL) DEFENSIVE END: 4 star Lamont “Boots” Green, Jr. (FL) DEFENSIVE END: 3 star JUCO Jaden Jones (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 3 star Tavion Gadson (GA) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keldric Faulk (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keith Sampson, Jr. (NC) LINEBACKER: 4 star Blake Nichelson (CA) LINEBACKER: 3 star DeMarco Ward (GA) DEFENSIVE BACK/ATHLETE: 3 star Quindarrius Jones (MS) DEFENSIVE BACK: 3 star Ja’Bril Rawls (FL) DEFENSIVE BACK: 3 star Kenton “KJ” Kirkland (FL) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to the Line of Scrimmage, where ahead of each game this football season, we’re giving you insight into Florida State’s opponents from those in the know. This week, we welcome Curtis Flannery from our SB Nation sister site BC Interruption to give us some insight on the Boston College Eagles. BC is 1-2 on the season, having secured a 38-17 win vs. Maine but falling to Rutgers 22-21 and Virginia Tech 27-10. While the Eagles return big names on offense in quarterback Phil Jurkovec, receiverZay Flowers and running back Pat Garwo, they’ve struggled to adjust along the trenches on both offense and defense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles football program got a big boost late Tuesday evening when four-star linebacker Blake Nichelson committed to FSU over the Oregon Ducks. Nichelson, who plays both ways in high school was a priority target for the Noles at a position of need and could portend an amazing week on the trail for Florida State with five-star wide receiver prospect Hykeem Williams set to announce his college choice on Friday. The Three Stars discuss Nichelson’s game and whether or not he can make an early impact in Tallahassee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles moved to 3-0 on the young season with a 35-31 victory on the road Friday night against the Louisville Cardinals, doing so as injuries forced many of their star players to the sideline. After Jordan Travis left the game with an apparent leg injury, backup QB Tate Rodemaker struggled but came out in the second half clicking with wide receiver Johnny Wilson en route to two 4th quarter touchdowns and a Florida State victory. So where does the team go from here potentially without Travis, defensive end Jared Verse and other starters? The Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Max Escarpio — celebrate the Noles big victory, look ahead to the Boston College game this weekend and what could be coming if those players aren’t able to return to 100% soon. Plus, stick around at the end of the podcast for a fun look behind the curtain for the voicemail, Brian left for our producer Perry after Friday’s celebration. How ‘bout those Noles? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Happy Monday and welcome in to Noles News Now, your audio home for all things happening in Florida State athletics on the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. I’m your host Brian Pellerin on this Monday September 19th. Thanks so much for joining me as we enter another game week with an F-S-U victory. After going into Louisville and grabbing a 35-31 win, Florida State is 3-0 for the first time since 2015. The Noles doing so with Jordan Travis, Jared Verse and others watching from the sideline after getting injured in the contest. Still not enough to stop this team. So how was FSU able to pull it off? Listen to this week’s SeminoleWrap podcast featuring myself, Jon Marchant and Max Escarpio available today wherever you hear my voice right now as we answer that question, I try to get this deemed the Tate Rodemaker game and we look at how FSU will fair going forward if they are forced to play without those guys. All right now on this week’s Seminole Wrap podcast. The first answer to how they’ll do will be a bit clearer on Monday when Mike Norvell meets with the media to kickoff Boston College game week. He may be unlikely to share many details, but it’ll be the first chance to hear from the head coach on those injuries though he may be vague on real updates until Saturday when they actually play against BC. The Noles are currently 16-point favorites against the Eagles so oddsmakers are confident they’ll be fine if those guys do miss time. This is the first time FSU is a double-digit favorite since the 2020 season opener against Georgia Tech and their largest spread since 2016 against Syracuse. If you’re going to be in Tallahassee this weekend, you’ve got a chance to help our Dillan Gibbons and his biggest fan Timothy Donovan. We’ve shared the story of their friendship before as Gibbons has been a champion for Donovan and his family through his big man big heart efforts. This week is Donovan’s 20th birthday so Dillan is inviting fans to stop by their tent on the legacy walk for a slice of cake and help out his NIL efforts to continue giving to charitable efforts. Couple things to watch on the recruiting trail this week as two highly rated recruits will make their college decisions. Linebacker Blake Nichelson will hold his commitment ceremony on Tuesday. Then on Friday, it’ll be wide receiver Hykeem Williams announcing his decision. Noles are in the running for both guys so keep an eye out for both of those guys. Elsewhere on campus, the FSU soccer team beat Boston College 6-0 on Saturday. They’ve now scored 5 or more goals in each of their last four games. Next up is a home match on Thursday night against Louisville. And the volleyball team won in straight sets against UAB this weekend. They’ll open conference play at home on Friday against Notre Dame at 6:30. That’ll do it for this week’s Noles News Now. As always, please follow, rate, and review the show if you like what you hear. It helps us out a lot and allows us to continue bringing you the content we do every day. Including this podcast that you can catch three times a week — Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So until Wednesday, I’m Brian Pellerin. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football overcame a rash of injuries, a hostile crowd and self-inflicted wounds to leave its ACC opener vs. the Louisville Cardinals victorious, securing a 35-31 victory inside Cardinal Stadium. FSU battled back from a deficit on the scoreboard as well as in the momentum, with backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker rising to the occasion following Jordan Travis’ departure due to injury. Wide receiver Johnny Wilson put together one of the most impressive wide receiver performances in recent history, going for 149 yards and two touchdowns. The Seminoles’ also held sturdy on defense, getting gashed a few times by Louisville’s Malik Cunningham but making plays when it needed to — namely a game-sealing interception from Kevin Knowles. To break down FSU’s victory, what it means for the program and what lies next for the Seminoles, Tim Scribble, Matt Minnick and Juan Montalvo jumped on to record an instant reaction for the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to the Line of Scrimmage, where ahead of each game this football season, we’re giving you insight into Florida State’s opponents from those in the know. This week, we spoke with John Powell of our SB Nation sister site, Card Chronicle, to get a first-hand look into the Louisville Cardinals as Florida State football gets set to start ACC play. John gives us some analysis on the Cardinals’ season so far, how quarterback Malik Cunnigham has fared through two games, what causes concern in Louisville’s run game and more. You can read some of his answers here: Louisville rolls into Friday’s game with a 1-1 record. From a non-Louisville insider perspective, I think most of us thought the Cardinals would be 2-0 at this point. What has been the main problem so far in the early season for Louisville? I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the cinematic masterpiece of Black Sheep, but there’s a scene where Chris Farley is falling down a hill like for a long duration of time and then at the end he’s like, “what the heck was that?” and that was basically watching the Syracuse game. The staff made it very clear in the offseason that they wanted Malik to focus on improving as a pocket pocket passer — going through his progressions and that kind of stuff — and they were limiting some of his abilities with running. In the spring they came out and flat out said don’t run the ball, and honestly, he came out in the first game and it looked like he hadn’t run the ball in 10 months. Syracuse held him to like 2.6 yards of carry or something like that. Malik Cunningham is not a pro quarterback prospect — he might be able to play at the next level at a different position, but I don’t think that he is at that caliber. Maybe I’m wrong. But I don’t think there’s any type of development that they could have done this offseason that would have elevated him to becoming that caliber. I think it’s really just it hurt the team in general with the way they kind of came out. And we saw the the effects of that on UCF when Satterfield came out later and said, like, “yeah, we just gotta let him be him and play his game.” And then he goes for 120 yards. Jumping over to the defensive side of the ball, Louisville’s defense has struggled so far against the run, allowing over 200 yards per game. What’s been the biggest culprit so far in Louisville’s run defense? They’re not creating havoc, they’re not getting into the backfield, they’re not creating pressures and then that just opens up the game for all types of runs. It’s like okay, they’re alright, but we’re not seeing any superstars. The big offseason push was to boost the secondary because that was they were just getting torched. Finally, what’s your general feeling for the game? The last time FSU started 2-0 in a season, their third game was the Lamar Jackson Heisman ceremony game. What’s your confidence level for Friday night? I know Florida State’s in some down years by based on their standard, but every time we play, I just always have this in the back of my mind, like, “man, it’s Florida State, it’s gonna be a challenge.” Even if Louisville has maybe the superior team on paper, I always feel like it’s just going to be a dogfight. Before the season started, I think I picked this one as a win. But what I’ve seen from the Cardinals’ offense so far, just doesn’t give me a lot of confidence heading into this contest. Florida State is going to just run the football with probably a fair amount of success, if I had to guess and so it’s going to be up to the offense to keep up with what Florida State’s doing. And I don’t know if they have the the guys to do it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles enter a new game week against the Louisville Cardinals after enjoying their Week 2 bye week. The chance to rest their bodies and heal up for conference play ahead came at a great time as college football entered full blown chaos. Louisville narrowly escaped a trip to UCF. Former Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M lost to Appalachian State. Notre Dame dropped their home opener to Marshall. Meanwhile in the ACC, defending conference champion Pitt lost to Tennessee, Boston College dropped to 0-2 and Clemson’s offense continued to look underwhelming as the conference looks wide open. This week the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Max Escarpio — discuss what they saw from Louisville’s performance against UCF, what’s going on with Jimbo as he’s off to a rough start in Year 5(!) in College Station and how open the ACC could be for Florida State to grab the wheel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Happy Friday and welcome in to Noles News Now, your audio home for all things happening in Florida State athletics on the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. I’m your host Brian Pellerin on this Monday, September 12th. Thanks so much for joining me as we enter a new game week for the Noles after the bye. Florida State will travel to Louisville for its first ACC game this week. Remember this is a Friday night game as the Cardinals try to run their program like a high school team for some reason. That means it will be Friday Night Lights for the Noles and if you missed it over the weekend, they’ll do it in the debut of their-white uniforms. White helmets. White jerseys. White pants. FSU going for the clean look as they head into a sea of cardinal red. That look is not impressing oddsmakers thought as this game opens as a pick em so it’s a coin toss in the eyes of Vegas. If FSU gets that coin to land on them, they’ll be headed for their first ranking since preseason 2018. The Noles landed just outside the top 25 again in both the coaches and polls this week. A road win against a conference foe should be enough to push them into that number. They weren’t expected to leap in with the bye week but had a chance with the chaos that unfolded around them. Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M’s loss to App State was the headliner. But Notre Dame also lost to Marshall at home. Florida lost to Kentucky. Pitt lost to Tennessee and many more in the top 25. It was a bloodbath and even some of the ACC teams that won didn’t look all that great. The aforementioned Louisville escaped Orlando with a narrow win over UCF. Clemson’s offense looked rough. Boston College continues to slide to open the year. The ACC could be open for the taking. So can FSU be a player for it? We discuss what’s wrong with Jimbo as he struggles in Year 5 in College Station and of course, we preview Florida State Louisville as well on this week’sSeminole Wrap podcast. You can find that in the Tomahawk Nation podcast feed or on Tomahawk Nation dot com. This week also meant the return of the NFL season and the headliner was Jameis Winston who led the Saints (WHO DAT) on a miraculous comeback win against the Falcons. Down 16 in the 4th to win it in the final seconds. Two long TD drives and a game-winning field goal drive in the final seconds. A more recent FSU star Jermaine Johnson made his debut Sunday for the Jets getting a sack of Lamar Jackson, who isn’t an easy guy to bring down. Lamar’s Ravens won, but congrats to Jermaine on his first career sack. The FSU soccer team posted their third consecutive 5-0 win on Sunday against Rice in Houston. Next for the Noles is a trip to Boston College on Friday. Meanwhile, the softball team started fall practice this week as they get ready for their spring season. Two beach volleyball players - Carra Sassack and Alexis Durish earned AVCAAll-American First Team honors. Arden Besecker and Chloe Charles received honorable mentions. And lastly, the men’s golf team broke two program records scoring a team total of 261 in the 2nd round of the Maui Jim Invitational. Noles ended up with a third-place finish in the event. That’ll do it for this week’s Noles News Now. As always, please follow, rate, and review the show if you like what you hear. It helps us out a lot and allows us to continue bringing you the content we do every day. Including this podcast that you can catch three times a week — Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So until Wednesday, I’m Brian Pellerin. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Happy Friday and welcome in to Noles News Now, your audio home for all things happening in Florida State athletics on the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. I’m your host Brian Pellerin this Friday, September 9th. Thanks so much for joining me and a quick thank you to Perry for covering the last few episodes for me while I dealt with a family emergency. This Friday is unfortunately not a football Friday for FSU. The Noles will get a chance to heal their bodies with a bye week after their first 2-0 start since 2016.The next game on the docket is Louisville the following Friday and if you’re interested in a sneak peak of the Cardinals, they’re in action tonight... this Friday against UCF. That game is in Orlando at 7:30 Eastern tonight on ESPN2. Louisville is looking to avoid an 0-2 start themselves after a blow out loss to Syracuse a week ago. UCF is a 5.5-point favorite. A Louisville loss could really quiet the crowd for next week’s game in Louisville. Something to keep an eye on. If FSU is able to get the win next week, they’ll already be halfway to bowl eligibility, but ESPN’s football power index likes their chances to go bowling already. TheFPI gives them a 94.2% chance to reach a bowl game with a projection of 7.7 wins and a 4.2% chance to win the division. That would be their first bowl game since 2019.A big reason for their growth will be this strong d-line especially the emergence of Jared Verse. The Albany transfer’s impressive Week 1 was enough to land him onPro Football Focus’ All-Defensive Team for the week. The win over LSU will likely prove dividends in recruiting as well with a lot of recruits in attendance including 2024 five-star RB Kam Davis who was rocking garnet and gold attire in the Superdome. The Noles commit has also received an invite to the All-American Bowl. One of the big names left on the 2023 board for the Noles is4-star linebacker Blake Nichelson, who just announced his commitment date on September 20th. That’s next Wednesday. Nichelson will choose between FSU, Oregon, and UCLA live on Youtube. Elsewhere on campus, the FSU soccer team rattled off another dominant victory, posting a 5-0 dub on Florida Gulf Coast. The FSU volleyball team has posted its 5thstraight win en route to its best start since 2014. And the FSU men’s golf team is set to open its year with the Maui Jim Intercollegiate around 1 pm on Friday. If you’re unsure how to spend this first bye week and looking for games to watch, check out my picks article on Tomahawk Nation as well. I along with anybody who wants to play along in the comments will give picks to the 10 games I think are the best to watch this week. Some of the ones highlighted this week — Alabama at Texas, the return of Sam Hartman for Wake Forest at Vanderbilt, Baylor at BYU, Appalachian State visiting Texas A&M, Kentucky at Florida, and many more. It’s all for fun and takes like 2 seconds to hammer out your picks. You can join in on the fun on Tomahawk Nation dot com and we use the comments to talk about the games as they happen as well. That’ll do it for this week’s Noles News Now. As always, please follow, rate and review the show if you like what you hear. It helps us out a lot and allows us to continue bringing you the content we do every day. Including this podcast that you can catch three times a week — Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So until Monday, I’m Brian Pellerin. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles are 2-0 for the first time since 2016 following their thrilling win against LSU in the Allstate Louisiana Kickoff. For much of the game, the Seminoles looked dominant. At the end, it was much closer than they’d have liked. So which team is the real Florida State? How good can this team be? Has Jordan Travis truly taken that next step? What allowed the defense to hold LSU in check for so long? And, dare we ask, is Florida State back? The Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Max Escarpio — breakdown the good, bad and more from Florida State this weekend including that incredible garnet and gold crowd in the Superdome and FSU’s hopes of contending for bowl eligibility, the division title and potentially the conference championship. Are the Seminoles ready to take that leap? Find out on this week’s episode of the Seminole Wrap podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Coming off a dominant victory over Duquesne, the Florida State Seminoles are headed to New Orleans to face off against the LSU Tigers. Labor Day weekend is nearly here, and the Three Stars are celebrating with a new podcast! The guys first discuss the newest name on the roster, Penn State transfer running back Caziah Holmes. What makes him special, and what does his addition mean for the running back unit? Next, Josh breaks down some high school junior names to know, as September 1 was the first day that coaches may communicate with prospects in the 2024 class. The Three Stars close out the podcast by discussing a very important sideline visitor for this Sunday’s game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Coming off a dominant victory over Duquesne, the Florida State Seminoles are headed to New Orleans to face off against the LSU Tigers. Labor Day weekend is nearly here, and the Three Stars are celebrating with a new podcast! The guys first discuss the newest name on the roster, Penn State transfer running back Caziah Holmes. What makes him special, and what does his addition mean for the running back unit? Next, Josh breaks down some high school junior names to know, as September 1 was the first day that coaches may communicate with prospects in the 2024 class. The Three Stars close out the podcast by discussing a very important sideline visitor for this Sunday’s game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to the Line of Scrimmage, the latest show on the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. Ahead of each game this football season, we’re giving you insight into Florida State’s opponents from those in the know. This week, we welcome Zach Junda, who is the site manager of our LSU SB Nation sister site, And The Valley Shook. We spoke with him about how the Tigers match up with the Seminoles this season, the names to know on each side of the ball for LSU, how the two teams are almost mirror images of each other and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles are 1-0 for the first time since 2016 after dominating the Duquesne Dukes, 47-7, on the backs of an overwhelming rushing attack. Now, the Seminoles turn their attention to adding to that total next week in New Orleans with a primetime showdown against the LSU Tigers. This week, the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Max Escarpio — give their takeaways from Florida State’s win, all the good, bad (as little as there was), and more. They also look ahead to next Sunday’s game against LSU. Who will be the Tigers’ starting quarterback? Can the Noles keep up the running game going against LSU’s formidable front? How will FSU’s defense match up against the Tigers’ deep wide receiving corps? And most importantly, does the Seminole Wrap crew think Florida State will put another W in the record column? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football earned its first season-opening win since 2016 on Saturday, taking down the Duquesne Dukes 47-7 inside Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. It was a fantastic showing by the running back room, with the Seminoles setting a school record by having three players (Treshaun Ward, Trey Benson and Lawrance Toafili) record at least 100 rushing yards. All six of the Seminoles touchdowns came on the ground, with quarterback Jordan Travis and true freshman Rodney Hill also ending the end zone. With no turnovers forced and just one sack, there weren’t any “wow” plays from the defense, but statistically FSU got the job done, only allowing a score following a 50-yard interception return off an errant Tate Rodemaker throw. So what takeaways are there from the 40-point win? Immediately after the game wrapped up, we hit a live stream to offer instant reaction and analysis from the Seminoles’ season debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football earned its first season-opening win since 2016 on Saturday, taking down the Duquesne Dukes 47-7 inside Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. It was a fantastic showing by the running back room, with the Seminoles setting a school record by having three players (Treshaun Ward, Trey Benson and Lawrance Toafili) record at least 100 rushing yards. All six of the Seminoles touchdowns came on the ground, with quarterback Jordan Travis and true freshman Rodney Hill also ending the end zone. With no turnovers forced and just one sack, there weren’t any “wow” plays from the defense, but statistically FSU got the job done, only allowing a score following a 50-yard interception return off an errant Tate Rodemaker throw. So what takeaways are there from the 40-point win? Immediately after the game wrapped up, we hit a live stream to offer instant reaction and analysis from the Seminoles’ season debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles football season is here. Doak-Campbell Stadium reopens for the first time in 9 months tomorrow with the Week Zero contest against Duquesne. The Noles are huge favorites, as expected, against the Dukes and should open the season 1-0 for the first time in 6 years heading into next week’s marquee, primetime matchup against LSU in New Orleans. With anticipation building and expectations rising, the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and producer Perry Kostidakis — give their overlook at the season. What are the main takeaways from the first depth chart? Who are their MVPs for each side of the ball? Who are the other breakout candidates? And what are realistic win-loss possibilities for the Seminoles this season? The crew answers all that and more on this week’s bonus episode of Seminole Wrap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles football season is here. Doak-Campbell Stadium reopens for the first time in 9 months tomorrow with the Week Zero contest against Duquesne. The Noles are huge favorites, as expected, against the Dukes and should open the season 1-0 for the first time in 6 years heading into next week’s marquee, primetime matchup against LSU in New Orleans. With anticipation building and expectations rising, the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and producer Perry Kostidakis — give their overlook at the season. What are the main takeaways from the first depth chart? Who are their MVPs for each side of the ball? Who are the other breakout candidates? And what are realistic win-loss possibilities for the Seminoles this season? The crew answers all that and more on this week’s bonus episode of Seminole Wrap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to the Line of Scrimmage. Ahead of each game this football season, we’re giving you insight into Florida State’s opponents from those in the know. This week, we welcome Brad Everett, who covers sports at all levels as a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Seminoles open the season against the Duquesne Dukes, who have found a relative standard of success in the Northeast Conference on the FCS level. Duquesne is coming off of a 7-3 season that included their first win over an FBS opponent. The Dukes are preseason second in the Northeast Conference, can you speak to the overall success of the program under head coach Jerry Schmidt? Is there a particular area that Schmidt has excelled in during his tenure? Brad Everett: They’ve just been consistent. I mean, ever since he’s been there. You know, this is a program that you know, I mean, I’m sure not a lot of your readers or listeners are very familiar with Duquesne athletics. But I mean, up until, you know, up until 1993, this was the division three program. You know, they weren’t even at the division two level. They’ve only had two coaches since 1993. Jerry Schmidt’s been at Duquesne for 18 years, he’s actually longer tenured than Mike Tomlin is here in Pittsburgh. On offense, the Dukes enter the season with the always favorite quarterback competition. Do you have a pulse on how this completion shakes out and also some background on Joe Mischler and Darius Perrantes? Brad Everett: Yeah, they’re in a unique situation. And, you know, it’s not a case, you know, some schools are still trying to, you know, are still trying to figure out how to have one decent quarterback but you know, Duquesne has, you know, not only to decent ones, but two good ones. Both of those guys, you know, have good arms can move. Not your traditional, like dual-threat guys, like, they’re not gonna, you know, be doing these 20 - 30 yards runs that Jordan Travis might be pulling off or something, but they can both play and they both have experience under their belt. Switching to defense, the name that sticks out islinebacker Todd Hill. If you could give some details to the listeners on him and also the base defensive formation that Duquesne runs? Brad Everett: This is a team that’s been strong defensively in recent years. They went out and they got a new defensive coordinator this year. They went out and got a guy named Mike Craig, who was previously defensive coordinator at IUP up here in the area, a really strong division two program and so he’s bringing that three, four defense over there. Todd Hill, he played at a local high school, Still Valley High School, was the day one starter there his freshman year and was just a kid that just produced and produced and produced throughout his career, just made plays every time you saw him. And it’s like, man, like this dude, you know, this dude is good enough to play, you know, he can go anywhere. He, I mean, he can go anywhere he wants in college, but there’s the size issue, he’s not very tall. And you know, and that’s what you’ll get a lot of these FCS schools, you know, guys that if they were three or four inches taller, they’d be playing on ACC teams. he’s going to be playing more of an edge position this year, and they’re going to try to deploy him in a lot of different ways. They’re gonna try to keep offensive coordinators guessing as far as where he’s gonna line up at on defense, but they expect him to have a really, really big year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football is just days away from its season opener. FSU is kicking off the year in “Week 0,” an early start to the 2022 season at home vs. the Duquesne Dukes. The Seminoles are looking to start 1-0 for the first time under head coach Mike Norvell and for the first time as a program since a 2016 win vs. Ole Miss in Orlando. Norvell mentioned in the final days of preseason camp that the team had already begun the early stages of game prep and now, with camp over and the focus fully on the Dukes, he’s eager to see his team rise to the opportunity. “We blew it out of the water from years past. I love the competitiveness we saw from our team and I'm really excited about the opportunity we have ahead,” he said during Monday’s season-opening press conference, adding that quarterback Jordan Travis has shown a great improvement throughout fall camp. He mentioned that having an extra week of practice really benefited the team, “I love it. It really added to the sense of urgency, we started a week earlier one of the things that was a benefit is that today was the first day of school. we were able to get an extra week of camp.” Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller as well as special teams coordinator and defensive ends coach John Papuchis all took the podium today to preview the start of the Seminoles’ season, speaking on the progress of the team in all phases of the game. Atkins mentioned the position changes on the offensive line and what makes his group unique in regards to depth, “We have true competition where, even there is a depth chart out there, guys are still fighting for those opportunities,” adding that having multiple players cross trained has benefited the team, “Having multiple guys that can go in there and not have that drop-off be steep. Just more competition, I think guys have grown a lot more just answering the bell.” Fuller went over how well he felt his team transitioned from spring to fall camp with the new practice rules in place “Felt really good from spring to the summer to fall camp. Kinda three different sections with new rules and our access to the players. It was the first in my tenure I've had a smooth transition from spring into summer.” John Papuchis spoke about his own evaluation of last season and evaluation throughout the course of spring and fall camp saying that they looked at what they could do better and focused on that. “At the end of every season especially when things don't go as planned in a lot of cases there is a critical self-evaluation from everything to how we teach the fundamentals and what we're doing schematically and after you go through that evaluation you kinda step back and say ‘what do we like about what we did and how we can do better?’” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After nearly nine months, it’s game week in Tallahassee. Week Zero has officially arrived for Florida State football as they open Doak Campbell Stadium for the first time in 2022 with a season-opening tune-up against Duquesne this Saturday. Ahead of the first game, the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin and Max Escarpio — go through the big observations from the last week of camp, including Max’s up-close impression of the players that look to have taken the biggest leap since the spring. Brian and Max also talk about what they hope to see and what positions/players they’ll be paying the closest attention to this Saturday against Duquesne. Plus, we have some updates from Baton Rouge as LSU nears a QB decision and suspends an offensive playmaker. Later this week, the crew will drop their season preview filled with predictions for the year ahead including win-loss records, standout stars, surprises, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Happy Monday... Noles Nation... Welcome to your first official game week of 2022. The Florida State Seminoles football team is back on the field at Doak for a game that matters this weekend. Get the tailgates and TVs ready. Football is back. Thank you so much for listening to Noles News Now, your podcast home for all the news happening around Florida State sports three times a week. I'm your host Brian Pellerin on this Monday morning, guiding you through the weekend that was.
The biggest note, yeah, I already told you. Fall camp is finished and football is here. And if it doesn't quite feel like football yet for you, look in this article and check out the video of Jordan Travis smashing the rock. It's a sign of achieving a goal, overcoming obstacles and showing progress and work from a player that has the mindset to win so to end fall camp. It makes sense that the undisputed leader of this team, quarterback Jordan Travis, took the hammer and closed camp the best way possible. Travis gets his first chance to show off the improvements he's made in his passing game this weekend against Duquesne. Nobody needs to take that leap as much as the Noles signal caller.
We'll see that Saturday, but there's still plenty of game week activities to see between now and then. First and foremost, it'll be Mike Norvel's weekly press conference today. In case you forgot how that goes, each Monday Norvell adresses the media -- typically recapping the week before after reviewing the film and looking ahead to this weekend's game. With no game to review, he'll probably tackle many of the same questions as he has this offseason with some extras about Duquesne. We'll have a recap of that presser posted on Tomahawk Nation dot com later today with the highlights.
This week on Seminole Wrap, Max Escarpio and myself take a look at some of the biggest standouts from the final week of fall camp, look ahead to what we want to see from FSU against Duquesne and some news out of Baton Rouge as LSU appears to be down an offensive playmaker for the FSU on top of the already lingering QB battle there. Lots going on as we do a final fall camp episode. Later this week, we'll drop a full season preview to get you set for the season ahead as well looking at predictions, wins-losses, surprises and more. That episode expected Friday. The final fall camp episode is available now in your podcast feed.
College football not the only sport getting underway as plenty of future Noles gridiron stars have started their high school seasons. Among them, Benedictine High School QB and FSU commit Luke Kromenhoek. He dropped 4 touchdowns in the first half of a 45-0 route that included a nice dime down the right sideline you should find in this article if you haven't seen it already.
Meanwhile, the FSU soccer team has notched their first W of the season. After a draw in their opener on Thursday against 12th ranked South Carolina, the Noles beat Georgia in Athens 3-1 to get the first win of Brian Pensky's tenure as head coach. Florida State jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first 28 minutes and never looked back. They return to Tallahassee for their home opener on Thursday against Auburn.
That's it for this Monday's Noles News Now. We'll be back on Wednesday to update on the biggest happenings early on this opening game week of 2022. Until then, be sure to follow this feed so you're up to date on the latest this football season. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football got another win on the recruiting trail on Monday, securing a commitment from Kenton Kirkland, a 6’2”, 185-pound defensive back, who plays for Raines High School in Jacksonville. The addition of Kirkland helped bump up FSU to the No. 20th class overall. He is considered a high three-star by the 247 Sports Composite List (four-star on most sites) but is much closer to a blue-chip ranking than that of a solid three-star. What aspects of his game give the Three Stars confidence that he’s better than his current rating? In the latest episode of the Florida State of Recruiting podcast, the Three Stars break down the Duval prospect’s skillset and how he projects at the collegiate level. In a bonus breakdown, the trio also talk about the Seminoles’ other recent commit — defensive lineman Tavion Gadson out of Savannah, Georgia. The guys also discuss who might be next to join the Tribe. Florida State Recruiting Class of 2023 Class of 2023 football commits RUNNING BACK: 4 star Samuel Singleton Jr. (FL) WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Darren “Goldie” Lawrence (FL) WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Vandrevius Jacobs (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Lucas Simmons (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Roderick Kearney (FL) DEFENSIVE END: 4 star Lamont “Boots” Green, Jr. (FL) DEFENSIVE END: 3 star JUCO Jaden Jones (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 3 star Tavion Gadson (GA) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keldric Faulk (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keith Sampson, Jr. (NC) LINEBACKER: 3 star DeMarco Ward (GA) DEFENSIVE BACK/ATHLETE: 3 star Quindarrius Jones (MS) DEFENSIVE BACK: 3 star Ja’Bril Rawls (FL) DEFENSIVE BACK: 3 star Kenton “KJ” Kirkland (FL) Florida State of Recruiting: The Three Stars podcasts (8/5/22): Instant reaction to Samuel Singleton’s commitment (8/2/22): Seminole Showcase recap, quarterback recruiting (7/5/22): Some blue chip lineman commits and NIL thoughts (6/16/22): Recapping a trio of commits and Tae Woody’s addition to the roster (6/9/22): Breaking down the QB targets (3/29/22): Quarterbacks (3/3/22): Previewing FSU’s first 2023 Elite Junior Day Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Happy Monday... Welcome in to Noles News Now, your audio home for all things Florida State sports on the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. I'm your host Brian Pellerin. Getting you caught up on the weekend that was for FSU athletics. The biggest headline for you, it's the final non game week Monday of the offseason. Next Monday will be the beggining of game week for the Seminoles week zero matchup with Duquesne. Football really just more than a week away in Tallahassee. Part of that work towards opening day has been their identity week with a trip to UNF for some camp away from home. That led into their second scrimmage of the fall this weekend and again, most of the feedback from the coaches has been positive. He said he's proud of the team's passion and competitiveness through the scrimmage. The Noles also starting to find the playmakers in the passing game with Johnny Wilson, Mycah Pittman, Duece Spann and Malik McClain standing out this weekend. Norvell did mention the team has some procedural things to clean up -- namely penalties -- before the season gets started. He says the focus heading into this week is simple... continuing getting better. For some more camp notes and a look at the biggest questions of the 2022 season, check out this week's Seminole Wrap podcast available now wherever you hear this podcast. It's our final preseason episode before we go into game preview and recap episodes next week. Elsewhere on campus, the Florida State soccer team held its final scrimmage of the fall. The ladies get their season started on Thursday as they travel to South Carolina for the opener. That game is the first of four straight to start the year against SEC opponents over the next two weeks. Three of those on the road. The South Carolina matchup is set to air on SEC Network at 7pm this Thursday if you'd like to watch. if you want to see the squad in person, they'll return to Tally on August 25th to take on Auburn in the home opener. And finally, volleyball is heading into their first game week if you will this week. The Noles play their Garnet and Gold exhibition on Friday. They'll officially start the season next Friday in Cincinnati with three games in as many days against Illinois State, Dayton and Cincy. That'll do it for this week's episode of Noles News Now. If you're following this feed already, what you waiting on? Click the follow button so you don't miss any of the news as fall season gets cranking next week. We'll have another episode for you on Wednesday. Until then, I'm Brian Pellerin. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles football season is less than two weeks away so the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin and Jon Marchant — brought in Tommy Mire for his perspective from FSU practice over the last few weeks. We get notes on wide receiver Johnny Wilson’s progress into a matchup nightmare for defenses, wide receiver Mycah Pittman’s comparing quarterback Jordan Travis to Los Angeles Chargers star and his former QB at Oregon Justin Herbert, growth of the defense and the depth on the offensive line. We also look into some of your answers to the FSU football survey like what’s the biggest game on the FSU schedule, will Jordan Travis throw for more than 2,000 yards, will Florida State have a 1,000-yard rusher, will Florida State win more than 6 games and more, with the crew giving their thoughts on each question ahead of the Seminoles season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The ‘Noles have shown an exceptional level of competition and focus throughout the summer, growing physically and preparing for a long season ahead. Being able to get a solid look at the team, the scrimmages help the coaching staff learn who knows the playbook, who fits in the best positions, and who’s ready to play this season with only two weeks remaining in fall camp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
TALLAHASSEE FL- This season will be pivotal for Mike Norvell and the Seminoles, while they have improved their offense and raised the floor for this team there are still some major concerns heading into the season. They have had an extremely efficient running game with Jordan Travis creating magic scrambling and throwing downfield. But this team still needs to overcome some major questions this season. These three keys are the biggest factors that will make this offense thrive or crash. Keeping quarterback Jordan Travis on the field I am not a fan of referring to a QBs win-loss record. But given the drop-off in the quality of play without Travis under Norvell, the win-loss record is concerning given that Travis has missed time due to injury or other concerns — with Travis playing, the team is 7-. Without him, they’re 1-7. Last season Travis was responsible for 45% of the team's yards from scrimmage and more than 50% of the team's touchdowns while playing around 60% of the dropbacks. They need him to stay on the field. In 2021, no other quarterback could get in a rhythm and put together consistent enough play. This season the only new quarterback in the building is AJ Duffy, a true freshman who may have a bright future but is still learning how to play at the collegiate level. Travis needs to be healthy for this team and offense to be successful and without him, it will be a struggle to get to make a bowl. Production from the receiver position Under Mike Norvell, the Seminoles haven’t had a receiver finish a season with more than 30 catches or 400 yards. No receiver in the 2021 season had a 100-yard game. Last season the struggles at that position were clearly a talent deficit with players being unable to win one on one and create separation. But this offseason the team brought in four different receivers via the transfer portal, and some of their young receivers should continue to improve. Mycah Pittman will work well in Norvell’s system that focuses so much on production out of the slot. While Johnny Wilson offers a skillset that is lacking, at 6’7 he will be a possession, contested catch monster as long as he can keep up the consistency he’s shown in fall camp. While the other two transfers are harder to project, with Winston Wright still making his way back from a leg injury sustained in a car accident and Deuce Spann still mastering the position, this influx of talent should improve the receiving room along with the returning players like Malik McClain, Ja’Khi Douglas, and Ontaria Wilson who have all shown flashes and have been key parts of the offense in year’s past. Improving the quality of the offensive line In 2021 the offensive line was wildly inconsistent, with the Seminoles’ seeing 21 different starting offensive line combinations in 12 games. No matter how much talent you have, that kind of inconsistency is too much to overcome. But Alex Atkins and the staff have been hard at work, bringing in ten new offensive linemen with four coming via the transfer portal. All of the transfers they brought have starting experience at multiple positions. While Kayden Lyles went down with a season-ending injury, the team is returning four of their five most experienced starters and with the influx of talent, they should be able to improve the line. They need to improve and stay healthy enough to keep Travis on his feet and be able to dominate the line of scrimmage to allow the Seminoles to have a consistent rushing attack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State held its first practice at UNF this morning. The Seminoles will participate in practice and team activities in Jacksonville today and tomorrow. After playing in their first scrimmage of the fall camp last weekend, the coaching staff and players will be back on the field on Saturday for the Noles’ second scrimmage. In the offseason, the Seminoles have focused on physical improvement throughout the team, but the focal point in these final weeks will be the players’ mental toughness and knowledge of the playbook. FSU added veterans throughout the lineup that are ready for plenty of snaps on the field, and if they can get quality play from their transfers and some of their freshmen, the depth on this team should be a definite strength. Head coach spoke with FSU’s media after practice today to talk about the Seminoles’ road trip and his takeaways from his squad’s day of work, mentioning that the team emphasized short yard and red zone situations to amp up the intensity as camp begins to wind down. On today's practice “I thought today was a good physical practice, back in full pads. You had some short yardage situations, opportunity to see guys get after it. I thought it was good competitive work.” “Our offense started off fast, defense did a good job of responding and I thought the back and forth were really good.” On last night's team event “Last night we had a team event, guys were able to relax just a little bit, before they hit the dorm rooms, but it was fun, I love this team, I love the guys I get to coach. Such great young men, they have wonderful personalities.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As Florida State continues to grind through the preseason, head coach Mike Norvell knows that this week is a crucial one for his squad. He said as much after practice Monday, discussing that with the season opener vs. the Duquesne Dukes coming closer and closer, the time for the Seminoles to separate themselves is now. He touched on other major topics, including offensive linemen Kayden Lyles’ season-ending injury. “I hate it for him with the work that he has put in. He has done a great job since he has gotten here. He’s an incredible person, the relationships that he has built. We will explore all options here moving forward... he is actively going to be a part of what we’re doing but just, unfortunately, won’t be able to be on the field this year.” Here are some other excerpts from his availability — you can find the full interview below. On Jordan Travis’s performance in fall camp “I don’t know if he has had a bad day throughout fall camp. There has been decisions and things he has grown from. I like what I have seen from his continued growth and development as well as all the quarterbacks.” On Johnny Wilson and his performance at practice. “He is definitely a weapon with his size, speed, and ability to bend ... to watch him run routes and the work he has put in it is really impressive. I am excited about that group. That whole receiver core is elevating themselves through competition.” On the upcoming practices in Jacksonville “It’s about team, going to a place that is different than you are used too. We will be on a single field. This week we have to come together through the challenge.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello and welcome to Noles News Now, the latest in Florida State Seminoles sports presented by Tomahawk Nation. I’m your host Perry Kostidakis — let’s hop right in. FSU football has been grinding away on the practice field — after last Saturday’s scrimmage, the Seminoles have amped up the intensity in a week that head coach Mike Norvell has designated as a major one. He said they’ve turned up the notch a bit, saying this week’s upcoming scrimmage on Saturday will help truly identify where and who this team is in its progress. Florida State heads out to UNF for an away-from-home two-day camp session in Jacksonville starting Thursday. The excursion is a chance for the team to bond a bit through both travel and planned experiences, as well as get the team used to practice out of its element ahead of the season. So far in camp, the team has showcased a different level of depth and talent -- notably, the wide receiver group has looked like a step above what we’ve seen in camp over the last few years, with the staff’s investment in the position over the offseason seemingly paying off. Across the board, good, productive reps are being had, and there isn’t a noticeable drop-off when changing out starters -- a major indicator of progress for Norvell’s squad. In basketball news, FSU continues its Canadian exhibition tour, having faced off against Carleton University on Monday. They took down the Ravens 98-64 — an impressive feat given that the bulk of FSU players receiving minutes were fresh faces, either in the form of newbies or walk-ins. FSU baseball made another hire official — the Seminoles announced the addition of Brad Vanderglas as an assistant coach. He’ll work with the Seminole outfielders, manage practices, and lead all instructional camps and clinics. If you’ve missed some of the latest episodes that have dropped on our TomahawkNation.com podcast network, do yourselves a favor and scroll back a bit on the feed. We have a great interview with Bryant McFadden breaking down the 2022 season for FSU, an insider look at everything Seminoles basketball and a breakdown of 2023 blue-chip running back commit Samuel Singleton. On the website, we’ve got live coverage of today’s FSU football practice action, as well as a preseason update on how Seminoles recruiting is shaking out for the class of 2023. Thank you for subscribing and listening — please leave us 5 stars and review if you haven’t yet, and we’ll catch you next time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles are less than 3 weeks away from taking the field on August 27th for their season opener against Duquesne. As the anticipation builds, the Seminole Wrap crew - Brian Pellerin and Max Escarpio - turned to former FSU star, two-time Super Bowl champion and CBS Sports football analyst Bryant McFadden to discuss a wide range of topics on the year ahead. He shares his experience as the winning defensive coordinator in FSU’s Garnet and Gold Spring Game. The crew also discuss:
What should be the expectations for Florida State be this season? Is a bowl game the hope or the minimum?
What growth has he seen from Jordan Travis and what still needs to happen now that he’s the leader of this team?
Why does Bryant view the Labor Day weekend matchup against the LSU Tigers as a must-win? And what needs to happen for Florida State to earn that primetime punch?
Which players are most crucial to ensuring Florida State has a successful campaign, and
Who were his funniest and most serious teammates and which coach was the toughest on him during his time at Florida State?
Bryant also discusses his newest venture into the NIL space with Champions Collective helping nearly a dozen Florida State athletes take ownership of their brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Happy Monday and welcome in to Noles News Now, your podcast home for all things Florida State. I’m Brian Pellerin and I’ll be guiding you through the weekend that was. And the big ticket item was the first scrimmage of fall camp. We have plenty of notes, takeaways, and full press conferences posted on TomahawkNation.com, but I'll bring you the SparkNotes version of it. The biggest overall notes — largely positive vibes from the coaching staff. Mike Norvell said he was plenty happy with his team's effort across the board. He marked the improvement he’s seen in Illinois transfer wide receiver Deuce Spann and linebacker Tatum Bethune. He also mentioned his team’s grit and grind heading into week two. Defensive coordinator Adam Fuller specifically mentioned his group’s speed getting to the ball. Offensive coordinator Alex Atkins was thrilled with his younger guys and other new faces living up to the standard in their first go around in the scrimmage. Again, all that content and more is available now on TomahawkNation.com. Also available there and wherever you’re listening to this is a new episode of the Seminole Wrap podcast, where myself and Max Escarpio talk with former FSU star and two-time Super Bowl champion Bryant McFadden about a wide range of topics, including the need for Jordan Travis to answer the bell now to take the next step, why the LSU game is the biggest game on the entire schedule, the direction, and expectations of this program, fun tales of his teammates during his time at FSU and more. If you are looking to get excited for the year, listen to that pod because Bryant will have you ready to put on a helmet and run through a wall. Really interesting stuff and he’s making ventures into the NIL space to help the Seminoles in recruiting as well. Definitely worth your time. Speaking of recruiting, the Noles just hit a home run on the trail this weekend with the commitment from 4-star running back Samuel Singleton on Friday. The 5-foot-11180 running back is from Fleming Island Florida. Our Three Stars of recruiting guys looked into what the Seminoles are getting from this tough runner. You can get that information in their latest episode available now. The men’s basketball team is north of the border this month for some scrimmages. They knocked off the Ottawa Gee-Gees, real name I’m told, over the weekend by 20 so it’s a good sign there. For a deeper look into the trip this preseason, Tomahawk Nation’s Michael Rogner dropped a podcast also available now on this feed. Football, not the only team holding their first scrimmage of the fall, as soccer was back on the pitch this weekend as they look to reload from last year’s championship team in Brian Pensky’s first season. For more on the team plus observations on men’s and women’s hoops as well as softball, take a look at Prince Akeem Jaffar’snotebook: Burning Questions Edition. Fall sports are also most here and we’re doing what we can to deliver all the content you can desire. Lots of pods and articles are available for you to pick and choose how you get your content. As always, we appreciate you listening, reading, and weighing in yourself. Until Wednesday, I’m Brian Pellerin. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hey! A hoops pod. No. 49 to be exact - we were hoping to save No. 50 for a national title recap but we'll try and squeeze some in between here and there. Maybe you've heard that some weird rumblings in the college football world are taking place. It's like LIV Golf only it matters. Looking forward, conference matchups like UCLA-Rutgers are gonna be lit. But we take a look from a basketball perspective (really, an all sports besides football perspective) which will hopefully come to fruition. Let football do its thing, and let the other sports maintain some sort of regional focus. After some conference talk (and yes, Minnesota really is a cool place to go see a game) we talk about the sport that matters: college basketball. Florida State is currently touring Canada which is full of nice people and maple syrup, and playing some games along the way. When you have so many new faces, having trips like this are priceless - just don't pay too much attention to the box scores. Oh, and four guys are out: Matthew Cleveland, De'Ante Green, Baba Miller, and Jeremiah Bembry. So one fake game into the season and we already have a walk-on in the starting lineup. Some things never change. Like Canada. After a break where we advertise something that is very important but I'm not sure what it is, we spend a few minutes gushing over FSU's sole 2023 recruit Taylor Bowen. It's hard to predict a class size because technically no one has to leave (assuming Gainey is awarded a Covid year), but we know it is at least one. And he's a good one. And that's that. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FLORIDA STATE — Florida State Seminoles football took the field for its first scrimmage of the fall on Saturday, using the night to gauge the progress the Seminoles have made since spring camp concluded. Through the first week of practice, an elevated level of intensity, physicality, and depth was on display — leading to an increase in quality and competition across the board. Just throwing on full pads (as the Seminoles did for the first time on Tuesday) helps separate significant progress from incremental, going scrimmage speed helps give a benchmark on where the team stands and further begins the acclimation process as FSU ramps up to its season opener vs. the Duquesne Dukes on August 27. Head coach Mike Norvell, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins, special teams coordinator and defense ends coach John Papuchis and defensive coordinator Adam Fuller all spoke with the media following Saturday’s scrimmage, offering takeaways, thoughts, and insight on the team’s performance. Norvell was pleased by effort from the team. He mentioned the improvement from guys like receiver Deuce Spann and linebacker Tatum Bethune, also the grit and grind from all the players. “I thought tonight was a good first scrimmage. We got in a little over a hundred plays...we got some live special teams to work which is something we wanted to be able to introduce more. I thought there was some really good work that was shown there.” “It was a good back and forth — I thought our first defense really flew around to the ball. Made some good plays. I thought it was a good balance.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Four-star RB Samuel Singleton has committed to Florida State. Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles 2023 recruiting class has added another nice bluechip recruit on the rec trail with his commitment. Running back is a big position of need for FSU and the ‘Noles got one of the best the state has to offer. Singleton hails from Fleming Island, Florida, and attends Fleming Island High School. He stands 5’11 180 pounds and has a 90 rating (4-star) from the 247 Sports Composite List. The sites consider him the 287th best player in the country (15th best RB and 58th best player in Florida). The talented back chose Florida State over offers from the LSU Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Penn State Nittany Lions, Tennessee Volunteers, and UCF Knights, among many others. Before his recent official visit, Tomahawk Nation recruiting analyst NoleThruandThru had this to say about Singleton: Singleton is a tough runner and doesn’t shy away from contact. He’s a track and field star with nice speed, as evidenced by his 10.86 100-meter dash last spring. He’s a threat to break off a huge play every time he touches the ball, and averaged 6.4 yards/carry last season. Singleton would be a welcome addition to the running back room. Florida State Recruiting Class of 2023 Class of 2023 football commits RUNNING BACK: 4 star Samuel Singleton Jr. (FL) WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Darren “Goldie” Lawrence (FL) WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Vandrevius Jacobs (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Lucas Simmons (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Roderick Kearney (FL) DEFENSIVE END: 4 star Lamont “Boots” Green, Jr. (FL) DEFENSIVE END: JUCO Jaden Jones (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keldric Faulk (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keith Sampson, Jr. (NC) LINEBACKER: 3 star DeMarco Ward (GA) DEFENSIVE BACK/ATHLETE: 3 star Quindarrius Jones (MS) DEFENSIVE BACK: 3 star Ja’Bril Rawls (FL) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State Seminoles football is one day out from its first scrimmage of the 2022 preseason. FSU threw on pads for the first time Tuesday, working its way towards getting game ready for its August 27 season opener vs. the Duquesne Dukes. On Friday, it lightened the workload a bit by rolling with just lowers but still kept the intensity high. It’s been a pretty decent start to camp, with the Seminoles showcasing depth across the board that they haven’t had the privilege of enjoying for a few years now. Competition has been consistent throughout the first week and change, with head coach Mike Norvell happy — but not satisfied — with the Seminoles’ progress so far. “I thought it was a good day for us to continue to grow. Today we just had helmets on, obviously scrimmage tomorrow night, you know hoping guys understand the intensity in all reps, whether you're in helmets, whether you're in full pads, whatever we’re doing we have a purpose for what we’re trying to accomplish... Human nature wants you to be comfortable, the mind will always tell you that you’re hot, you’re tired, sore, all of it... but have to be able to push with the mentality of giving everything I have, being in control and maybe not being as physical on a day that you don’t have shoulder pads, you have to be able to still get that quality of work.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello everyone, happy Wednesday and welcome to Noles News Now, the latest in Florida State Seminoles sports, brought to you by Tomahawk Nation. I’m your host Perry Kostidakis — let’s jump right in. Today is an off day for Florida State Seminoles football as it makes its way through preseason camp — FSU has six days of practice under its belt, with Tuesday being its first full day in pads after a few days of uppers. So far, consensus has been that this team is much deeper than it has been in the last few years — competition doesn’t fall off when the ones rotate out, and the newcomers, from transfers to freshmen, have begun to find their footing. Azareye’h Thomas, in particular, has stood out as one of the most consistent players across the board, let alone of freshmen. He’s still got a bit of a ways to go until he’s ready to take that and elevate to a game-in and game-out level, but he’s definitely on his way to becoming an impact player for FSU — and it’s looking like it could be this year. The offensive and defensive line depth have been two of the main highlights — it’s resulted in plenty of competition in the run and pass game, as running back Trey Benson has looked fantastic and ready to take over Jashaun Corbin’s any-down back mantle. Jordan Travis, settled in as the guy at quarterback, has gotten a chance to be a bit more comfortable in the system and not have to force as much, while the defensive backs have showcased depth on depth on depth. Games still need to be played, obviously, and there’s still a lot to be proven, but feeling good after the first week of camp beyond the top guys is a far cry from where the Seminoles have been in years past. FSU is gearing up for its first scrimmage on Saturday — until then, stay tuned to Tomahawk for coverage from the next few days of practice. In other news, defending national champion Florida State soccer earned a number one preseason ranking in the coaches poll — the Seminoles have a few talented international players to replace, alongside others who graduated but still field a squad that’ll be a threat in the postseason in December. They kicked off practice on Tuesday as well, gearing up for a season opener vs. South Carolina on August 18th. Those are the main big things of the day — if you missed our latest episode of the Florida State of Recruiting podcast, the boys recapped a major few days in Seminoles recruiting, from the flurry of defensive back commits to breaking down the Seminole Showcase recruiting event to who might potentially be next to join FSU’s recruiting class. Just scroll down on this feed and hit play. If you’ve already listened, thank you for supporting — and double thank you for listening and supporting us here. It’s been great seeing the reaction as we’ve amped things up on the podcast end — if you want more of something we’re doing, if you want us to change anything up, please please either leave a comment on the website or in a review. Thank you again for listening — we’ll see you next time.
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Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell has been a fan of what he’s seen early on in fall camp from his team. A sentiment that’s been echoed since camp kicked off is that when the Seminoles threw on full pads, it would separate true progress from the incremental. Not only does the game obviously get more physical and faster, but it also affects a player’s movement, how they carry their weight, and fatigue as the day goes on. Norvell, following Tuesday’s practice, met with the media to touch on impressions from that first day of full contact, as well as other takeaways from day six of FSU football preseason camp. “I thought there was physical play...we tried to put them in series where they had to understand the situations that arose that were unscripted. Thought we got good work with guys, but still seeing players emerge. A lot of competition at a lot of positions.” “For us going into this season, to get a great sense of who we are and what we do best and continue to grow the variations of that.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State finished their last big recruiting weekend of the Summer by picking up three commitments — graduate transfer Malik Feaster, 2024 defensive back CJ Heard and 2023 defensive back Ja’Bril Rawls. In addition to the new Seminoles, the staff continued solidifying relationships with current commits while also positioning themselves with key targets. After the major recruiting weekend, which players could be next to join the Seminoles? What names on the FSU board should you be paying attention to? The Three Stars (Josh Pick, Tim Alumbaugh, and David Stout) give their thoughts and more in this episode of the Florida State of Recruiting podcast.
Florida State Recruiting Class of 2023
(click on names for links to commitment articles) Class of 2023 football commits WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Darren “Goldie” Lawrence (FL) WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Vandrevius Jacobs (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Lucas Simmons (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Roderick Kearney (FL) DEFENSIVE END: 4 star Lamont “Boots” Green, Jr. (FL) DEFENSIVE END: JUCO Jaden Jones (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keldric Faulk (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keith Sampson, Jr. (NC) LINEBACKER: 3 star DeMarco Ward (GA) DEFENSIVE BACK/ATHLETE: 3 star Quindarrius Jones (MS) DEFENSIVE BACK: 3 star Ja’Bril Rawls (FL)
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Florida State Seminoles football is inching closer and closer to its season debut vs. the Duquesne Dukes on August 27. The Seminoles have been out on the practice field since last week, putting in the early stages of work that will set the tone for the season as a whole. “I thought we had good intensity...just working, trying to push the tempo," head coach Mike Norvell said after the SeminoIes' fifth practice. "I thought there was some good physicality that showed up. We challenged them....and I thought in the team sessions, there was a better focus and intensity on the work we were needing." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The dateline isn’t lying to you. August has arrived, and with it comes Florida State football. The Seminoles are 26 days from heading into Doak for their first game of the season and the excitement around Tallahassee is already building with camp underway. The full pads aren’t on just yet, but that’s not hampering the competitiveness. On this week’s Seminole Wrap podcast, hosts Brian Pellerin and Max Escarpio talk with Tomahawk Nation writer Tommy Mire to get his observations from camp so far. Who has stood out? Who are the leaders? And what he’s keeping an eye on in the coming weeks? The crew breaks it all down plus looks at the newest commitment in FSU’s 2024 class and reacts to the ACC media poll. Does it line up with our power rankings from last week? Find the answers to it all in this week’s episode of the Seminole Wrap podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Well would you look at that... if you haven’t already, turn that desk calendar and mark the 27th — nope, not just my mom’s birthday — Florida State plays a real football game this month. Finally, we’re here friends. Thank you so much for listening to this August 1st edition of Noles News Now, your podcast home for all things FSU sports. I’m your host Brian Pellerin and yes, I’m ready for football. I hope you are too. The first week of fall camp is almost over and the guys definitely seem eager to get those full pads on. So far it’s been soft pads, but the guys are still going full force. Some Sunday observations from our guy Tommy Mire today had AJ Duffy putting out his best performance so far, showing off his potential. DB Azareye’h Thomas was also the best out there. Sideline to sideline making plays. Could he be in for a breakout? Four days into camp, Mike Norvell is pulling ahead in his daily footrace with defensive tackle Robert Cooper. He’s up 3-1 now in their races to kick off camp. No matter how you slice it, the guys are loose. There are so many more things happening from just a few short days into camp. For the full list of things to see, check out this week’s Seminole Wrap podcast. We have Tommy on to share what else he is seeing out there and the great recruiting weekend the coaching staff had as well. Again, check it all out on this week’s Seminole Wrap podcast. That big recruiting weekend included a whole bunch of top-tier guys visiting and a blue-chip commitment. That came from four-star DB CJ Heard. He had a great commitment video. We called it the digital version of the hat fake out. If you haven’t seen it, check it out in our story online. The Noles also landed a grad transfer from Jacksonville State in Malik Feaster. He’ll add some depth to that unit, where you can never have enough guys. And if you haven’t checked it out yet, give a look at our Up Close with Tomahawk series introducing you to us and our writing staff so we’re more than just names on a byline or in my case a voice in your head. This week, my guy Jon Marchant from Seminole Wrap talked with Frank about his path to being a Seminole fan. You can find that and many others on our website Tomahawk Nation dot com. That’s also where you’ll find the rest of our camp coverage from today and Tuesday before we’re back with another Noles News Now episode on Wednesday. Until then, be sure to follow, rate, and review this feed if you like what you hear. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Four days into spring practice, Florida State Seminoles football head coach Mike Norvell has taken note of the effort and improvement he’s seen. It’s been a bit of an increase in physicality and competition over the last two days of practice, with FSU putting on shoulder pads for the first time on Friday in anticipation of going full pads on Tuesday. Norvell spoke on his impressions of the Seminoles’ work so far, complimenting the work of younger players and encouraged by the competition, effort and work that he’s seen of his team so far. “You’re seeing that confidence continue to emerge...we just gotta continue to clean up the details,” he said. “I’m just continuing to push that mindset regardless of circumstances or the things going on around you, you just keep coming out being your best and focus on those details.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The countdown is on to Florida State Seminoles football’s season opener vs. the Duquesne Dukes, and FSU is three days deep into its 2022 fall camp. It’s been a great early start to preseason camp — with FSU bringing back plenty of experience at multiple positions, the Seminoles have been able to focus on mastering the nuances of head coach Mike Norvell’s system, rather than learning it. The Seminoles put on shoulder pads for the first time this preseason on Friday, allowing the players to be a bit more physical and begin the process of setting the tone for the entire 2022 season. Norvell met with the media following Friday’s practice, saying he was impressed and pleased with the performance of the team’s first foray into contact, saying he saw explosive plays on both sides of the ball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
TALLAHASSEE — Florida State returned to the IPF this afternoon for their second day of fall camp. Head coach Mike Norvell met with the media after, touching on initial takeaways as the Seminoles get prepped for the season opener. “Today was a good day,” he said. “Obviously we wanted to be outside more, had some lightning in the area, so we had to be inside early and just ended up just for logistical purposes, you know, finishing up in there.” “A [good] response to some of the things I wanted to see cleaned up. I thought the offense was better in a lot of the areas that I wanted to see. You’re seeing continuity, understanding, and just how some concepts are coming together.” Norvell was especially complimentary of the offense, giving props to quarterback Jordan Travis and the wide receiver room for execution and communication on the day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
TALLAHASSEE — Florida State Seminoles football returned to the Dunlap Practice Facility on Wednesday, July 27 for the first day of fall practice. “Day one, thought it was good to get back out,” head coach Mike Norvell said. “We really had a lot of work in the summer — I thought we were able to get some very beneficial work. we were very aggressive with our first day of install. For some of those young guys it was moving quick for em, but all in all, there was a lot of good signs that showed up.” After practice, he met with the media to discuss impressions and takeaways from the first day of camp, touching on individual players as well as the overall effort and execution of the team. “We got good work, really pushed them in a lot of areas. Looking forward to getting back to it tomorrow after meetings tonight and cleaning some things up.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
TALLAHASSEE, FL- The Florida State Seminoles are starting fall camp with just one month until the season begins at home and they still have a lot to figure out along the offensive roster. At quarterback, Jordan Travis is the guy for Mike Norvell and his staff, and for the first time, he is the unquestioned starter. He has taken that confidence that he has developed from last season and will look to carry that into the fall. With the running backs, the ‘Noles have a potential new lead back with Trey Benson supported by Treshaun Ward similar to how Ward supported Jashaun Corbin last year. Also, how will Toafili fit in along with the rest of the room? On the perimeter, this team has looked to the transfer portal to add guys like Mycah Pittman, Winston Wright, and Johnny Wilson along with players who have been in house like Malik McClain, Ontaria Wilson, and others that will make big contributions. This regime has struggled to produce at the wide receiver position but with Jordan Travis getting better every year he should be able to support them even better. Along the offensive line, the team brings back four of five starting players along with four potential contributors coming from the transfer portal. The team should be in a better place and be able to deal with anything that happens in season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FLORIDA STATE — Head Mike Norvell spoke with the media today to review the summer and preview fall camp which starts tomorrow. Overall he seemed proud of the team and what they’ve accomplished and after praising his off-field staff he opened the press conference saying as much: “I’m so proud of the work they put in. We talk about that work as being a defining quality of their approach, the mindset - they knew it was gonna be a challenge, they knew it was going to be a difficult summer” “I thought they answered the call every day.” When he was asked about the newcomers and how they’ve approached the work he named a few names but talked about offensive lineman Julian Armella and what he looked like arriving on campus. “Julian Armella came in the way you desired every high school transfer or whoever to come in and approach the work in the summer. I’m excited about what he’s going to be.” “We’re excited about the guys we have and we’re excited about the guys coming in who are pushing to establish their role and what that means for the team - the competitive urgency is definitely there.” FSU’s offensive line coach Alex Atkins was promoted to offensive coordinator this past off-season — when Norvell was asked how that would change things offensivel, he said it won’t. “Alex Atkins has done a remarkable job since January helping implement and put his stamp with his great leadership style and quality of player. They believe in the man. They believe in the leader.” To close out the media conference Norvell answered “Family” to describe the 2022 team in one word: “When you look at this team it comes down to work and it comes down to relationships and you see a team that embraces each other.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
With ACC Kickoff media days in the rearview mirror and fall camp starting this week, football season is finally on the horizon and everyone — at least for the large part — is feeling pretty good about their team. With the ACC lacking a clear favorite, every team has to feel they have at least a small window to play in Charlotte for the conference championship. And yes, that includes Florida State. This week, the Seminole Wrap podcast crew breaks down their view of the strengths and weaknesses on the roster plus how FSU’s roster stacks up to the ACC overall. Host Brian Pellerin and analysts Jon Marchant and Max Escarpio put the conference’s teams (Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Louisville Cardinals, NC State Wolfpack, Boston College Eagles, Syracuse Orange, Clemson Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, North Carolina Tar Heels, Pittsburgh Panthers, Virginia Cavaliers, Duke Blue Devils, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech Hokies) into three categories: Worse than Florida State, Coin Toss with Florida State and Better than Florida State. Are the Seminoles ready to compete with the top teams in the ACC? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello again and Happy Monday. Welcome in to Noles News Now. Thanks for starting your week with us here on Tomahawk Nation’s Podcast Network. I’m your host BrianPellerin, getting you ready for the week ahead and yes, yes, yes. It’s finally going to include football. Yes, it’s just camp, but it’s good to have football news back in our lives. That’ll get underway on Tuesday with players reporting. That’ll also come with a pre-camp luncheon plus a coach availability so there will be boatloads of content coming your way starting then. We’ll also have position previews dropping all week so keep an eye out for those as well, we have some posted now on the quarterback, running back, and offensive line. The defensive line preview drops Tuesday. We’ve got a beyond-the-numbers dive into Jammie Robinson and Akeem Dent. Could they be the nextelite safety duo in the ACC? Speaking of the conference, the Seminole Wrap crew took a look at the ACC as a whole on this week’s episode to decide where FSU fits in the fold. Which teams are better than Florida State, which teams are worse, and which teams are a coin toss? Lots of fun breakdowns of each team at a point where everybody is feeling the most confident in their team. On Friday, tight end Camm McDonald landed on the Mackey Award watchlist, for the nation’s best tight end. McDonald caught 24 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns. Elsewhere for the football team, it’s a big recruiting weekend coming up. The Seminoles are expecting a lot of important guys on campus for this one. To catch up on that, be sure to hunt down our recruiting thread for a list of the potential visitors, the guys who plan to be there, and more. Lots of great stuff from our recruiting guys and I can’t talk recruiting without pushing you to listen to the Florida State of Recruiting guys, our three stars pod. They crush it. So much great info. Can’trecommend it enough. The rest of campus remains relatively quiet outside of the soccer team who is moving close to their season as well. FSU recently posted an interview with new coach Brian Pensky as he tries to connect with the fanbase and share his vision to sustain the excellence of the program. Part of that appears to be some upgrades to the pitch as the soccer fields got an upgraded video board ahead of their season. That’ll do it for this edition of Seminole Wrap. As always, if you like what you hear, please support us by throwing a five-star review our way, and be sure to follow this feed to get this pod three times a week and our other great weekly content like Seminole Wrap and the Florida State of Recruiting that I mentioned earlier and more. For now, that’s all we’ve got. Until Wednesday, I’m Brian Pellerin. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello and welcome to Noles News Now, the latest in Florida State Seminoles sports presented by Tomahawk Nation. I’m your host Perry Kostidakis — let’s hop right in. Today’s big news came in the form of FSU kicking off ACC Media Days — head coach Mike Norvell as well as quarterback Jordan Travis, defensive tackle Fabien Lovett and safety Jammie Robinson all took the podium to talk expectations for 2022 and more. There wasn’t exactly anything World-changing said — media days aren’t really known for their substance when it comes to answers — but mainly reaffirmed what we’ve been hearing from those 4 and others on the team this offseason. Jordan Travis is taking that step forward as a team leader, rather than solely a player, and according to the group, the entire team is gelling, becoming much more comfortable within the system, largely attributed to bringing back plenty of experience. ACC commish Jim Phillips also spoke on Wednesday, hyping up the conference’s success in 2021-22, when it captured more national titles than any other conference. He touched on the obvious topics — saying he is for NIL but claiming only Congress can put in meaningful rules, advocating for college football playoff expansion and, of course, conference realignment. He says all options are on the table — from uneven revenue distribution to expansion. He did say that he has full faith in schools not leaving, given the iron clad grant of rights, and again hyped up the ACC, offering a gem of a quote, saying that the conference leads in “all metrics, except finances,” which, you know, is pretty key. He came off as a man well-aware the previous form of college football and athletics as we knew it is in its final breaths, definitely aware of the issues the ACC faces financially. Outside of that, FSU released its media guide and an updated roster — a few weight and number changes, nothing major. You can see our full breakdown on TomahawkNation.Com. That’s where you can catch more on these stories, including full transcripts from today’s ACC Kickoff events, and other Seminoles sports. Thank you for listening — we’ll catch you next time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State football roster rebuild continues to take shape with a heavy focus on fortifying the trenches. The Seminoles landed another big-time offensive line commitment in the past week from four-star offensive tackle Lucas Simmons. He’s the second four-star get in the last month along with Roderick Kearney. Assuming they both end up signing their letters of intent on National Signing Day, the two will be the seventh and eighth offensive lineman to join the Noles in the past two classes with now offensive coordinator Alex Atkins as the primary recruiter. So the question is, is this the Mike Norvell rebuild or the Alex Atkins rebuild? The Seminole Wrap crew, host Brian Pellerin along with Max Escarpio and Jon Marchant, answers that question by looking at just how important Atkins is to the future of the Florida State football program. Plus they discuss the upcoming ACC Kickoff media days. Who is FSU bringing to the event and how will ACC Commissioner Jim Philips handle the question of conference realignment? Could it be time to play hardball with Notre Dame or will it be more clichés as the ACC continues to sit on the sidelines? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It’s another largely quiet weekend on the FSU campus, but we are slowly moving closer to football season as the ACC hosts their ACC Kickoff media days this week in Charlotte. That gets underway on Wednesday. Florida State will go that same day. The Seminoes representatives there will be head coach Mike Norvell, quarterback Jordan Travis, defensive tackle Fabian Lovett and defensive back Jammie Robinson. ACC commissioner Jim Philips will also speak on Wednesday. He’ll actually be kicking off the proceedings. Interesting to see what he’ll have to say in light of the recent conference realignment moves that ACC has largely sat on the sidelines of. Will hetake a strong position on the jostling or will he spew cliches? That exact question was one of the ones tackled on this week’s Seminole Wrap podcast. Myself along with Max Escarpio and Jon Marchant talk through what he maybe willor should say. Plus we talk about the ongoing rebuild through the focus on offensive line recruiting. Should we be calling this the Alex Atkins rebuild, instead of the Mike Norvell rebuild? The new O-C putting in tons of strong work on the recruiting trail to uplift this roster that will pay dividends now and into the future.Check it out. That episode dropping Monday morning wherever you get this podcast and on Tomahawk Nation dot com. Coming this August, Doak Campell will get a new bit of a new look as FSU announced their plan to update the facades on the press box and suites with more of the program’s history. It’ll have retired numbers, championships, bowl appearances, and all Americans alongside Bobby Bowden’s name. A chance for FSU to really showcase its deep, prestigious history to fans, players, and potential recruits. The first chance to check it out is that home opener in August. In case you missed it at the end of last week, members of the FSU football team are banding together to help their fellow teammate Greedy Vance and his family restore their home in New Orleans. Vance’s family home was impacted by Hurricane Ida last August and the family is still working to get back on their feet. Many of us I’m sure live along the coast know how difficult that hurricane recovery process can be. So offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons alongside Jordan Travis have started a GoFundMeto support them get through that process. If you’d like to check it out and help however you can, we’ve got an article on our website about it linking to that fund. Elsewhere on campus, new head baseball coach Link Jarrett keeps filling up his first staff with guys from his old staff as pitching coach Chuck Ristano is the latest guy to make the leap from Notre Dame to Tallahassee. Ristano had spent the last 12 years at Notre Dame. Another big get for Link. In hoops, a lot of former Noles continue to showcase their skills in the final few games of the NBA’s summer league and on Sunday, nobody did so better than John Butler who had a perfect night from the field. 9/9 shooting including 6/6 from beyond the arc left with 25 points and 7 rebounds for the Pelicans. That’s a young group inNew Orleans that needs some knockdown shooting. Maybe he can catch on there this fall. He’ll likely start that process as a two-way player first, but we’ll have to see how that process unfolds. The soccer team has announced their 2022 schedule as they get set to begin their first under new head coach Brian Pensky. It’ll be a bit of a tougher task as the roster has lost 3 of their bigger names in Emily Madril, Kirsten Pavlisko and Yujie Zhao, but this team should still have enough talent to compete this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Good morning... good afternoon... good evening... No matter what time you're listening, yes, you've made it to the Friday edition of Noles News Now. I'm your host, Brian Pellerin who will be guiding you in to the weekend with the latest news and notes from around Florida State football, baseball, and more. The biggest story to look ahead to is the unofficial start of ACC football season next week with the ACC Football Kickoff media days in Charlotte. The Seminoles will be sending veterans Jordan Travis, Fabien Lovett, and Jammie Robinson alongside Mike Norvell on July 20th - that's next Wednesday. The Noles will be just more than a month away from taking the field for the first time at that point and two months from beginning ACC play on a Friday night in Louisville. An announcement from ESPN this week actually slid that kickoff back 30 minutes so kickoff for that game is now at 7:30 pm, in case you've got to adjust your calendar or travel plans. It’s been a busy summer on the recruiting trail for the Florida State Seminoles coaching staff as they continue to shape the future of this roster. One of the biggest areas to address is solidifying the trenches and recent offensive line commit Roderick Kearney looks to be the centerpiece of that effort going forward. This week, he joined our Florida State of Recruiting podcast for an interview about FSU, new offensive coordinator Alex Atkins and much more. Check it out to hear from Big Rod, a leader of the Noles for the future. Of course, Atkins was a huge part in landing Kearney and many other commits this offseason. He’s been an incredible asset on the recruiting trail for FSU so the question is how does he rank in compared to other Florida State’s other top recruiters of the past decade. David Stout tries to tackle that in a column posted to Tomahawk Nation dot com this morning. There have been some great assistants and Atkins is off to a strong start to be among if not the best of the bunch. Link Jarrett is hoping his newest hire will also be a major recruiting ace for the Noles as he's landed his first recruiting coordinator as the head man of FSU. Jarrett announced Thursday that Rich Wallace will make the jump from Notre Dame to Tallahassee with him to join the Noles coaching staff in the recruiting coordinator role. Wallace already has ties to the Sunshine State with his experience at Jacksonville and UCF. One day before FSU football starts their season next month against Duquesne, the athletic department will induct the newest members of the Florida State Hall of Fame class announced this week. In total, 10 Seminole greats will have their names added to the hall including football stars Snoop Minnis and E.G. Green, golf star Brooks Koepka, baseball player of the year James Ramsey, soccer greats Amanda Dacosta and Toni Pressley plus others from tennis, swimming and diving and more. That'll do it for this edition of Noles News Now. If you like what you hear, remember to subscribe, follow and rate the show to help us out and let other Noles fans know about the easiest way to stay up to date on all things FSU 3 times a week. Until Monday, I'm Brian Pellerin. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles coaching staff has made it a point to rebuild the trenches with the last two recruiting cycles. One of the biggest commits to that rebuild is 2023 offensive line commit Roderick Kearney. The Three Stars sit down for an interview with the versatile lineman. Kearney shares his thoughts on Florida State, Alex Atkins, and Mike Norvell— as well as a day in the life of a high school commit preparing for division one football. We discuss position projection, whether or not the 4-star will be enrolling early for the Seminoles, and even Albert Einstein. You can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to your shows. For all things Florida State football recruiting, head over to our transfer portal and FSU recruiting updates thread, where you can catch the latest news and pick the brains of our recruiting staff. Florida State Recruiting Class of 2023 football commits WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Darren “Goldie” Lawrence (FL) WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Vandrevius Jacobs (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Lucas Simmons (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Roderick Kearney (FL) DEFENSIVE END: 4 star Lamont “Boots” Green, Jr. (FL) DEFENSIVE END: JUCO Jaden Jones (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keldric Faulk (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keith Sampson, Jr. (NC) LINEBACKER: 3 star DeMarco Ward (GA) DEFENSIVE BACK/ATHLETE: 3 star Quindarrius Jones (MS) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello everyone, happy Wednesday, and welcome to Noles News Now, the latest in Florida State Seminoles sports, brought to you by Tomahawk Nation. I’m your host Perry Kostidakis — let’s jump right in. The big news of the day — a move that’s been predicted for a bit and finally came into fruition — on Tuesday, four-star quarterback Chris Parson decided to reopen his recruitment, decommitting from the Seminoles. Parson, who had been committed to Florida State for just under a year, said he had long coveted playing in Tallahassee but needed to make a move that assured his future — it’s been reported and confirmed by his father that he wasn’t interested in being part of a two-quarterback class. FSU has been extremely open about the fact that it wants two quarterbacks — it seems that they were hoping that Parson would want to be part of that plan, but as soon as fellow four-star and Elite 11 quarterback Brock Glenn began to receive crystal balls to FSU, the writing was on the wall. It’s a temporary hit in terms of PR, given the news of Desmond Ricks's claims of FSU cutting off contact getting plenty of traction with disgruntled fans and gleeful rivals, but overall, FSU has been doing a lot of good on the trail. Four-star, blue-chip NFL talent Lucas Simmons committed to FSU on Monday — if you haven’t, check out the Florida State of Recruiting that dropped that talks about Simmons’ game and who else might be joining #Tribe23. In this day in conference realignment rumors, the Dallas Morning News is reporting that SMU has been in discussions with the Big 12, the ACC, and the Pac-12. While that sounds cool if you were playing NCAA 13, it really doesn’t do too much to add to the value of the conference, which is the main issue plaguing FSU and the rest of the ACC right now as the era of megaconferences looms closer and closer. Outside of that, it’s been a relatively quiet week with summer in full swing. Make sure you’re keeping posted to TomahawkNation.com for all the latest in FSU sports — not only can you find quick updates on everything FSU, but we’ve got plenty of deep-dive content and conversation with community popping. Thank you again for listening, and we’ll see you next time.
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The Florida State Seminoles continue their hot streak on the trail, with Mike Norvell and staff scooping up another crucial commitment along the trenches. Offensive tackle Lucas Simmons has jumped aboard the Tribe ‘23 train, becoming FSU’s best true OT pledge in a decade. FSU previously secured pledges from two key prospects in defensive lineman Keldric Faulk and offensive lineman Roderick Kearney. All three are four-star, blue-chip prospects and are now the top-rated commits in FSU’s 2023 class. What is FSU getting in Simmons, and how soon should he see the field? Will Florida State be adding to its 2023 class soon, with July decisions expected from QB Brock Glenn, RB Daylan Smothers, and potentially more targets? Plus, the guys discuss recent reaction to controversial comments from 2024 DB Desmond Ricks. Florida State Recruiting Class of 2023 football commits QUARTERBACK: 4 star Chris Parson (TN) WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Darren “Goldie” Lawrence (FL) WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Vandrevius Jacobs (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Lucas Simmons (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Roderick Kearney (FL) DEFENSIVE END: 4 star Lamont “Boots” Green, Jr. (FL) DEFENSIVE END: JUCO Jaden Jones (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keldric Faulk (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keith Sampson, Jr. (NC) LINEBACKER: 3 star DeMarco Ward (GA) DEFENSIVE BACK/ATHLETE: 3 star Quindarrius Jones (MS) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello everyone, happy Monday — hope you all had a great weekend, welcome in to Noles News Now, the latest in Florida State Seminoles sports, presented by Tomahawk Nation. I’m your host Perry Kostidakis — let’s hop right in. Another big day in FSU recruiting — offensive lineman Lucas Simmons, a blue-chip prospect with legitimate NFL potential, is set to announce his choice of college today at 1 p.m. at a ceremony in Clearwater. Simmons is a Swedish native but isn’t exactly a stranger to the game — his father, Able, is a former Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman. The Seminoles seem to be the favorite to land the 6-7, 300-pound tackle — not only has offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins managed to continue his impressive streak of getting top talent interest in Tallahassee, but FSU was one of the first schools to offer Simmons prior to his recruitment blowing up — a common theme so far for the Seminoles, one that has either been a key factor in snagging talent or an ironic asterisk as that talent moved on to another program. Our recruiting trio talked about his recruitment on our latest Florida State of Recruiting podcast — I’m sure we’ll hear a bit more about it in the coming days, wink wink. FSU has had an impressive run in the trenches as of late — but got a bit of a Twitter timeline drag on Sunday when Hayes Fawcett, a graphic designer who puts out edits for the majority of the top recruits in the country, shared a quote from top 2024 defensive back Desmond Ricks, who says he wanted to commit to FSU, then they stopped talking to him, and that was that. That naturally stirred up the fanbase, but a little bit more insight showed that maybe, possibly, that post was some strategic planting via a rival school, one that has been seemingly getting more ballsy by the day when it comes to recruiting. Fawcett had several posts before and after that graphic exchanging praise and messages with the Miami Hurricanes staff — which even if there was something fishy going on, the point remains that that quote was blasted out on the social medias, and several high-profile recruits commented on it echoing similar complaints. While it’s not a nail in the coffin situation, it’s one that should have Mike Norvell and staff on high alert, even moreso than they were already heading into a season that has a chance to define his tenure. Outside of that, nothing major in realignment news — though, there is a chance that given the way the rest of the news so far around it has broken, by the time you listen to this, there’s been some shocking new development. Last we left off, we had two major reports — one, from major media outlets reporting the Pac-12 and ACC exploring a potential partnership, the other from a single person who runs a swimming publication that Virginia, UNC, FSU, and Clemson are negotiating to join the SEC, with ESPN willing and ready to void the ACC’s television contract. While bigger news has come from unlikelier sources, and it is almost definitely true that those schools (as well as others in the ACC) are looking for a way out, it’s not exactly good business for ESPN to dissolve the contract that guarantees it a great deal for the next 14 years.
The ACC and Pac-12 merger doesn’t solve anything — or help FSU
Kalen DeLoach’s next step is crucial for FSU’s defense
You can listen to more discussion on that on the Seminole Wrap, where Brian Pellerin and I talk about the latest as well the best move for FSU, or you can share your frustrations at the stupidity that is the PACCt by heading to TomahawkNation.com and reading Juan Montalvo’s analysis of why it is a terrible idea for everybody. Head to TomahawkNation.com now to read up on everything Florida State that’s happened over the last weekend — that’s it for now, thank you for listening, and we’ll see you next time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FLORIDA STATE — Tomahawk Nation’s Seminole Wrap is back for another episode, this time covering a highly anticipated matchup between Florida State and Miami. We’ve hosted multiple beat writers and team insiders to give a first-hand look at FSU’s season preview. This time, a preview of when the Noles head to South Florida on November 5th to compete in one of college football’s biggest rivalries. While the Seminoles were able to top the Hurricanes in a 31-28 victory last season, the Canes have completely revamped their coaching staff to what many believe will put them back on the map. We’ve seen the state of Florida heat up in the recruiting trail over the past few weeks and each team seems to be working to solidify its place in the Sunshine State. Host Max Escarpio talks with Miami Hurricanes beat writer Adam Lichtenstein to ask about the hype brewing in Coral Gables and what to expect from the Miami Hurricanes in 2022, from his thoughts on Mario Cristobal, whether quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, a potential first-round NFL Draft selection, will take another step forward, and what the buzz sounds like for an up and coming Miami team. RELATED: 2022 Schedule preview: Miami HurricanesRELATED: Roundtable: How does the 2022 FSU schedule shape up?RELATED: 2022 Florida State schedule previews: Breakdowns, analysis, podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The college sports landscape appears to be on the verge of another major shift in conference realignment after the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins made the leap from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten just a year after the SEC gutted the Big 12 in grabbing Texas and Oklahoma. The SEC is paying out members $54 million, and the Big Ten (before adding USC and UCLA) is projected to be able to give members $62 million by 2024. The ACC remains the one conference standing still as the world spins around it. So, in response, are they looking to add other teams? Does the rumored football pact with the Pac-12 make sense for the ACC? Should Florida State consider an evacuation? Is it even fiscally possible or probable to depart for the SEC or B1G? Who could come with them if they do leave? And beyond that — where’s the most logical new home for FSU? The SEC makes the most sense on a surface level — geography and money, namely — but is there something to be said about being the top dog in the south in a new Big Ten? Host Brian Pellerin and site leader Perry Kostidakis talk through all the possible scenarios for Florida State, the conferences — ACC, Pac-12, SEC, and Big Ten — in deciding their next move, and the other teams that could be involved in realigning the college sports landscape as well as the impacts it will have on revenue and potential recruiting for the university. Should FSU consider a change? Would you welcome the change or are you happy with the status quo? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It’s been a busy few weeks for Florida State Seminoles football on the trail, with Mike Norvell and staff scooping up a few commits — namely in the trenches. FSU secured the pledges from two key prospects — defensive lineman Keldric Faulk and offensive lineman Roderick Kearney. Both are four-star, blue-chip prospects and are now the top-rated commits in FSU’s 2023 class. What do the pair mean for Seminoles recruiting momentum this season, and how do they project out for FSU? Will Florida State be adding to its 2023 class soon? Plus, as some bonus discussion, where does FSU sit in the NIL arms race? The Three Stars (Josh Pick, Tim Alumbaugh, and David Stout) jump on to talk all that and more on the latest edition of the Florida State of Recruiting. Florida State Recruiting Class of 2023 Class of 2023 football commits QUARTERBACK: 4 star Chris Parson (TN) WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Darren “Goldie” Lawrence (FL) WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Vandrevius Jacobs (FL) OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Roderick Kearney (FL) DEFENSIVE END: 4 star Lamont “Boots” Green, Jr. (FL) DEFENSIVE END: JUCO Jaden Jones (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keldric Faulk (AL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keith Sampson, Jr. (NC) LINEBACKER: 3 star DeMarco Ward (GA) DEFENSIVE BACK/ATHLETE: Quindarrius Jones (MS) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to Noles News Now... a 4th of July... Independence Day edition for you. I'm Brian Pellerin. Whether you're opting for fireworks with friends, a cookout with family or just throwing back cold ones alone, I hope it's a safe and happy holiday weekend for you.
And to be honest with you, if you came here looking for fireworks, I don't have them for you. The news cycle this weekend ain't producing much in the way of booms for you.
Things mostly remain quiet on the football front as we're still weeks away from the season. At least we're in July now so you can say there is FSU football next month. As we count down to that day, we are continuing our schedule preview series with our newest one looking at the Clemson Tigers hot off the presses. Get the lowdown on what Dabo and dem boys will have in store for the Seminoles this season.
Outside of FSU, the fun talk continues to center around conference realignment. The biggest news being USC and UCLA jumping to the Big Ten -- a natural fit there. And now it seems everyone is just waiting on the next shoe to drop. There are rumors that four Pac12 schools including Arizona are looking to make the jump to the Big 12. Again, just rumors at this point but seems like somebody is going to have to make a move next. Oddly though, the ACC remaining incredibly quiet on this. We've seen the Big 12 get hit with Texas and O-U leaving for the SEC and responding with those AAC teams. We've seen the Pac-12 have their top dogs jump to the Big Ten. The ACC has not gotten involved yet. Should they? Will they? Will FSU look to jump around? Should they? That's the subject of the next Seminole Wrap podcast set to drop this week.
And really the only other news item from FSU was from Friday with four baseball players -- Parker Messick, Jaime Ferrer, James Tibbs and Connor Whittaker -- each landing on some form of All-American team. Congrats to those guys.
Outside of that, FSU really coasting through the holiday weekend as we probably all should. So if you're waking up with this on Monday morning, enjoy the rest of your Independence Day weekend. Happy Fourth of July and we'll see you back here on Wednesday for another Noles News Now. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello everyone, happy Wednesday -- this is Noles News Now, the latest in Florida State Seminoles sports, presented by Tomahawk Nation. I’m Perry Kostidakis -- let’s jump in. More news on the recruiting trail for FSU -- this time in the form of a 2023 linebacker commit, DeMarco Ward out of Duluth, Georgia. A three-star prospect, the Seminoles earned his pledge over conference opponents Louisville, Wake Forest, and Duke as well as the UCF Knights and Memphis Tigers. Ward stands at 6-foot-2, 205-pounds and accumulated nearly 80 tackles (65 of which were solo), three sacks, and an interception last season. In addition to linebacker, he gets reps at wide receiver, as well as playing basketball and running track to complement his gridiron exploits. Ward’s ranking doesn’t immediately jaw drop -- he’s a newly-christened three-star -- but his highlights show an affinity for contact, an ability to diagnose plays, and some impressive flashes of athleticism. He’s a nice addition to a 2023 class that’s looking to hear to some good news as we get into July -- a month where FSU has the chance to snag several commits, mostly blue-chip. Some major football news in the ACC, with the conference dropping divisions starting in 2023 and instead having teams play three permanent opponents while rotating other programs on the schedule so that each team has the chance to play a home and away game at each member school. That’s a benefit not lost on FSU athletic director Michael Alford, who said in a press release that “The new format means our season ticket holders will see every ACC team play in Doak Campbell Stadium over a four-year period.” As part of the new arrangement, Florida State will be facing off against the Clemson Tigers, Miami (FL) Hurricanes, and Syracuse Orange yearly. Why Syracuse? Our sources have said that rather than saddle FSU with a trap game in Georgia Tech each year, FSU lobbied for a matchup that would help expand its geographical footprint as well as present a little bit less of a challenge, given that its two permanent matchups are against two of the bigger names in the conference. For those curious, outside of FSU, Miami’s other two permanent opponents are Boston College and Louisville, while Clemson is paired up with Georgia Tech and NC State. FSU track star Trey Cunningham became the second Nole in school history to be named a finalist for The Bowerman — one of three male finalists for college track and field’s most prominent individual award. Via FSU, he was the first athlete in NCAA history to run 13.22 or faster nine times in the 110m hurdles and the only athlete to run 7.42 or faster four times in the 60m hurdles. Of the three finalists, Cunningham is the only athlete to be undefeated against collegians in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Cunningham went 20-for-20 against collegiate competition. That’s the major news of today -- you can read up on all of these stories and more on TomahawkNation.com, where you can always stay updated on all the latest things Florida State. Thank you for listening, thank you for supporting the pod network, please rate five stars and leave a comment if you haven’t yet, have a great second half of your week and we’ll see you next time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
For the first time since the hire was made official, new Florida State Seminoles baseball head coach Link Jarrett addressed the media and FSU fanbase, talking his history with the program, his vision for Seminoles baseball, facilities, recruiting, and more. Jarrett returned to his hometown of Tallahassee to become the program’s 10th ever head coach. hired away from Notre Dame after compiling a 86-32 record and leading the Fighting Irish to a College World Series berth in 2022. “I think that Link is the finest coach in the game today, and that opinion is held by many in college baseball. We could not be more pleased that he will be leading our program,” said FSU athletic director Michael Alford last week in a press release announcing Jarrett’s hire. “He has been a proven winner at each of his coaching stops. “His teams have not only posted historically successful seasons, but they have also mirrored Link’s tradition of running a first-class program. He is well-known for his record of developing players everywhere he has coached. “He’s a Seminole through and through and there is no question that he will dedicate himself to the success of our student-athletes and his team. I know he is excited to be returning home and we are just as excited to welcome him and his family.” Speaking on Monday, Jarrett said that ultimately, outside of family connections, his desire to be in Tallahassee came down to one thing — winning a national championship. “After I left, I do recognize what has gone here for decades. I have to create a trajectory with the program to modernize what we’re doing. We have to improve the organization. We have to become complete in all phases of what we’re trying to do with the program. There’s one thing I haven’t done, and that’s win a national championship, and that’s why I’m here.” “It’s not easy, I know this is difficult. Walking off that field [in Omaha] a week ago was challenging, emotional. I actually walked off that field three times as a player, and I’m going to walk off that field, at some point, with the trophy.” “A lot of people say that, I would think every coach stands at the podium and probably says the same thing, but I’ve been very close — and my experience in the game, playing and now coaching, has positioned me to be in a program where I feel like we have that opportunity annually to position ourselves to host a regional, host a super-regional, find ourselves in Omaha and cultivate a time that has a chance out there to win it.” Jarrett took the time to thank his family, appreciating them for the coaching journey they've been on — eight different locations. It’s a huge reason why he ultimately ended up in Tallahassee, so that they could finally settle down. He also took a few minutes to address the elephant in the room — his relationship with the Martin family. Jarrett, who this year earned a Mike Martin Coach of the Year trophy, said that he was, and is, eternally grateful for the support and platform that the family has given him. “There was a competitive side to 11 that was as elite as I’ve ever seen. He put us in a position to win...to be in a spot to execute a win. And clearly, he won more than anybody. And his treatment of the people around the program always stood out to me.” “Meat was a former teammate of mine — a former roommate of mine, an outstanding baseball mind. We had some of the deepest baseball conversations I can ever remember, at our house that was just up the road. He’s a close friend of mine, and will remain a very close friend as I embark on my challenge here.” Jarrett also addressed FSU’s facilities briefly, saying that FSU can “keep up our shop a bit” and improve some things infrastructure-wise, something that has absolutely been top of mind for the new Seminoles’ skipper, who talked about sharing a facility with multiple other programs in South Bend and how it helped shape his approach to getting the most out of his team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to Noles News Now, your home for all things Florida State this weekend. It was a busy with headlines coming from all over campus. My name is Brian Pellerin and I’ll be running you through it as we kick off another week. Today is the day Link makes his return to Tally as Link Jarrett has his introductory press conference this morning at 10:30. Depending on when you listen to this, it might’ve already happened so check out Tomahawk nation dot com for full coverage of what the former Nole has to say about what have to assume is his dream job. We’ll have a recap podcast dropping today or first thing tomorrow morning with our baseball guys as well. Jarrett is the reigning back-to-back National Coach of the Year at Notre Dame and 1994 FSU grad. Big weekend for Mike Norvell’s team on the recruiting front with guys coming and going. 6 four-stars and 2 three stars all made the visit to campus this weekend. Full list and a breakdown of those guys is on our website. The big news though isn’t one of those guys. Instead, it’s a guy who was actually in Gainesville this weekend who committed to the Noles. Four-star 2023 offensive tackle Roderick Kearney made his intent to join the Noles known less than an hour after he finished his official visit with the Gators and their fans aren’t taking it well. Billy Napier in some hot water already? We’ll see. Regardless, this kid is a mauler. Big pancake guy. Very strong. Really impressive guy. He could be a guy you build your O-line around with offers from LSU, Louisville, Florida, and others. Great get by Alex Atkins as Kearney becomes the highest-rated commit in their class at No. 128 nationally. On the other end of the coin, the Noles did get a decommitment from long-time FSU commit TE Randy Pittman. He’d been part of their 2023 class since last April. The basketball program not wanting to be outshined this weekend landed a four-star commitment of their own as power forward Taylor Bowen announced he plans to join Leonard Hamilton and the guys. He’s the 31st overall player in his class and the 7th best-rated power forward as well. A couple of former Noles signed to compete in the NBA’s summer league after last week’s draft. Malik Osborne will join the Cavs’ summer league squad while Anthony Polite will join the Spurs group. The FSU softball players are also continuing to get their work in summer leagues this season. News there from our Gwyn Rhodes confirming Danielle Watson who was previously drafted to the USSSA Pride in the WPF will now be joining Athletes Unlimited championship season next month. Sydney Sherill already a member of AU and will also be part of that champion season. And finally, some track news as FSU star Trey Cunningham finished second in the Men’s 110m hurdle at the USA Track and Field Outdoors and secured his spot on Team USA at the World Athletics Championship. Trey was just .05 behind first. Good luck at those championships.
That’ll do it for now.
As always stay up to date with all our headlines, news, and notes on TomahawkNation.com. And be sure to follow and rate and review the podcast feed for more FSU news three times a week plus our other in depth podcasts. It’s all available wherever you’re hearing my voice now. Until Wednesday, I’m Brian Pellerin. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A stellar lineup is in store that includes offensive linemen Julian Armella, Jaylen Early, Qae’shon Sapp, Jazston Turnetine, and Antavious Woody, alongside defensive lineman Ayobami Tifase and tight end Jerrale Powers. The last-minute additions of Turnetine and Tifase put a stamp on a 20th-ranked recruiting class for 2022 adding to both fronts which have been in question throughout recent years and have had major upgrades coming from the portal and the high school ranks. Julian Armella “I wanted to be part of something to change the culture. It wasn’t going to be handed to you. The biggest thing about everything, is that everybody is onboard. Everybody wants the same goal.” “Honestly I know I have ties with my family and stuff like that but my main goal and objective was that I wanted to create my own legacy. I wanted to make sure that me and the guys will forever be imprinted and will forever have a mark at Florida State for the years that we are here.“ Jaylen Early “Me and coach Atkins go back around like April of my sophomore year and yeah coach Atkins has been the same with me ever since I met him. He’s the same person here. Like, you know, I really respect him. He’s the most honest coach. (He’s) The most respected coach ever. I honestly have never met a coach like him.” "It’s a brotherhood. We’ve been talking when we were all committed that's when we all got close. We all be texting, you know, we have like a little group chat or whatever. We all talk. We all just pick each other up, and build each other. We help each other out, you know, coach other so it's always a brotherhood.” Ayobami Tifase “I mean that process has been an amazing process. I mean for it to be expedited that fast and for me to become a part of a family that fast and really just learn my place here, its been an amazing process. I came here and I’ve already made some very strong connections with the football players and I’ve been entitled to a lot and it's what I like because I want to hold responsibilities as a young person myself.” Jerrale Powers “I feel like, I bring like, someone who doesn’t just block but also doesn’t just run routes. I can learn how to do both very very good. (I’m) Just more faster and more physical. I just feel like with me playing receiver in HS and me now playing TE it helps when I combine the two. It helps a lot.“ Jazston Turentine “The transfer process was pretty hectic I’m not gonna lie. It’s just when I finally chose Tallahassee it was more out of the love and the specifics as far as ball” “I saw that coach Atkins had a very good repertoire to give me and I had a lot of tools to pick from he has his eyes on strengths but he also had his eyes on weaknesses.” “I’m proving it to myself. You are facing yourself so I am not really proving anything to anyone. It’s more like I’m here now. It’s me versus me.” Antavious Woody “Once you get here you go through the process of being an athlete and then coming together with the rest of the guys, they don’t want to see nobody fail so they’re gonna push you to your excellent limit.” Qae’Shon Sapp “The reason I chose to play for coach Atkins...his players are his kids, he’s more responsible to them because he treats them as one of their own. He’s somebody I can look up to, reach out to when there’s problems, adversity.” “It’s kind of strange how Coach Atkins recruited me. I was looking forward to getting a scholarship from Florida State for awhile...one day, I texted Coach Atkins, and I didn’t think it was actually him because he was not talking like it was a coach, but he let me know, I’m going to keep it 100 with you, I’ll always be coaching you up...it showed me he was really respectful of me. Every time he calls me, it’s never about football, it’s how my personal life is going, and how my next week is.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Seminoles are in the thick of recruiting season and tension is building towards who the future is for Mike Norvell at QB. But currently, that future is in question as it seems less likely that they will retain 2023 QB Chris Parson. They have also offered two other QBs for the 2023 class with Brock Glenn and Purdue commit Rickie Collins, they need to land at least one of the three and seemingly hope to bring in two. Beyond that, the Seminoles have made great strides along the offensive line with all the talent that OC/OL Coach Alex Atkins is bringing in. This team had 21 different offensive line combinations in 2021 and has done all that they can to make sure they have improved the line. Atkins helped bring in five offensive linemen to the 2022 class (more than any other position) along with four potential contributing linemen via the portal with Bless Harris, Dmitri Emmanuel, Kayden Lyles, and Jazston Turnetine. They have also tried to fix the lack of talent at the receiver position with impact transfers like Mycah Pittman, Johnny Wilson, and Winston Wright. But the question is will this talent be enough in a pivotal 2022 season for Mike Norvell? Norvell has been a good X’s and O’s coach without the results and given the pressure he is under for 2022, no matter the bad luck they may face it seems this is a tipping point for Mike Norvell's tenure at Florida State... Tomahawk Nation's Ben Meyerson is joined by Noles247’s Brendan Sonnone to discuss this and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello everyone, happy Wednesday -- this is Noles News Now, the latest in Florida State Seminoles sports, presented by Tomahawk Nation. I’m Perry Kostidakis -- let’s jump in. Right off the rip, some big news for Florida State football on the recruiting trail -- on Tuesday, the Seminoles officially announced the addition of South Carolina offensive tackle transfer Jazston Turnetine to the roster. At 6-foot-6, 337 pounds with starting experience, he offers a nice bit of depth to an offensive line room that has seen a near complete overhaul this offseason. Florida State has added ten offensive lifeman, fortifying a position group that two years ago was one of the main weaknesses of the entire team, let alone the offense. While Turnetine doesn’t figure to be a starter, having usable depth is a far cry from where Florida State has been in the past. Speaking of recruiting, here’s your reminder that you are getting older and older by the day -- Jonah Winston, brother of Jameis, is now a quarterback prospect on FSU’s radar. Granted, as a 2026 prospect, that’s still a few years off from being a recruiting battle to follow, but Winston was on campus the past week for a football camp. He spoke with Tomahawk’s Max Escarpio, talking about his relationship with head coach Mike Norvell and how it felt to be back on campus, albeit in a different capacity, after so many years. One impressive take he had was on the progression of his recruitment, saying quote, “at my age, right now, the offers really don’t matter because you never know -- I can stay the same and not improve. I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen... I will get better as I get older.” adding that being able to commit to FSU when that time comes would be “like going back home!” In baseball news, Notre Dame was officially eliminated from the College World Series on Tuesday, falling to Texas A&M in a do-or-die game. It marked an end to a miracle run by the Fighting Irish which saw them eliminate the top-seeded Tennessee Volunteers — it could also potentially mark the end of the Link Jarrett era for the school, with FSU baseball doggedly pursuing the former Seminoles ballplayer as its replacement for Mike Martin Jr. Jarrett spoke on the FSU coaching opening after the loss, emphasizing that, while opportunities might bring themselves to top of mind, his focus throughout the process has been on bringing the best out of his players, something he managed to accomplish during a run that sits as one of the best in Notre Dame program history. When could we potentially hear word on a hire? There’s a chance it could be as soon as this week, possibly early next -- the Seminoles have a few baseball camps scheduled. Offseason camps are huge for non-revenue sports -- and while that doesn’t necessarily mean that a head coach needs to be in place, it’s pretty helpful to have one at the helm during what’s one of the more financially lucrative endeavors for the program. Some other small news and notes: Florida State hurdler Trey Cunningham was named one of 10 semifinalists for The Bowerman award, given annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female NCAA track & field athletes in the nation .Of the 10 semifinalists, Cunningham is the only athlete to go undefeated against collegiate competition in their primary event, going a perfect 20-for-20 in the 60m hurdles and the 110m hurdles during the indoor and outdoor season. And history set to be made -- former Florida State women’s soccer and current North Carolina Courage defender Carson Pickett is prepping for her first-ever action on the US national team — Pickett is the first player with a limb difference ever called up to the women’s national team. Thanks again for listening, please drop a comment and a five-star rating if you haven’t -- we’ll see you next time.
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The Seminole Wrap crew is continuing its season preview podcast series diving into the teams on Florida State’s schedule in 2022 through conversations with beat writers, podcasters or other insiders of the teams that FSU will have to go through to get the program back on the right track. If you prefer written versions, we’ve got breakdowns for every team. Some including the Louisville Cardinals are already out. Others will be dropping over the next few weeks. Our podcast series will focus on big rivals or games that come at flex points in the season to get some additional nuance and expertise into these teams that go beyond the stat sheets. Schedule Preview: LouisvilleSeminole Wrap Season Preview: Expect the Unexpected from LSU feat. Brody MillerSchedule Preview: LSURoundtable: How does the 2022 FSU schedule shape up?2022 Schedule Preview: DuquesneSchedule Preview: Boston College In this episode, host Brian Pellerin talks to Tyler Nunez, a former employee of the Louisville athletic department, about the Cardinals. What went wrong in 2021? How can quarterback Malik Cunningham take the next step to uplift this roster? Is Scott Satterfield’s job in jeopardy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Happy Monday. Congrats on making it through another weekend and thanks for choosing to start the work week with Noles News Now. I'm Brian Pellerin. I'll start with a Happy Father's Day to the dads, father figures, and male role models out there. For me, that's my dad Barry Pellerin. Pops, if you're listening, which I hope you are, thanks for all you've done for me. And to all those dads out there, thanks for all you do in raising us. Now to the sports, our season preview series on tomahawk nation continued this weekend with another podcast episode and a few more written articles. For the podcast, I took the lead for the Seminole Wrap crew in talking with Louisville alum and former athletic department employee Tyler Nunez about the Cardinals for 2022 plus a few recommendations on his top bars and restaurants in the area if you're planning to make the trip. For articles, Ben Meyerson dropped his preview of the Boston College contest and I put together Wake Forest. A quick preview of the Wake Forest one that just dropped today... Deacs look pretty damn good again. All those previews are on the site or dropping today as we wait for football season to finally arrive. In the meantime, head coach Mike Norvell and the rest of the coaching staff continue holding camps and recruits to get some of the best talents in the country on campus. This weekend that included the brother of former Seminoles QB, national champion and Heisman winner Jameis Winston. His brother Jonah is a quarterback and baseball player in Hoover Alabama. Not much in the way of a recruiting profile though. Still cool to see him following his brother's footsteps. The Noles did get a commitment this weekend for their special teams unit. Long snapper Payton Naylor from Tallahassee announced his commitment to FSU on Twitter this weekend. Kohl's professional football camps rate Naylor as a 5-star long snapper in the 2023 class. The Noles also got a visit this weekend from 4-star defensive line commit Keith Sampson. He's been committed to FSU since March but has taken a few other visits recently so good to see the staff keeping up with him. That's pretty much it from a quiet weekend in Noles Nation. Thanks for staying up to date on FSU sports with us. We'll be back on Wednesday. Until make sure you're staying up to date on TomahawkNation.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Happy Friday and welcome in to Noles News Now, your audio home for all things Florida State sports here on the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. I’m Brian Pellerin, your host to lead you into the weekend... a rather uneventful weekend in terms of games I might add as we slowly build our way back toward the fall sports season. The most notable of those is of course football, which is about two months away now, but we are in the middle of preseason all-American season and we had a few Noles land on the Phil Steele magazine All-American team as well as a few others on the All-ACC teams on Thursday. Your second-team all-American according to them is DB Jammie Robinson. Jammie also grabbed first team all ACC. The others named to their All-ACC teams are Alex Mastromanno on the second team, as well as Dillan Gibbons, Mycah Pittman, Robert Cooper, and Camren McDonald on the third team. On campus this weekend, the biggest competition will be in recruiting as four-star linebacker Blake Nichelson should be arriving for his official visit today. They’ll look to keep the moment rolling from the commitment they scooped up earlier this week from a late 2022 defensive lineman. Elsewhere in the ACC, a tough blow for Boston College as their best offensive lineman will likely miss the entire season following an ACL tear. Star guard Christian Mahogany is considered one of the top prospects for the next NFL Draft so that’s a tough blow for B-C. He’ll surely be tough to replace this season. Noles host the Eagles on September 24. The NCAA is still working to catch up to the quickly changing landscape of their sports as they are apparently recommending some guidelines to the transfer portal. That includes recommending a transfer window process, which basically gives athletes certain times of the year to enter the portal instead of being free agents able to bounce around at any time. They’re also recommending an expedited process to punish teams that commit infractions. Right now, that process drags for years. That is certainly not a sustainable model in this day and age where you can use the portal to retool a roster in one season. Those recommendations will go before the board later this month. The actual vote could come as early as August. That is all according to ESPN’s Heather Dinnich. Quicker infractions and punishments could be a big problem for Miami and their mega booster John Ruiz. The self-proclaimed billionaire cutting the program’s NIL deals met with the NCAA to discuss those payments. Ruiz told CBS Sports that he took the meeting voluntarily and that it was nothing to be concerned about if you’re a Canes fan, but certainly not a good look to be the first school under the microscope given their history we’ll see where that leads. Never too early to look into the future at some other upcoming seasons. That includes the FSU hoops team that has their roster ready to rock for their winter season. The hoops-dedicated podcast crew looked at the group suiting up for the New Bloods this year to get your expectations set for Leonard Hamilton’s boys. And if you’re already missing softball season, Gwyn Rhodes continued her fantastic coverage of that program and dropped the first of her meet the team series looking at the Super Seniors for 2023. A group that’ll be tasked with righting the wrongs of this season’s conclusion and hopefully getting FSU back to OKC. As always, anything that comes up through the weekend will be on TomahawkNation.com. For now, I’m Brian Pellerin. Thanks for listening to Noles News Now. We’ll be back again on Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's been a while since Matt and Michael sat down to talk hoops. In this episode (Number 48!), they are joined by Tomahawk Nation's Max Escarpio. Max has interviewed Baba Miller and Darren Green Jr., and talked to many of the other players off line. So the guys pick his brain about what he's learned about this team so far. Hint: everyone is pretty excited. Once Max drops off, M&M going in depth on the John Butler departure. It would have been great to have all three of the freshmen from last year's team return, but that was not in the cards. Butler is obviously a loss, but how big? And is immediate help on the way? After the Butler deep dive, they spend a while discussing roles, fit, and depth. Florida State basketball under Leonard Hamilton has prided itself on being the deepest team in the ACC, but we have not seen that in recent years - due to injuries and poor fits. What about this team? They also touch on the NBA with Luke Loucks joining the Sacramento Kings as an assistant coach. With Sam Cassell seemingly on the trajectory toward becoming a NBA head coach, could the 'Noles end up with two? Plus, they talk about some of the players in the NBA, and close with a quick check-in on the US Open. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It’s been a busy last week for Florida State Seminoles football on the recruiting trail. Not only did FSU snag a pair of 2023 commitments in high school prospect Quindarrius Jones and JUCO defensive end Jaden Jones, they added some strength to the 2022 class by adding Ayobami Tifase, a 6-foot-4 300 pound defensive lineman who reclassified from 2023. Additionally, 2022 offensive lineman Antavious “Tae” Woody has arrived on campus and officially been added to FSU’s roster after concerns he wouldn’t academically qualify. To break down all of the latest news and what it means for Florida State, Tim Alumbaugh, Josh Pick, and David Stout jump on the mic for the latest edition of Florida State of Recruiting: The Three Stars. As always, for all things recruiting head on over to our transfer portal thread and our Florida State football recruiting thread, where you can catch up on the latest news and pick the brain of our recruiting staff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Tomahawk Nation team is working on a variety of written and podcast previews to get you ready for the upcoming Florida State football season looking position-by-position on the Seminoles' roster and team-by-team on their opponents. The Seminole Wrap podcast crew is going to use the next few weeks talking to beat writers from the most notable opponents on their 2022 schedule to see where those teams stand heading into fall camp, using the lull in the calendar to get to know the enemy. The first in that series is a conversation with The Athletic’s Brody Miller, who covers all things on LSU Tigers sports. Host Brian Pellerin talks about the coaching change, quarterback battle, and the names you need to know before LSU and Florida State take the field in the Caesars Superdome on September 4. Plus, Brody gives a couple of recommendations for stops you may want to add to your itinerary if you plan to make the Labor Day weekend trip to New Orleans. Florida State heads to New Orleans, Louisiana next season for a primetime matchup in the Caesars Superdome. They’ll face the LSU Tigers with a brand new head coach in Brian Kelly. The Seminoles currently lead the series 7-2, riding a four game win streak against the Tigers. LSU is currently favored in the matchup, garnering the most recent success in the college football atmosphere. Although the Tigers were able to hang up a banner in 2019, both teams have brand new rosters and expectations heading into the 2022 season. The Noles should be coming off a win against Duquesne in week zero, which should increase their confidence and comfortability. They’ll need to have a dominant game on the defensive side that leads to short fields and easier opportunities for an offense that’s going to take time to develop. Head coach Mike Norvell and his staff are heading into a football town with a hostile environment that’s hungry for a statement win on primetime. But, if FSU pulls off the upset, Seminole fans may have their eyes light up for what could possibly be a turning point in the program. Opponent: LSU Tigers Date: Sunday, September 4 Time: 7:30 p.m., ABC Last matchup: 10/26/1991 LSU Tigers: Team Preview 2021 record: 6-7 Here’s a look at the Tigers recent history:
2019: National Champions, Heisman trophy winner (Joe Burrow), Won Peach Bowl, Finished AP Poll with No.1 slot, 15-0 season
2021: Texas Bowl loss, Fired head football coach Ed Orgeron
Names to Know Wide Receiver Kayshon Boutte 509 receiving yards on 38 receptions and nine touchdowns Defensive end BJ Ojulari 54 total tackles, seven sacks, one pass defended Quarterback Myles Brennan (2020 stats) 1,112 yards on 79 completions and 11 touchdowns Defensive line Jaquelin Roy 30 total tackles, two fumble recoveries, one and a half sacks Wide Receiver Jaray Jenkins 502 receiving yards on 34 receptions and six touchdowns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello everyone, happy Wednesday -- this is Noles News Now, the latest in Florida State Seminoles sports, presented by Tomahawk Nation. I’m Perry Kostidakis -- let’s jump in. It’s been a jam-packed last few days for FSU on the recruiting trail - After snagging a pair of 2023 commitments over the weekend, the Seminoles added newly-classified 2022 defensive lineman Ayobami Tifas. The 6-foot-4 300 pound prospect chose the Seminoles over Arkansas -- as mentioned, he reclassified to 2022, but is planning on taking an academic redshirt year to prepare himself for the college level academically and athletically. Following his planned redshirt season, Tifase hopes to immediately earn snaps in the rotation. His impressive build will aid him in that quest and he’ll still be able to practice with the team throughout 2022, accumulating valuable reps without any pressure of having to progress quickly. It’s been impressive to see how both offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins and defensive line coach Odell Haggins have restructured the Florida State trenches. Even considering the fact that these recent additions aren’t going to be contributing in 2022, the pair have reestablished depth on the line along both sides, creating functional depth. The key there is that now, if a player goes down, chaos doesn’t erupt. While there are plenty of areas to address with the current roster and in the 2023 class, these developments are a step in the right direction. While there isn’t any actual sports action going on, now that we’re in the depths of the offseason, we are diving deep into various aspects of FSU athletics. In addition to coverage of all those commits, we have a 10 question, 10 answers piece on FSU basketball, talking new faces on the team and staff and the ACC at large, along with a dive into the progress of FSU’s defense from 2020 to 2021 and what that means for 2022. Also new on the pod channel is a breakdown of FSU vs LSU, where Brian Pellerin chats with Brody Miller of the Athletic -- it’s a great listen, giving a big picture view of LSU as a program and what that means for the major matchup. Thank you for listening, please rate five stars and leave a review if you haven’t -- it helps us spread the word, and also helps feed our egos, which are in desparate need of reassurance.
Thanks again -- and we’ll see you next time.
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Hello everyone, hope you had a great weekend -- this is Noles News Now, presented by Tomahawk Nation, giving you the latest in Florida State Seminoles athletics. The biggest news off the top -- FSU baseball firing Mike Martin Jr. after just three seasons with the team. In both of his postseason appearances, Martin failed to lead the Seminoles to secure hosting rights in regionals or take the team out of regional play. It’s now the first time in 4 decades that a Martin won’t be coaching FSU baseball -- so who are the likely targets? The number one name getting tossed around is Notre Dame head coach Link Jarrett. The former Seminole is on the top of every list as the most wanted for FSU’s next head coach. Jarrett is currently in his third season as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach and has his team in the College World Series after upsetting No. 1 overall seed Tennessee. He didn’t downplay interest in the job when asked about it, but it’ll surely take a big price tag to lure him down from South Bend -- or possibly keep him away from other programs. You can read a full breakdown of all the names that FSU will be targeting on TomahawkNation.com. Big news on the recruiting trail this weekend -- the Seminoles snagged a pair of 2023 commitments, one being JUCO defensive lineman Jaden Jones and the other being athlete Quindarrius Jones, who earned an offer from FSU following an impressive performance at last week’s Elite Camp. Jaden projects to be a defensive end for the Seminoles. Rated a 3-star in high school, he started his college career at Hutchinson Community College in Montgomery, Alabama. Quindarrius reports no offers from other universities and is currently unranked as a prospect — though that by no means is reflective of his talent. From an early glance at his film, he appears to be a talented hand catcher, playing physically and with a penchant for high-pointing the ball. He appears to be a bit rawer defensively, but still showcases good hips and ball skills in the film he has available. They both join a 2023 recruiting class that currently ranks No. 26 in the country. If you want more info on how the 2023 class is shaping up, the Florida State of Recruiting pod is knocking out position previews, which started last week with a quarterback breakdown. Current sole QB commit Chris Parson made the trek out to Mississippi State for an official visit, while FSU welcomed both Brock Glenn and Rickie Collins to campus. A name to keep an eye on in the coming days is defensive lineman Ayobami Tifase, a high school prospect who plans to immediately enroll in college and take a redshirt year. He’s looking to make a decision this week and be on campus as soon as possible. As far as involved schools, it’s looking like an Arkansas FSU battle. Whipping around to track and field, Trey Cunningham wrote his name in the history books by running the second-fastest 110M hurdle in NCAA history. Earlier this year, he also took home the NCAA Indoor 60-meter championship with a 7.38 — the 11th-fastest time ever and the second-fastest in NCAA history. He wasn’t the only Seminoles athlete who had an impressive performance -- we’ve got the full rundown on TomahawkNation.com. There we’ve been pumping out plenty of content over the last few days -- a basketball offseason breakdown from our very own Matt Minnick is live, as well as schedule previews, player profiles, the aforementioned FSU baseball coaching hot board -- you name it. Thank you for listening and supporting us, if you like what we’re doing or even hate it, please leave us a comment and let us know what else you’d like to hear on the podcast network, as well as on TomahwkNation.com. Thanks again, and we’ll see you next time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State - The Seminoles have had to look into the transfer portal in order to improve their team - but are they doing enough via the transfer portal and high school recruiting to build the right team? Mike Norvell is not quite on the hot seat yet but this year, and how he is building the future, could threaten his job security if they are not clearly headed in the right direction. While they have brought in good transfers, will they eventually get the players they need at WR, CB, and OL? Only time will tell. Looking at the transfer class, they have brought in Jared Verse who produced 36 pressures last season but will he (along with the other edge players) be able to make up for the loss of Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas? Those two produced 90 pressures in 2021 but given the depth at the position, they will likely take a strategy of having waves of defensive linemen rush the passer. Recently they have been playing with fire in QB recruiting offering two highly ranked ‘23 QBs along with Chris Parson putting more offers out from other schools in response. The question is will the ‘Noles be able to get one or two signal-callers or will they strike out completely at QB? For all things recruiting head on over to our transfer portal thread and our Florida State football recruiting thread, where you can catch up on the latest news and pick the brain of our recruiting staff.
Everything Florida State Seminoles, all the time. The Tomahawk Nation podcast channel, presented by SB Nation, features insider Seminoles recruiting, football, basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer analysis and commentary, featuring shows hosted by staff writers Tim Alumbaugh, Matt Minnick, Michael Rogner, Brian Pellerin, and Ben Meyerson, featuring contributions by Joshua Pick, David Stout, Jon Marchant, Max Escarpio and the entire Tomahawk Nation staff, produced by managing editor Perry Kostidakis. You can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to your shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The June heat is upon us, which means things are heating up on the recruiting trail for Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles. FSU is expected to host some important recruits this weekend, including two newly-offered quarterbacks, and the Three Stars are here to break it down for you. Tim Alumbaugh, Josh Pick, and David Stout kick off their Florida State of Recruiting position breakdowns by examining the signal-caller targets for Tribe 23. Is longtime commit Chris Parson’s commitment solid or shaky? What do we make of the two newer offers, Rickie Collins and Brock Glenn? Who will be in the class when it’s all said and done? For all things recruiting head on over to our transfer portal thread and our Florida State football recruiting thread, where you can catch up on the latest news and pick the brain of our recruiting staff. Everything Florida State Seminoles, all the time. The Tomahawk Nation podcast channel, presented by SB Nation, features insider Seminoles recruiting, football, basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer analysis and commentary, featuring shows hosted by staff writers Tim Alumbaugh, Matt Minnick, Michael Rogner, Brian Pellerin, and Ben Meyerson, featuring contributions by Joshua Pick, David Stout, Jon Marchant, Max Escarpio and the entire Tomahawk Nation staff, produced by managing editor Perry Kostidakis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In a boost to its 2022 recruiting class, FSU hoops has added overseas prospect Baba Miller. The 6-foot-10 Real Madrid product is arguably one of the biggest additions of Florida State basketball’s 2022 class. Miller has been in the professional basketball atmosphere for years, having signed with Real Madrid at 12 years old, per ID Prospects. He’s known for his fluid, smooth game with exceptional ball-handling and shooting. Miller’s decision came down to FSU and WCC powerhouse Gonzaga, which are the only official visits he took to the United States. The Seminoles head into the 2022-23 season with a relatively young group of players, having lost their entire starting five in the offseason. The class of 2022 includes Chandler Jackson, Cameron Corhen, De’Ante Green, Jeremiah Bembry, and Tom House, along with transfers Darin Green Jr. and Jaylan Gainey. Head coach Leonard Hamilton and his staff will yet again be prepared to play with a deep lineup of 8-10 players. With the addition of Miller, FSU’s 2022 class is highlighted by their size and ability to guard multiple positions, while being able to spread the floor on the offensive end. Miller’s decision to join the Noles was likely enticed by the idea of making an immediate impact on a program to prepare for the NBA. Multiple scouts and coaches around the league have had Miller on their radar for quite some time. He’ll likely use the 2022 season to adjust his body and skill set, while being able to play on a national stage in one of college basketball’s best conferences.
He’ll likely get to Tallahassee in the next couple of weeks to start preparing for a more physical, defensive-minded game at Florida State. Miller’s skillset will act as a Swiss Army knife, being able to knock down shots from the midrange and outside the three. His ball-handling is stellar for a player his size, and he’ll definitely be useful in the post if he continues to add more weight. Seminole fans should be ecstatic that Miller will be in garnet and gold, as he looks to be another classic Hamilton blueprint product. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State football season is slowly inching closer, which gives us a chance to look at the year ahead from the macro level, starting with the roster. This team is filled with players trying to find their footing, trying to make a name for themselves, trying to make a splash. The question the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Max Escarpio, and Jon Marchant — tried to tackle is who NEEDS to make that jump for FSU to take a leap as a team and program in 2022. Take a listen to who the guys think has to step up this season and give us your top-five in the comments and we’ll respond with our thoughts as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to the Monday, June 6th edition of Noles News Now, your home for everything happening in Florida State athletics here on the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. I’m your host Brian Pellerin. Thanks for starting your week with us. The biggest headline heading into today comes on a sad note as the Florida State baseball team’s season has come to an end in the Auburn Regional. The Noles opened the weekend with a victory over UCLA on Friday afternoon. Parker Messick took the win in that one holding the Bruins to 2 runs over 5 innings. The bullpen chipped in 4 one-run innings to close it out. The winner’s bracket game on Saturday though, wasn’t as successful for the Noles on the hill as Auburn wallopped Florida State to a 21-7 final score... Yeah, it sounds like a football score. Four errors in that one didn’t exactly help the Seminoles either. Regardless, they’d need one hell of arun on Sunday to keep the season alive, but they couldn’t find the bats in the elimination game against UCLA as the Bruins got revenge and sent them packing with a 2-1final. The Noles who were top 15 in the preseason polls ended up as one of the last teams into the tournament and taking third place in the regional... a long shoutfrom where they hoped the season would end. We’re still about 2 months from football season, but the recruiting year never stops. For Mike Norvell’s group, it’s camp time. Saturday started with the annual elite Camp. The goal is a pretty simple one — get some of the nation’s top prospects on campus for workouts... meet the coaches and tour the facilities. The group that came to Tallahassee included every 2023 commit including 5-star running back Kam Davis, 4-star Q-B Chris Parson, and 3-star Q-B Luke Kromenhook. Parson did announce while speaking with the media that he plans on taking some official visits to other schools for the first time since committing to FSU so something to keep an eye on. As we counting down to the start of the season, the Seminole Wrap podcast crew including yours truly, Jon Marchant, and Max Escarpio took a look at the five most important players for Florida State this year. That’s not necessarily the 5 best players but the 5 that will need to play a big role if this team hopes to take a step forward in 2022. We get some good back and forth in a 20-30 minute episode. I think it’s a fun listen so give it a shot and let us know who you think we may have missed. Meanwhile, a current leader on the Noles offensive line continues to collect honors for his work off the field. Dillan Gibbons won the Starfish Award from the Big BendBoys and Girls Club. Congrats Dillan. A guy who has been incredibly impactful with his platform. Keep up the good work. We’re proud to call you a Seminole. And one more thing to keep an eye on today in the hoops world is Baba Miller who is set to announce his next destination today. The 6-foot-10 Spaniard could be a big impact on the wing for the Noles. So check in with Tomahawk Nation throughout the day to see if he’s Tally bound. That’ll do it for today’s edition of Noles News Now. Thank you for listening and remember to rate and review this podcast if you like what you’re hearing. I’m BrianPellerin. We’ll see you again on Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
There’s a lot going on with the quarterback position at Florida State. First up, Jordan Travis and the ‘Noles will have a decision to make in terms of him staying for 2023 — with another year of eligibility after 2022, he’s got the chance to return to Tallahassee, but it is a little more complicated than that. Will FSU have a QB behind him that feels they need to play in 2023? How will the rest of the room play out? FSU has offered two 2023 QBs last week and that is making people wonder if Chris Parson’s future is still with the Seminoles. Since the other two QBs got those offers, Parson has received offers from SMU and Mississippi State but it seems FSU wants two QBs from the ‘23 class. The team offered Brock Glenn and Rickie Collins on the same day last week signifying that they are still seriously considering more options for the next QB class. Collins is set for an official visit with the ‘Noles while Glenn has connections with the staff and will make a recruiting decision by the end of the month. All three high school QB prospects were also invited to the Elite 11 finals. Ben and Logan also talk about the biggest impact transfers from Jared Verse to Trey Benson and Mycah Pittman and how they will all fit in. As a bonus, they also debate which position FSU is most set in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Happy Wednesday and welcome to Noles News Now, your latest in Florida State athletics, presented by Tomahawk Nation. Baseball dominating the headlines over the last couple of days, with the Seminoles bowing out of ACC Tournament competition after losing to Notre Dame in pool play. FSU has lost five of its last six, leading to it slipping out of contention to secure a regional hosting selection -- they haven’t hosted since the 2017-2018 season. They’ll be headed to the Auburn regional as the No. 3 seed there -- the Seminoles are grouped up with the Tigers, UCLA, and Southeastern Louisiana. Auburn, hosting for the first time since 2010, bowed out of the SEC Tournament with an opening loss to Kentucky, while UCLA finished runner up in the Pac-12 tourney -- they made the title game after scoring 9 runs in the 9th to force extra innings vs. Oregon State, winning via walk-off bomb. Southeastern Louisiana secured its NCAA Tournament berth by winning the Southland Conference tournament. The regional kicks off this Friday, with FSU taking on UCLA in the opener. In recruiting news, 2023 four-star quarterback commit Chris Parson earned an Elite 11 Finals invite -- a prestigious honor for high school gunslingers. Parson showed out in the Nashville Regional earlier this month, finishing tied for first with an impressive performance. 2024 five-star running back Stacey Gage, one of the top prospects in his class, took a fourth visit to Florida State on Tuesday. Speaking to Zach Blostein of Noles247, the IMG Academy athlete offered plenty of praise, saying “it just feels like home. I haven't visited any other school as much as this school so everytime I come back it just feels like home. Everybody knows me. I can walk around, do my little thing. I feel good when I come here." And on Monday, redshirt sophomore Cole Anderson and senior Dan Bradbury closed out the 2022 season for FSU men’s golf in the NCAA Tournament finals, with Anderson finishing tied for 40th after as final-round 74. That’s all the latest excitement in Florida State sports -- coming up this weekend is FSU football’s mega camp, which we’ll have full coverage of, as well as live updates during baseball’s game vs. UCLA on Friday. We’ve also got a bunch of offseason content cooking up, and you should start seeing that on the site starting next week. Thank you for listening and supporting, if you like what we’re doing or even hate it, please leave us a comment and let us know what else you’d like to hear on the podcast network, as well as on TomahwkNation.com. Thanks again, and we’ll see you Friday.
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The Florida State Seminoles played their spring game and practiced in 15 open practices, our staff gathered what they saw and put together a depth chart based on their observations, you can read that original article here on Tomahawk Nation. Initially looking at the QB position Jordan Travis is the no-doubt starter for the Garnet and Gold unlike last year and he has really taken command of the QB1 role, especially as a leader. Competing for the backup spot are true freshman AJ Duffy and redshirt sophomore Tate Rodemaker. While Duffy is the more talented player he is still learning the offense and getting acclimated to being a college athlete so they leaned on Rodemaker’s experience at practice, but how much longer will that continue? In the running back room, the ‘Noles have been able to replace their lead back Jashaun Corbin with Trey Benson a transfer from Oregon. He showed out in the spring game and proved he deserves starter reps. But we also know that Mike Norvell does not just involve one back in his week-to-week game plan and Treshaun Ward will be in that similar support role that he played so well last year. In the wide receiver room, the FSU staff has been able to bring in new players like Mycah Pittman and Johnny Wilson. Pittman will be in line to get the main target share as well as second-year receiver Malik McClain. Going forward they will need more help the team has some in-house players that will get the opportunity to prove themselves as well like Ja’Khi Douglas, Ontaria Wilson and Josh Burrell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FLORIDA STATE — South Florida has been acknowledged as the heart of high school football for years. After garnering records for the most five-star prospects and NFL draftees, every class continues to strive in its own fashion. Head coach Mike Norvell and FSU’s staff have been in contact with legacy defensive end Lamont Green Jr. from day one. Green is Florida State’s earliest commit as of now, and their second-highest commit in the class of 2023. The 6’5 DE is currently the No.24 Edge in the nation and No.240 overall player. Green has been known for his quick feet and aggressive finishing since he put on the pads in Pop Warner. He’s headed into his senior season with the Gulliver Prep Raiders, The class of 2023 holds three five-star wide receivers in the South Florida area, honing in on the fastest and probably the rawest athlete, Jalen Brown from Gulliver Prep. Brown is currently ranked as the No.5 wide receiver in the nation and the No.35 overall player. In the past year he’s flirted with a top three receiver rating, catching eyes for his incredible speed and footwork. Brown’s known as one of the best track and field athletes in the state of Florida, finishing third in the 200 meter dash at the FHSAA Class 2A State Championship. The highly touted receiver holds 34 offers, being steadily pursued by LSU, Texas A&M, Miami and Florida State, per 247Sports. He plans on taking a visit to LSU in the coming weeks, and hopes to be back in Tallahassee for a game during the 2022 season. Brown’s most recent visit to FSU was March 27th, having already visited the campus more six times in the past year. The Seminoles currently hold six commitments for the class of 2023, ranked as the No.15 class in the nation. Brown is considered to be at the very top of their needs/want list, which could be a real possibility since many believe he’ll want to stay closer to home and already has a relationship with 2023 QB Chris Parson.
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For the past few years, the offensive line has been a point of contention for the Florida State Seminoles. This isn’t ideal for a team that is insistent on being a run-first offense; however, offensive line coach and newly minted offensive coordinator Alex Atkins is doing his best to turn the position group around. Despite pulling in the best o-line class in years, there were still questions surrounding the depth of this group. Even the best prospects take a few years to mature into that role so transfers have to be relied on for quick returns. Enter D’Mitri Emmanuel. Emmanuel is the third transfer offensive lineman taken by FSU this offseason. As a fourth-year player who has played under Atkins before in their one-year overlap at Charlotte, he is uniquely primed to step onto the field quickly, but will he be ready for the jump up into the Power 5? That's for the film to decide and for the guys at the Triple Option to decode. In this episode, they will break down his performance against one of the top defenses in the country when Charlotte faced the Clemson Tigers in 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Happy hump day ladies and gentlemen — this is Noles News Now presented by Tomahawk Nation, covering the latest in FSU athletics. Let’s dive in with some recruiting news off the top — yesterday, the Seminoles extended offers to a pair of 2023 quarterbacks — four-star Ricky Collins out of Louisiana (currently committed to the Purdue Boilermakers) and three-star Brock Glenn out of Memphis. Each hold more than a few Power 5 offers, showing that the Seminoles aren’t just content taking a single QB in this year’s class. Currently, four-star Chris Parson is the only quarterback committed — he’s been locked in with the Seminoles for nearly a year now, becoming a bellcow of the class while continuing to expand his game. He had a good showing at the Elite 11 Regional in mid-May, showcasing why he’s considered the No. 16 quarterback in the country by 247. So why the offers? While the staff is high on Parson, putting all their eggs in one basket isn’t their goal — FSU took one quarterback in 2022, AJ Duffy, while failing to land a high school prospect in 2021 after the flip of Luke Altmyer to Ole Miss. With just three scholarship QBs currently on roster, it’s imperative for the staff to start building depth and competition at the position. In baseball news, Parker Messick,has been named a semifinalist for two National Player of the Year awards — the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award after being named a first-team All-ACC pitcher, leading the league in strikeouts, strikeouts per nine innings, strikeout-to-walk ratio, and WHIP. Meanwhile, the No. 9 seed Seminoles kick off ACC Tournament play today vs. Virginia, with a second matchup vs. Notre Dame set for Thursday. Bryce Hubbart will be today’s starting pitcher, with Messick handling primary duties on Thursday. The Cavalier offense is led by third baseman Jake Gelof and left fielder Alex Tappen. The first team All-ACC duo are second in the nation in combined RBIS at 144. Brian Gursky is the ace on the mound with a 7-1 record overall with 78 strikeouts on the season. In the ACC tournament, FSU holds a 9-8 record over UVA. Overall, the Seminoles are 59-31 all-time against the Cavs. Friday’s game will be a chance for the Seminoles to get revenge for a weekend sweep at the hands of Notre Dame in Tallahassee earlier this season. The Irish are also coming off a regular season-ending series loss (Miami). Notre Dame’s top three starters all boast an ERA under 3.00, led by John Bertrand. FSU will most likely face either Bertrand or Austin Temple in their Thursday matchup. On the offensive side, the Irish have a balanced attack led by Brooks Coetzee and Jack Zyska. If Florida State wins their pool, they will face the winner of Pool A on Saturday. The championship game will be played on Sunday afternoon. Florida State women’s golf’s longest ever run in the NCAA Championship tournament came to an end Tuesday — the Seminoles fell to Texas A&M in the quarterfinals of match play at the championship finals. The Seminoles advanced to match play for the first time in school history and finished in a tie for fifth place in the final national standings – the highest NCAA Championship finish in school history. Florida State women’s tennis athletes Petra Hule and Anna Arkadianou bowed out of the NCAA Doubles Championship on Tuesday night, falling to Janice Tjen and Savannah Broadus of Pepperdine. Hule finishes her FSU career with 202 career wins in singles and doubles play combined, including a record-tying 106 wins in doubles play. Arkadianou, just a sophomore, has a chance to anchor next year’s team as she gained valuable experience on FSU’s No. 1 doubles tandem while being a No. 2/3 player in singles play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
An all-time great season in Tallahassee is over. After an incredible run through their season punctuated by an ACC Tournament championship title, the Florida State softball team saw their season swiftly end with back-to-back losses to Mississippi State in the Tallahassee Regional championship. The Seminoles romped through their first two games posting consecutive 8-0 run-rule victories and found themselves in the driver’s seat heading into Sunday. So what happened? Gwyn Rhodes joins host Brian Pellerin on this week’s Seminole Wrap podcast to break down what went wrong, the emotional press conference that followed, and what’s ahead for the program for years to come and the rest of the NCAA Tournament this year.
Head coach Lonni Alameda, players talk Seminoles season-ending loss
Seminoles season ends in back-to-back losses to Mississippi State
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Hello everyone, happy Monday, and welcome to Noles News Now presented by Tomahawk Nation— I’m Perry Kostidakis, and here’s the latest in Florida State athletics. A hard weekend out on the diamond all-around for Florida State — on the softball side, the No. 2 national seed Seminoles went undefeated in opening play of the Tallahassee Regional before faltering in the final to underdog Mississippi State. Florida State didn’t look at all like the world-beaters they had this season - in game one, they were shutout for just the second time this year, falling 5-0 and registering just two hits. That bad juju was seemingly erased in the beginning of a winner-take-all game two, with Sydney Sherill smacked a two-run homer that put the Seminoles up 2-zip, while a Kaley Mudge RBI in the bottom of the second put them up 3-1. That was the last time FSU would score — the Bulldogs used a strong fifth inning to take back the lead, never relinquishing it en route to a Tallahassee Regional title. It’s the first time since 2012 that the Seminoles won’t be heading to the Super Regional state — it’s a hard ending to a great season, in addition to an ACC title secured last week, FSU’s 49-5 record in the regular season was the highest winning percentage in a regular season in school history.
Seminoles season ends in back-to-back losses to Mississippi State
FSU Softball: Danielle Watson drafted to Women’s Professional Fastpitch
It wasn’t much better for FSU baseball in its regular season finale — the Seminoles started off its series against UNC with a walk-off loss and ended it by being blown out 11-0. FSU was picked to finish first in the ACC, and now head into the ACC Tournament as the No. 9 seed. It’s a disappointing result for a team that seemingly had gathered the talent to support a pitching room that was supposed to be amongst the nation’s elite. While it’s not curtains on the season for the Seminoles, there’s a major need for a strong showing in the conference tournament for both seeding and momentum purposes. Three up, three down: UNC sweeps FSU
As for other FSU sports — Women’s golf advanced to the final round of stroke play at the NCAA Division I championship and are in 6th place as a team after the third. The Seminoles must finish in the top eight of the team standings following Monday’s round of 18 holes to advance to the three rounds of match play which will determine the national championship team beginning Tuesday. Teams five through 12 (including Florida State in sixth place) are separated by a total of nine strokes. Florida State women’s tennis athlete Petra Hule, who is the No. 3 seeded singles player in the NCAA Tournament, begins her quest for an individual national championship today at 7 p.m. vs. Kylie Collins of the University of Texas — on the doubles side, Hule and Anna Arkadianou kick off their title run on Tuesday. On the men’s side, Louis Pourry kicks off his own championship journey by taking on Hamish Stewart from the University of Georgia — that match set to kick off at 11:30 from Illinois. That’s it from this weekend --- thanks for listening and supporting the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. Please drop us a rating, let us know how we’re doing, and subscribe if you haven’t. Thanks again, and we’ll see you on Wednesday.
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Thanks for listening to Noles News Now, your audio home for all things Florida State here on the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. I’m your host Brian Pellerin here on this Friday morning May 20th. If you’re not following already, it’s a pretty good weekend to plug into the FSU softball and baseball teams. One getting set to host a regional to start its journey to the College World Series. The other trying to make a statement and put themselves firmly in the hosting position themselves. We’ll get you prepared for both those teams coming up in a few but we start with the college football beef dominating sports headlines as three of the game’s most prominent coaches go to battle over NIL and recruiting and yeah FSU has some ties to it all. It actually started on Wednesday night when Nick Saban while speaking with boosters in Alabama named specific schools — those being Texas A&M, Jackson St, and Miami — that he felt were playing outside the rules in recruiting players. That back and forth ended with some public reprimands from the SEC Commissioner to basically shut up. Meanwhile, the rest of the sport sitting back to see what, if any, action the NCAA takes in looking into Saban’s claims. Could that mean an investigation into Hunter’s recruitment, Cristobal’s rising recruiting efforts in Coral Gables and A&M’s ascension to the greatest recruiting class ever constructed? Time will tell. All that’s left is time — probably just a few hours by the time you listen to this — from the start of the NCAA Softball Tournament Tallahassee Regional. The Noles are the No. 2 overall seed in the tourney and No. 1 seed in this regional. They’ll open competition tonight on ESPN+ against Howard at approximately 8:30. The timing on that is dependent on the finish of Game 1 tonight between Mississippi State and USF. In case you need a refresher, regional play is a double-elimination style tournament with one team advancing to the Super Regionals. The Noles would host the winner of the Missouri regional in that Super Regional if they advance. If you’re looking for a deep dive into the other teams competing this weekend, check out Gwyn Rhodes’s preview on Tomahawk Nation dot com or listen to this week’s Seminole Wrap podcast that breaks down the threat each team may pose to Florida State’s chances of moving on. Hopefully, Monday we’ll have a Super Regional to preview for you. For the baseball team, the goal remains piling up wins to try and secure a top 16 seed in the men’s tournament. D-1 baseball moved FSU into one of those positions in their tournament projections after last weekend’s series win against Miami, but the midweek loss to Florida leaves little room for error as the Noles headed to Chapel Hill face UNC in a Thursday-Friday-Saturday series. But early on, it was the Heels who took off. Four first-inning runs. Not how you draw it up. It would remain that way into the fourth before Florida State’s freshman came to the rescue. Jaime Ferrer and James Tibbs would lead big chargeback including an 8th inning two-run bomb from Tibbs off the UNC closer that gave FSU the 5-4 lead. That duo combined for 2 HRs, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. The Noles held that lead into the bottom of the ninth, but they couldn’t hold it. For the second consecutive game, the Florida State bullpen allowed a walk-off homer. This one a three-run shot from Alberto Osuna, his second three-run homer of the game. He drove in 6 by himself. Noles lose 7-5. For all the ins and outs, check out the 3 up, 3 down article on our website. Tomorrow’s matchup is expected to be a matchup on lefties with Parker Messick and Brandon Schaeffer figuring to go for the Noles and Heels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thanks for listening to Noles News Now, your audio home for all things Florida State here on the Tomahawk Nation podcast network. I'm your host Brian Pellerin here on this Wednesday morning May 18th. We start with the FSU football team... just 101 days away from the start of the season against Duquesne. Time and network remain TBD... but we do now know the start time and network for two of their higher-profile contests this season. Of course, I'm talking about the 2 against their SEC opponents. The first of those is the Labor Day weekend, Allstate Louisiana Kickoff against LSU. That game was already set for Sunday, Sept. 4th, but Tuesday the schools announced it will kick off at 7:30 ET on ABC. That's a second straight season with a Labor Day Sunday ABC primetime contest for the Noles after last year's thrilling OT loss to Notre Dame at Doak. This one is in LSU's backyard though -- New Orleans at the Caesar's Superdome. The other primetime contest comes on Thanksgiving weekend as the Noles host Florida on Black Friday. That contest on November 25th also at 7:30. Hopefully, the Noles are playing for bowl positioning instead of bowl positioning like a year ago. The guys on the roster taking a step forward will play a big role in that happening. Our team at Tomahawk Nation has taken a close look at how some of those potential stars performed in the spring. This week, the fifth and final installment looked at the secondary specifically AZ Thomas and Sam McCall. Head to TomahawkNation.com to see Kevin Little's film breakdown of their tape to see what could be coming this fall. If you missed the other breakdowns, that article has links to those for Mycah Pittman, Jared Verse, Trey Benson, and Bless Harris. On the baseball diamond, the Seminoles traveled down the road to Gainesville for their final midweek contest of the season to face the Gators. It opened with a flurry of offense from each team. The teams alternated scoring in each of the first four innings before the bullpens really stepped up and posted zeros until the 9th. The Gators and Noles were knotted at 5 at that point... but in the bottom of the inning, the Gators untied it. A two-out knock brought up lefty Sterlin Thompson, pushing Mike Martin Jr. to turn to a lefty of his own in Andrew Armstrong. But a hanging breaking ball ended up way over the right field wall for a 7-5 final. The Gators claim the game and the season series. For a full breakdown of the game, check out our Three Up, Three Down article posted now on TomahawkNation.com. The Noles now turn their attention to the close of ACC regular-season play in Chapel Hill against UNC this weekend. That'll do it for today's Noles News Now. We'll be back on Friday with more of the headlines you don't want to miss so be sure to follow or subscribe so you don't miss a thing. And if you like what you're hearing, please rate and leave a review. Until then, you can find everything you need on our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This is the fifth and final installment of our spring report card series. You can find other breakdowns of Mycah Pittman, Jared Verse, Trey Benson, and Bless Harris in the links on their names. Let us know in the comments below if you would like to continue the series with any suggested players.One of the most fun parts of any football season is seeing those arbitrary star rankings by recruit’s names translate to play on the field. Luckily for Florida State football fans, the two highest-ranked players in the 2022 class play a position that can contribute early. Azareyeh Thomas and Sam McCall are both high upside cornerbacks competing for playing time come fall. Their athletic tools are evident at first sight. Thomas’s length is reminiscent of Jalen Ramsey and McCall’s agility and fluidity make him an exciting prospect, but athletic tools aren’t all it takes to make a player effective. That’s why we go to the film to answer the tough questions. The guys from the Triple Option are here to break down every play the duo played in the spring game to decide if these players are ready to make an impact early or if they’re merely clay in need of molding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Florida State Seminoles softball team is firmly entrenched in the national title hunt after claiming the ACC Tournament crown with a come-from-behind victory over the Clemson Tigers and earning the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Next up, they’ll host the Tallahassee Regional starting Friday with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the USF Bulls and the Howard Bison heading to town to fight for the Super Regional berth. Each team will present a unique challenge to the Noles team as they take the first step on the return to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series. Host Brian Pellerin and softball beat writer Gwyn Rhodes break down each team’s strengths and weaknesses and how they stack up against Florida State in this week’s episode of Seminole Wrap as well as take a look back at the ACC Tournament run. You can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to your shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Happy Monday... Thanks for getting your week started with Noles News Now. I'm your host Brian Pellerin, getting you caught up on the weekend that was for the Florida State Seminoles sports teams. And really the story of the weekend goes to the stickball teams as they both answered the bell against their rivals for huge wins. We start with the Florida State softball team who claimed the program's 18th ACC tournament title this weekend, putting a stamp on an already impressive year and entrenching themselves in the national title picture. FSU put up impressive victories over Virginia and Duke in the quarter and semi-finals of the tournament. Then, they needed a 6th inning comeback to put away Clemson in the title game. That win Saturday pushed FSU up from their No. 3 ranking to grab the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, starting this weekend. The Noles will host the Tallahassee Regional that will include Mississippi State, USF, and Howard. If you want an in-depth look at that ACC tournament run and a scouting report of the three teams heading to Tally this weekend as well as the tournament at large, listen to this week's Seminole Wrap podcast as myself and Gwyn Rhodes broke it all down for you in an easy 30 minute listen. You can find the link to that in this article or in this podcast feed. Elsewhere, the FSU baseball team battled back from a game one loss to No. 6 Miami to take the final two games and the series. Not a bad way to end the regular season at Howser. The Noles rode the back of Jaime Ferrer to Sunday's win as he hit an early 2-run homer and added another RBI later in the game in route to a 6-4 win. Ross Dunn was spectacular in relief as well. Could be a huge series victory for FSU's hopes in hosting a regional of their own in a few weeks. For now, they'll focus on Tuesday's contest in Gainesville before their regular season-ending series in Chapel Hill against UNC this weekend. On the football field, the action actually continues to be off the field as we remain in the doldrums of the offseason, but the fallout from Mike Norvell's tampering accusations remains the top story. If you missed it, the Noles head coach said last week on the Packer and Durham show that players on the roster that aren't currently in the transfer portal and discussing their contact with other teams and their boosters with the coaching staff. Obviously, those actions are not okay in the pros, but there isn't much to prevent it in the NCAA as the lack of leadership from the top of that organization continues to stain the sport. Previous reports from Baton Rouge pointed to former FSU coach Jimbo Fisher's Texas A&M program as one of the teams trying to poach players from the LSU roster. No word on the teams Norvell is referring to as contact his guys. I mentioned the tampering rules in the NFL. Those apply to guys on other teams... but there's no limit to the praise you can place on your own guys as Giants coach Brian Daboll is showing during rookie camp when he discusses undrafted signing Jashaun Corbin. The former Nole describe as athletic and having that quick twitch...sounds like exactly what FSU fans know about Corbin from his time in Tallahassee. The beat writers in the Big Apple expect to see Jashaun as a factor in the backfield this fall for the New York Football Giants. That'll do it for today's episode of Noles News Now. I'll be back with you on Wednesday to get you caught up on the latest happenings in Noles Nation so be sure to follow, rate, and review the show so you don't miss the next episode. Until then, be sure to check Tomahawk Nation for the headlines you don't want to miss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This is the fourth video in our Spring Report Card series. You can find in-depth breakdowns of Mycah Pittman here, Jared Verse here, and Trey Benson here.The Florida State Seminole’s offensive line has been a point of contention for the past few years. Jimbo left the cupboard bare on his way out of town, compounded by questionable development under the next regime. Since offensive linemen tend to need more time to grow and develop, those lost years have severely hampered the position group. Insert Alex Atkins. Atkins is a rising name in the coaching community. He was by far FSU’s most effective recruiter this past season and seems to be moving the line in the right direction, but will that translate to the field in the fall? One big key to Atkins’s success will be transfer tackle Bless Harris. His size has been a bit of a question mark but can he make up for some of that with awareness and athleticism? Coach AB jumps into the film with Kevin Little to review every snap of this year’s spring game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello everyone, happy Fridau, and welcome to Noles News Now presented by Tomahawk Nation-- I’m Perry Kostidakis, and heading into the weekend, here’s the latest in Florida State athletics. Florida State softball kicked off ACC Tournament play on Thursday -- the No. 3 Noles took on Virginia in the first round, securing a 5-3 win over the sixth-seeded Cavaliers. FSU, the 3 seed in the tourney, takes on Duke today at 3:30 pm -- you can watch on the ACC Network, as well as follow on Tomahawk Nation in our game thread or on Gwyn Rhodes’ Twitter, where she’ll be on-scene. In football news -- the ACC is planning to vote on a 3-5-5 scheduling model -- that means three permanent opponents and a rotating slate of home-and-home games with five other opponents/ Commissioner Jim Phillips said Wednesday that the league could make the switch as early as 2023. Our Ben Meyerson took a deep dive into the advanced analytics of Florida State’s running game and came up with some areas of improvement -- the main takeaway? Between Jordan Travis and a stable of running back talent, Mike Norvell and Alex Atkins should be able to vary up their schemes when it comes to opponents.. Florida State baseball returns to the diamond today -- the No. 21 Seminoles take on No. 6 Miami in a duel to determine the top dog in the state. Last year FSU took all four games from Miami, sweeping the ‘Canes in Coral Gables with none of the games being close, so there’s a bit of a motivating factor there. FSU will have to deal with a daunting lineup of pitchers -- Miami’s Friday starter Carson Palmquist is one of the best in the ACC. The first pitch is at 7 tonight, and you can watch all games on ACC Network and follow along on Tomahawk Nation. The Florida State track and field team got off to a terrific start Thursday at the ACC Outdoor Championships. Isaac Grimes (long jump), Lauren Ryan (10,000m run), and Ahmed Muhumed (10,000m run) each took home ACC titles on the first day of the competition. And finally, Florida State Men’s Golf sophomore Frederik Kjettrup has been selected to the 15-member 2022 All-ACC Men’s Golf Team finishing the season 70.66 scoring average. The men kick off NCAA play this Monday in the Palm Beach NCAA Regional. You can read up on these stories and more on Tomahawk Nation.com, where we’ll also be providing live updates on today’s softball and baseball action. Thank you again for listening, please don’t forget to subscribe and rate five stars if you haven’t -- if you have, you are my best friend. Happy Friday, and we’ll see you next week.
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The running back position is one that Norvell has shown consistent success with. He developed four runningbacks in four years at Memphis that had their names called out by NFL teams on draft day, but doubts of his talent evaluations have persisted. This was especially true of FSU’s latest RB transfer, Trey Benson. Benson is a speed/power back coming off of a big injury he sustained in his time at Oregon. Concerns over his injury and lack of collegiate snaps dominated the coverage; however, the spring game seemed to flip the narrative. He moved well in the spring game, showing off his straight-line speed and downhill running style. A few big runs were all it took to turn him into a can’t miss prospect by the media. But where is the truth? Is he the next in a long line of Norvell’s NFL runningbacks or is he not suited for the big game? CoachAB and Kevin Little jump into the film to watch every snap from the spring game tackle those questions and more.
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The Florida State Seminoles softball wrapped up a dominant 2022 season with a series sweep of the NC State Wolfpack this weekend. The three victories give them a 49-5 record, a No. 3 ranking in both the polls and RPI as well as an 11-game win streak heading into postseason play. That’ll start on Thursday in Pittsburgh when the Noles begin their ACC Tournament run against Virginia and will soon head into the NCAA Tournament as they get ready for Selection Day this weekend. Brian Pellerin and guest host Gwyn Rhodes get you caught up on the season so far and what to expect this weekend as the Seminoles look to claim the ACC crown and set their eyes on a potential return to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series next month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to your Monday edition of Noles News Now, your home for the latest updates in Florida State athletics three times a week from Tomahawk Nation. I’m your host Brian Pellerin getting you caught up on the weekend that was for FSU. It’s already the second week of May and that means the semester is coming to a close in Tallahassee and the end of the spring sports schedule is quickly closing in, but we start on with the Noles football team… more specifically a former Nole as Jermaine Johnson officially put pen to paper this weekend on his rookie deal with the Jets. The Jets newest first-round defensive end also made his first appearance in front of the New York media this weekend as well. He talked about his excitement to see his dreams come true and how ready he is to learn from the veterans on the team all while wearing his F-S-U hoodie. Johnson was also rocking No. 52 in his minicamp workouts… but that’s subject to change for the actual roster so don’t buy the jersey just yet. The guy trying to replace Johnson is Albany transfer Jared Verse. He popped during the spring, but it ain’t easy replacing a first-round pick like Johnson. So can he live up to the hype that has surrounded him this spring? Tomahawk Nation’s coach Adam Brown and Kevin Little broke down his game this weekend in the latest installment of their post-spring report cards. You can find that link on Tomahawk Nation dot com. Volume one of that series focused on wide receiver Mycah Pittman if you’d like to check that out as well. Monday could be a huge moment in the NIL saga that has taken over the college sports landscape as the NCAA’s Division One Board of Directors is expected to weigh in on a set of new guidelines from an NIL subcommittee, according to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic. Those guidelines would give real framework to what has been the wild west of NIL payments for players. These would better define the rules and who is beholden to follow them. I’d recommend a follow for Nicole as she follows the Board’s actions and what it could mean for college sports. The F-S-U softball team finished their regular season on a strong note and one Nole made history in the process. The squad swept Sunday’s doubleheader in Raleigh and completed the weekend sweep of NC State thanks to Sydney Sherill’s three-home run game. That’s a first in Noles history. The team as a whole had 7 big flies in the contest. The first time that’s happened in program history as well. They completed the regular season with a 49-5 record and won each of their final 11 games. Next up is the ACC Tournament in Pittsburgh where the Noles will be the No. 3 seed and take on 6th seeded Virginia on Thursday night. First pitch is set for 7:30. And if you want more on the Seminoles softball team as they enter the postseason, check out this week’s Seminole Wrap podcast releasing tonight from myself and Gwyn Rhodes as we get you caught up on the season that was for the team and what’s ahead as they start postseason play. Again, that should be out late Monday night. The FSU baseball team opened their weekend trip to BC with an opening game loss but claimed the next two, 10-4 and 8-1, to take the series. Sunday’s win came courtesy of a dominant performance from Bryce Hubbart who punched out 11 over 7 innings while limited Boston College to just one hit. Noles back on the diamond on Tuesday. A tough end to the weekend for the FSU beach volleyball team as they fell in the national championship to USC, but still a great season to make it all the way to the title. Congratulations to them. The men’s tennis team knocked off Georgia this weekend, they’ll be moving on to the round of 16 for the first time in school history. Congratulations to them as well. Thank you for listening to Noles News Now. We’ll be back again on Wednesday. Until then, I’m Brian Pellerin. Have a great week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jermaine Johnson is a difficult player to follow. He came in as a transfer from Georgia without a ton of applause and played his way into the first round of the NFL draft. The Florida State coaching staff is looking to capture lightning in a bottle again. Jared Verse was a highly touted transfer out of the University at Albany. His high-end athleticism garnered interest in the portal but there are some questions as to how quickly his skillset will transfer to the P5 level. A bonus look this episode is at veteran Derrick McClendon II, who’ll be playing opposite Verse. A relatively obscure former 3-star prospect, he appears to have transformed his body and his game over the offseason. Will these two relative unknowns be able to maintain the high level of play achieved by Johnson and Keir Thomas last year or will they regress? Coach AB and Kevin Little dive into every snap the duo played in the spring game to find the answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello everyone, happy Friday, and welcome to Noles News Now presented by Tomahawk Nation-- I’m Perry Kostidakis, and heading into the weekend, here’s the latest in Florida State athletics. Kicking things off, on Wednesday No. 3 FSU softball beat No. 11 UF via a walk-off homer, courtesy of Jahni Kerr. It was the first time in 16 years that FSU secured a series win over the Lizards -- the Seminoles are now 46-5 and wrap up the regular season this weekend vs. NC State -- our Gwyn Rhodes has you covered with a full preview on tomahawknation.com In football news, linebacker TJ Davis, who signed as part of FSU’s 2020 class, was removed from the Seminoles’ roster after being medically disqualified. While he was a strong scout team player, even earning Scout Team Player of the Year for the defense this past season, he only saw action in one game for Florida State. The 2020 recruiting class has now seen 10 departures, leaving 15 members still on the roster for now. The 23rd-ranked FSU baseball team will look to bounce back from a midweek beatdown handed down by Stetson -- the Seminoles take on Boston College on the road in what’s a should-win matchup, especially with the season winding down. Parker Messick, slotted for his usual Friday role, dominated TCU last weekend with 14 putouts to help extend the Seminoles’ national lead to 521 strikeouts. The fifth-seeded FSU beach volleyball team is competing in the NCAA Championships -- they advanced to the round of 8 after taking down 12th seed Cal Poly -- the Seminoles are matched up against 4th seed LMU, and that game is scheduled for today at 11 a.m. In other NCAA Tournament action, the 28th ranked Florida State men’s tennis kicks off competition today against Georgia State -- women’s tennis is also in action this weekend, taking on FIU We’ve got these stories, and much more, including a film breakdown on transfer wide receiver Mycah Pittman and the latest FSU recruiting offers and updates, on TomahawkNation.com Thanks for tuning in, have a great weekend and we’ll see you on Monday.
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Wide receiver was an obvious area of concern for the Florida State Seminoles coaching staff going into the 2022 season. They addressed this concern with three transfers. Jordan Wilson Jr. is a big hybrid tight end that lets you be more dynamic with your offense, Winston Wright is a receiver with big-play capabilities who was unfortunately injured before he could make his way on campus, and Mycah Pittman is the do-it-all utility receiver that can be relied on to consistently win yardage. At least that's what the story has been. Instead of relying on narratives, we at the Triple Option prefer to let the film tell the story. That's why we’re starting this Spring Report Card series. In these upcoming videos, we will break down every single play that a key player or position group participated in during the spring game. First up is Mycah Pittman. He received a lot of buzz over his spring game performance, but was it warranted? Let’s let the film decide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello everyone, happy Wednesday-- I’m Perry Kostidakis, and welcome to Noles News Now, the latest updates in Florida State athletics, presented by Tomahawk Nation -- let’s dive in Good news for former Florida State running back Jashaun Corbin, who signed with the New York Giants after going undrafted -- he signed a sizeable contract with the G-men -- $10k signing bonus, $110k guaranteed FSU football coaching staff making the rounds on the recruiting trail -- offensive coordinator and o-line coach Alex Atkins made a stop in Ocala to check out Trinity Catholic practice -- he was likely checking out 2023 tackle Tommy Kinsler, a three-star prospect, a battle that seems to have UF leading Seminoles baseball dropped a tough one to Stetson on Tuesday night, struggling pretty much in all phases en route to 6-0 loss -- FSU has been playing well lately but have struggled to find its footing in midweek matchups -- not a terrifying concern, but one that still needs to be examined and ironed out with the regular season set to wrap up at the end of the month. No. 3 Seminoles softball, 45-5 and on a six-game win streak, is set to take on No. 11 Florida in Tallahassee today -- FSU won a thriller vs. the Lizards last month, so they’re going for the series win. The last time the Seminoles won twice in a single season vs. UF was 2006. New soccer coach Brian Pensky spoke with the media for the first time Tuesday, talking about the task ahead of him and living up to the expectations set by his predecessor, Mark Krikorian. FSU tennis athlete Loris Pourroy, the 52nd-ranked singles player in the country, will compete in the NCAA Men’s Tennis Singles Championship beginning on May 23 -- it’s his first time making a solo appearance in the tournament. On the women’s side, senior Petra Hule was named No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament -- the highest in school history. Hule will also play alongside Anna Aradinaou in the Doubles Tournament And finally, FSU women’s golf head coach Amy Bond was named to the Jackie Steinmann National Coach of the Year watch list -- FSU is hosting the NCAA Tallahassee Regional Championship starting next week. You can read up on these stories and more on TomahawkNation.com, where you can always find updates on all FSU athletics. Thank you for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time.
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Florida State Seminoles football had just one player selected in the NFL Draft this past week — defensive end Jermaine Johnson, a first-round pick to the New York Jets. It’s the second time in the last three years (2020, Cam Akers, No. 52 overall to the Los Angeles Rams) but just the third since 2009. From Brendan Sonnone of Noles247, here’s the number of players drafted from the last few recruiting classes in Tallahassee: 2017: 142018: 82019: 62020: 42021: 1 With FSU seemingly placing less and less talent in the league, is that a reflection of the work that has to be done in Tallahassee to return the Seminoles to prominence? Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant, and Max Escarpio talk it out, and in addition, take a look at how Johnson will fit with the New York Jets, what may have caused his perceived slide from a potential top 10 pick, and the pretty cool story that brought Gang Green back into the first to grab him.
The crew also looks at the guys who have signed as undrafted free agents and who is still waiting to find their landing spot and give their thoughts on who may be able to stick in the pros long-term from that group. Plus, a former Seminole is already making a name for himself in the NBA as he ends the year with some hardware.
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Happy Monday and thanks for starting your week right with Noles News Now, your home for the latest updates in Florida State athletics three times a week from Tomahawk Nation. I’m your Monday host Brian Pellering getting you caught up on the weekend that was for FSU. The headline stealer at water coolers across the country will be the NFL Draft. For FSU, their lone draftee came on Thursday with edge rusher Jermaine Johnson heading to the Big Apple as the New York Jets moved back into the first round to grab him at No. 26 overall. If you’re wondering how Jets fans feel about adding JJ to the roster, the poll from our sister site here at SB Nation Gang Green Nation had a 97% “yes” in favor of the pick .Elsewhere in Noles nation, six former FSU players have found new homes in the NFL including Jashaun Corbin to the Giants, Keir Thomas to the defending champion Rams and Devontay Love-Taylor staying in Florida with the Buccaneers. For more on the draft and what it means for FSU football going forward, check out this week’s Seminole Wrap podcast that dropping today. Also in football, it was a big weekend for quarterbacks past and present as former FSU Q-B and national champion Jameis Winston and current FSU signal-caller Jordan Travis both walked across the stage. Congrats to the two of them for succeeding both on the field and in the classroom. It was a rather quiet weekend in the world of recruiting, outside of FSU women’s basketball who landed Kentucky grad transfer Jasmine Massengill. The guard averaged over 30 minutes per game for the Wildcats and also spent time at Tennessee with the Lady Vols. The FSU baseball team took care of the two games that counted this weekend against No. 20 TCU, winning the first two games of the series by a combined score of 17-3. The Noles also led Sunday’s series finale 6-5 in the fourth, but mother nature had other plans leaving the rest of the game canceled so it’ll end in a no contest. The Noles are back on the diamond on Tuesday at Stetson. The other heavy hitters in Tallahassee also took care of business this weekend as the FSU softball team swept their own two-game series with back-to-back 2-1 wins over No. 7 Oklahoma State. They’re back in action on Wednesday against that school from Gainesville as they enter the final week of the regular season. Track and field set a few records on Saturday with three members of the team posting record-breaking performances at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Stanford this weekend. And the FSU beach volleyball team earned the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Championship tournament after clinching the CCSA Championship for the –count it – one, two, three, four, five, sixth consecutive year. Congratulations to them. You can read up on these stories and more on TomahawkNation.com, where you can always find updates on all FSU athletics. Thank you for tuning in, and we’ll see you again on Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jermaine Johnson II was one of the few bright spots from a mediocre 2021 season for the Florida State Seminoles. Johnson was a two-time transfer heading to FSU. He spent his first season at JUCO Eden Prairie before spending a couple of years between the hedges at the University of Georgia. One final move brought him down south to Tallahassee where he had the best opportunity to showcase his skill — an opportunity he took full advantage of, turning himself into a surefire first-round NFL Draft selection. As a prospect Johnson does a few things really well:
He has a good first step with long strides
He plays with active hands
He varies his moves- not relying too heavily on one or two moves
He has good spatial and situational awareness
He has all of the off-field intangibles you would want in a defensive leader.
These skills, like most things in football, are best appreciated through film. The guys from the Triple Option have gotten together to break down his highlights and give their opinions on his future in the NFL. Commentary from SB Nation Gang Green Nation: 2022 New York Jets Draft Prospect DE Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State — “I think Johnson has star written all over him and will be a monster in the NFL eventually.” Revenge of the Birds: Could Jermaine Johnson be the heir to Chandler Jones? — “He has the goods from an athletic and build standpoint.” Pride of Detroit: FSU edge defender Jermaine Johnson visits Detroit Lions on pre-draft visit — “Could the Lions be considering Jermaine Johnson with the second overall pick or are they doing due diligence in case they trade down in the 2022 NFL Draft?” Big Blue View: 2022 NFL Draft prospect profile - Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State — “The Giants could certainly use a player with Johnson’s tools, but has he really worked his way from an unknown to the Top 10 in just one year?” The Falcoholic: The Falcoholic selects FSU EDGE Jermaine Johnson at No. 8 — “I went with Johnson because I believe he’s a really, really good player who will make an immediate impact for the Falcons. He’s the first piece in what is likely a multi-year retooling of the edge group.” Projections from national media CBS: No. 9, Seattle Fox Sports: No. 12, Minnesota Draftwire: No. 8, Atlanta Sports Illustrated: No. 10, New York Jets NFL.com: No. 13, Houston USA Today: No. 8, Atlanta PFF: No. 12, Minnesota NBC Sports: No. 12, Minnesota Odds according to DraftKings No. 1 overall: +1000 No. 2 overall: +7500 No. 3 overall: +5000 No. 4 overall: +300 No. 5 overall: +2500 No. 6 overall: +1500 No. 7 overall: +500 No. 8 overall: +650 Over/under: 9.5 Top 5: +330 Top 10: -225 Top 32: -10000 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
UCF basketball transfer Darin Green Jr. recently committed to Florida State, just one week after entering his name into the portal. The junior guard is a 6’4 shooting specialist with career averages of 11.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.7 steals. Green should already be considered one of the Seminoles top shooters, looking to be an immediate impact in their quest back to the NCAA tournament. Coming out of high school Green was ranked as the No. 94 shooting guard in the nation, and the No.493 player overall. After a stellar career with the Knights, he was one of the most highly touted guards in the transfer portal. Green averaged 13.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.7 steals in his final season for UCF. He was named Third-Team All-Conference in the AAC, featuring teams like Memphis and Houston. Green has improved nearly every aspect of his game year by year, wanting to focus on his defense and attacking the rim when he arrives in Tallahassee this summer. As a true freshman, he led the AAC in terms of three-point shooting percentage with 45.5, while starting half of the Knights' games. He went on to start every game for UCF the following season, averaging 11.6 points. In the 2021-22 season, Green shot 38.5% from three and led the AAC with an average of three made baskets from the three-point line. Following his commitment, Tomahawk. Nation's Max Escarpio spoke with the Seminole new shooting guard to talk about his thoughts on the coaching staff, goals in Tallahassee, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello everyone, happy Monday -- welcome to Noles News Now, the latest updates in Florida State athletics, presented by Tomahawk Nation On the football side of things, defensive lineman Quashon Fuller was removed from the team and is expected to enter the transfer portal soon, following players like linebacker Jadarius Green-McKnight, defensive back Jarvis Brownlee, defensive back Hunter Washington, tight end Koby Gross, wide receiver Jordan Young, and running back Corey Wren who have all entered the portal this semester. The NFL Draft is this week -- defensive end Jermaine Johnson is basically a guarantee to be a first-round selection -- most mocks have him in the teens, as high as No. 4 to New York -- though most have him as a potential pick at 10 for the Jets. Other names include Seattle at No. 9, Houston at 12 or Philly at 13 Jashaun Corbin and Keir Thomas are two Seminoles who could also hear their names called-- the draft starts thursday and runs through Sunday In basketball -- our Max Escaprio interviewed transfer Darin Green Jr over the weekend -- stay posted for the audio, video and write-up coming to Tomahawk this week Former Seminole Scottie Barnes was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year after averaging 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in his first season It was a big weekend for FSU softball, taking on the Clemson Tigers for the first time in program history -- Clemson’s softball program began in 2020 -- No. 5 FSU swept the 17th-ranked Tigers, adding even more strength to a ridiculous resume Not as much luck for the baseball team, who lost a series-deciding game three off of an error-filled eighth inning. FSU has had an up and down year, seemingly dominant at times but failing to string consistent performances together where the bats and arms are clicking at the same time. In other Seminoles sports… Six Florida State distance runners — Matthew Owens, Amanda Beach, Caleb Pottorff, Silas Griffith, Zach Leachman, Paul Stafford, Rebecca Clark and Erin Phelps — posted FSU all-time top ten performances Saturday night in Charlottesville. As for track and fiel, Sara Zabarino posted the best mark of her career in the javelin, the third-best in school history, while Amani Heaven shattered her personal record in the shot put, placing her 8th all-time at FSU. The Florida State men’s golf team fell to No. 2 seed Georgia Tech, 3-1-1, in the ACC Men’s Golf Championship Semifinals on Sunday at Shark’s Tooth Golf Course in Panama City — the Seminoles find out where they will be headed for NCAA Regional play on Wednesday. You can read up on these stories and more on TomahawkNation.com, where you can always find updates on all FSU athletics. Thank you for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time.
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Florida State Seminoles football wrapped up spring practice last week, taking the field on Tuesday to put a cap on a camp session that saw several transfers and newcomers emerge and make their mark heading into the offseason. Since the end of camp, FSU’s coaching staff has kept up its recruiting efforts — increasing them tenfold in the recruitment of prize offensive line transfer Amarius Mims, who visited Tallahassee last week for an official visit. Mims toured Florida State’s campus and facilities with the coaching staff, departing Friday to head back home for the holiday weekend. The Georgia Bulldogs transfer was one of several players hosted by the staff this week — Tomahawk Nation’s Max Escarpio was on-scene, getting the chance to speak with a pair of 2024 prospects, receiver Sacovie White and Tomauri Johnson, after their visits with the staff. Max, Brian Pellerin and Jon Marchant talk that and all the latest FSU football news on this week’s edition of Seminole Wrap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FLORIDA STATE- The Seminoles opened up Doak to the fans and played the Garnet and Gold Spring Game, or actually they just had a practice open to students for free and everyone else for $10. The ‘game’ was encouraging for the Seminoles, on defense the strength of the team are those safeties and the interior of the defensive line. Players like Jared Verse, Robert Cooper, Akeem Dent were standouts for all of spring in practice. Jordan Travis, in the spring format, is not able to make all the plays he does in the fall and it forces him to work on reading the field, dropping back and creating from the pocket which is a great thing for his development. One of the most improved groups on offense has been the offensive line. The depth the team has on the roster now is better, but the Seminoles have needed upgrades along the line for a long time. Now they just might be able to land the top transfer target in the nation Amarius Mims. Mims was a five-star offensive tackle in the 2021 class — he went to Georgia and in 2021 played right tackle for 121 snaps, logging 5 games with 12 or more snaps (per PFF). Landing Mims would bring Mike Norvell an instant starter with huge upside who will likely slide into left tackle. But how would the rest of the room shake out? You can watch more coverage of FSU Football and these stories here in the latest episode of ‘Noles Quality Control. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's the beginning of the end of spring camp for Florida State. Their last practice is this afternoon with the spring game rounding things out on Saturday. That means it's the last time we media members can control the narrative before the team is televised for all of the world to draw their own conclusions. Here at Tomahawk Nation, we haven't slept on this opportunity. We’ve had daily practice threads, a short and sweet preview article by Coach AB, and a couple of videos that really show you what you can expect from this Saturday, but we’re not done yet. Coach AB and I wanted one more show where we hope to get the hype train rolling on some guys that have really stood out this spring. So, we temporarily kicked out our buddy Trey Rowland and replaced him with Brendan Sonnone from Noles247, a guy that's been to all of the practices and knows this team as well as anyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This is March! Well, actually it's April, but there were some fun Final Four games in March Madness this weekend. And now there is only one game left. On Monday night: Kansas vs North Carolina in the Roy Williams Invitational for all the marbles. This means that Coach K has been on the sidelines for his final college game, and we talk a little bit about him and his legacy, but mostly just about ACC basketball. It's a shame that so much of the conference perception is wrapped up in two things: the out-of-conference season, and the NCAA Tournament. Since the ACC expanded to 20 conference games, we go more than two months without playing anyone outside the conference, so it's tough to gauge who is improving and who isn't. Was UNC under-seeded? Nope, their resume wasn't that good. And that's all the committee has to go on. In the Florida State universe, we got two pieces of good news this week. The first was the commitment of Brown's Jaylan Gainey as a graduate transfer. Florida State will petition to get him another year, and he - along with all the Ivy schools - did not play a single game in the 2020-21 season. The other bit of good news is that Matthew Cleveland will be returning for his sophomore season. He's poised to have a big 2nd year in Tallahassee. Finally, we make projections for the National Title game. Who you got? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week offers an opportunity to stop and collect our thoughts on the first few weeks of the spring season. I have been able to attend the last few practices and I bring my notes back with me to discuss with Trey and Coach AB. In this week's episode we:
Give a position-by-position breakdown of standout performers
Go in-depth on some of the new pieces joining the team
Discuss how new players change the roles of players already on the roster
Breakdown some practice footage
Conclude with some thoughts on the state and direction of the program
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Spring has officially sprung as Florida State’s football team rounded out their first week of practice. Questions are slowly being answered concerning all of the new faces wearing garnet and gold, and the Triple Option has brought on someone who has been present at the action to give his insights. But, Zach Blostein isn’t merely a sideline practice reporter. He was also present at FSU’s huge recruiting weekend which saw the commitment of the high four-star defensive lineman Keith Sampson Jr. Sampson wasn’t the only big name on campus either. FSU hosted a range of top names and seemed to make progress with serious targets. So with all of the happenings at FSU, it would only make sense that the Triple Option would team up with Blostein to give you the most in-depth breakdown possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On the first podcast of the season, Matt and Michael talked about how this team had a high ceiling, but also a low floor. Significant time missed by any of the trio of Malik Osborne, Anthony Polite, or RayQuan Evans would make the NCAA dream difficult to achieve. Well, it got worse than that. But the team easily could have folded after losing six straight with so many players out. Instead, the flashed their resiliency by winning four of the final six, and finishing on a three-game win streak. Now they just need to win four straight this week... Senior day was an unabashed success. Anthony Polite, RayQuan Evans, Wyatt Wilkes, Tanor Ngom, and Harrison Prieto all played key minutes. Even Justin Lindner got in on the fun with his second career start. And FSU handled a tired NC State team just the way you want to see - a nice, comfy win with little stress. Prior to that, the Seminoles played a nail-biter against Mike Brey's Notre Dame squad, a game which saw the return of Anthony Polite. Now the 'Noles head to the Barclay Center for the ACC Tournament. First up: Syracuse, who FSU split games with this season. If they get through that, then it's a 2nd round matchup with top-seed Duke, who are coming off a big loss to North Carolina to end their regular season. After discussing the real games, we dive into the winning culture coming in next season in the form of a recruiting class filled with guys used to winning. Chandler Jackson just led his team to an undefeated season, finishing with the AA state title in Tennessee. And Tom House's team hasn't lost in a couple years. Plus there is Cameron Corhen, who starts for the best team in the nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Who doesn't love a good buzzer beater? Not sue which was better - the pass or the shot, but the two came together and naturally Matt and Michael kick-off the podcast by discussing FSU's huge win over Virginia. On a side note, the Cavaliers now likely have to win the ACC Tournament to advance to March Madness, so it was a crushing blow to Tony Bennett and his horribly slow vision of college basketball. Florida State is now 7-2 in one-possession games this year (and 28-9 since the Jon Isaac, CJ Walker, Trent Forrest, Mfiondu Kabengele recruiting class). Beyond the big won, though, there's not a ton to talk about in terms of FSU and the post season. Could they pull a miracle? Sure, but unlikely. Can they beat Notre Dame and/or North Carolina State? Probably, but two losses certainly aren't out of the question. A win would ensure Florida State a winning season for the 17th straight year. But this is a season where the 'Noles will need to finish strong to make the NIT, which certainly isn't what FSU fans have come to expect. The next segment covers growth that we've seen in the absence of Malik Osborne, Anthony Polite, Caleb Mills, Naheem McCloud, and on occasion RayQuan Evans. The freshman trio of John Butler, Jalen Warley, and Matthew Cleveland have all shown flashes in their own way. If they're all back next year, how can we see them building on this season? There's also talk of FSU's favorite enigma, Cam'Ron Fletcher, who can look like an all-conference performer one half, and a Division II player the next. How does he fit in for next year, and can he find some consistency? Next weekend is senior day. It's not how they wanted to finish their careers, but get to the Tuck to cheer on Osborne, Polite, Evans, Wyatt Wilkes and the weatherman Harrison Prieto. Finally, we wrap it up with some golf talk, and why not? It's spring time. The grass is growing. The Players and the Masters are on the horizon. It's a good time to get outside and hit the links. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State’s 2022 schedule was released earlier this week and it seems relatively friendly compared to schedules of recent seasons. Bye weeks preface important games for bowl eligibility and decent cross-conference matchups offer more potential wins for the Seminoles. However, this schedule is by no means a cakewalk. FSU is facing five returning quarterbacks who will most likely finish the season as top 25 players for their position with four of those quarterbacks lining up against FSU in consecutive weeks. In addition to schedule news, the extension of position coaches Ron Dugans and Odell Haggins was announced. These former players turned coaches have had their fair share of criticism over previous seasons in terms of on-field product and recruiting and there is some debate on what their retention says about the state of the program. Finally, FSU received a commitment from the class of 2024 wide receiver Camdon Frier, son of FSU’s own Matt Frier. With these conversations swirling around the FSU beat it seemed high time that the guys at the Triple Option reconvened. So join them as they discuss the schedule, the extensions, and the legacy. This Triple Option was filmed as a live stream. If you want to join the stream as it's going live please subscribe to the X’s and Noles YouTube page and turn on notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
For somebody who spent the bulk of his career — and life — in South Florida, Randy Shannon has lived plenty of lives over the past decade. After spending two years out of the Sunshine State, coaching linebackers at both TCU and Arkansas, Shannon returned home, compiling a resume that included interim head coaching responsibilities at two other major college football programs in the state. It’s a journey that’s led him to Tallahassee, where after a year off-the-field, he finds himself again jumping in to coach the position that’s been the catalyst to the success in his life. Shannon says, outside of a familiarity with defensive line coach Odell Haggins after years of going head-to-head on the field and for recruits, he didn’t have a connection to Mike Norvell’s staff — which has made the respectful, but competitive environment that Norvell has established all the more impressive to him. “If you don’t want to be a part of a family, don’t come to Florida State — I’m just being flat-out honest,” he said during a Zoom interview this week. “Everybody’s gonna be on the same page, we’re gonna push the young men to be great, we’re not just going to let them be mediocre on and off the field.” His year off the field allowed him to sit back and soak in football (“Most of the time, if you’re just sitting down watching stuff, you can see a lot — [things] when you’re coaching and working, you don’t see”), from planning out game strategy to self-scouting, but now, he’s able to get back to what has been the most important aspect of coaching for him: establishing relationships and encouraging the progress of his athletes. “We’re going to be there for them when they really need us, and that’s the biggest thing we do here.” “I tell each and every one of them every day, that when you step on the field, it’s your opportunity to get better. If you give somebody else a chance to take that opportunity away from you, you made the mistake.” “That’s one thing that you do as a coach — you got to enjoy what you do, but give the emotion and enjoyment to the players. Let them have some fun, let them know that they made mistakes.” He cites a story of coaching NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, in which he challenged Lewis to break his collegiate records set at Miami. He also mentions Jared Davis, who he coached at Florida, who rang him up in the offseason saying that Shannon was the only one who could help him get back to playing right. “That’s the thing that makes you feel good as a coach, that somebody’s been out of college football six years that’s still looking for help from somebody that got them to a position. That’s what I am, a helper.” As the team heads into spring football, the chance is there for the multitude of FSU’s linebackers to take a step forward, and the Seminoles’ defense as a whole. “Expect improvement from last year...a lot more excitement, a lot of emotions and you’re going to see a lot of names that are going to pop up, that are going to continue to grow, and look for that Florida State tradition to get back.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's been a while since Matt and Michael were able to get together for a podcast. But hey, life gets in the way... The first segment examines how we got to where we are (FSU basketball is 13-6, 6-3 heading in to Saturday's game vs Virginia Tech). The six game winning streak was obviously great fun as a fan, but was FSU actually playing any better than they had been earlier in the season? Or was it the randomness of close games falling in favor of the 'Noles instead of the bad guys? Next, they focus on Malik Osborne. This was recorded prior to the official release that Osborne was out for the season, so they had to tread lightly there, but did go in depth about how his loss would impact the team the rest of the way. He's a bit of an enigma, as many view him as a role player, while it's clear the podcast crew view him as much more important than that. Defense is discussed, and how his loss might or might not impact the system down the line. There is very limited practice time, and half the team is new - so what is a realistic expectation that anything will be tweaked to mitigate his loss? Or is it really just next man up? Speaking of next men up - FSU's most versatile recruit tore his ACL. Fun! But they do discuss how next year's class could slide in to pre-defined roles within the (mostly) positionless system Ham has developed. Finally, it on to Virginia Tech. They play super slow! They shoot 40% from deep as a team! What could go wrong? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As the college football world collectively waves goodbye to the 2021-22 season, a plethora of college football players do the same to their old schools. These defectors, commonly referred to as “transfers,” are dramatically altering the landscape of the sport, and teams’ rosters, at a rapid pace. The Florida State Seminoles are one of those teams in need of a rapid and dramatic change of their roster. Two coaching changes at the infancy of the Early Signing Period period have created holes in the roster that are yet to be filled but in these past couple of weeks, the ‘Noles have taken significant steps towards alleviating some of these issues. The biggest transfer commit came with defensive end Jared Verse. He has elite length and athleticism and if he could smooth out a few rough edges he could be a guy that replaces some of the production left behind by Jermaine Johnson. Another infusion of defensive talent came with linebacker Tatum Bethune from UCF. He is a rangy linebacker who at worst gives more depth to a thin position and at best gives you a linebacker you can rely on for any down and distance. On the other side of the ball, the receiver position was bolstered with the commitment of Winston Wright from West Virginia. He may be the most game-ready of the three true wide receiver transfers taken in this offseason. This particular group of transfers is an exciting one but words can only do these kids so much justice. So jump in with the guys from the Triple Option as they break these kids down to see what kind of impact they can make for FSU next season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It’s been almost one month since the highs and lows of Early Signing Day for the Florida State Seminoles and already, a lot has changed. To say this is a roster overhaul would be selling the staff short on what they’ve accomplished. On this episode of the Florida State of Recruiting podcast, the Three Stars discuss which players from #Tribe22 have made it, or are en route to Tallahassee for the start of the Spring semester. In addition to the high school enrollees, the Seminoles are expecting nine transfers. In total, FSU is bringing in one of its largest early enrollee classes. The Florida State of Recruiting (FSoR) Podcast features the Three Stars: Josh Pick, Tim Alumbaugh, and David Stout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State football had a bittersweet week last week. While they stand far above their peers in Florida when it comes to the Early Signing Day recruiting haul, there are many that feel like the failure to bring in a few key recruits is a signal for a lack of investment into this program. However, there is still a lot of talent that will be making its way to Tallahassee in the coming season. Sam McCall, Azareyeh Thomas, and Julian Armella are three guys that still haven’t received the full scouting treatment from our own film crew of the Triple Option. This is a time of needed decompression. As the holidays draw nearer and ESD fades into the past its seemed timely to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of FSU’s future- whether it’s the immediate impact of these top recruits or the pitfalls that may await the program as we roll further into the NIL era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Now that football has ceremoniously ended with a Charlie Brown kick, the basketball guys are back to delve a little bit deeper into the season. But first, unable to escape the vortex of FSU football, Matt and Michael speculate on how the situation faced by head coach Mike Norvell is similar to the one faced by Leonard Hamilton back in the day. The stakes are much higher with football, at least at Florida State, but where is Norvell on the Ham timeline? Next up is to recap some of the action since the last podcast. The team is 5-1, with the best win being a neutral site victory over a solid Loyola Marymount squad. They explore some early season trends, and how they might play out for the season, as well is digging into the performances of several players, most notably the new faces like Cam'Ron Fletcher, Matthew Cleveland, and the unicorn John Butler. Then come the previews. How good is Purdue? (spoiler alert: they're very, very good). In their first six games one team (a top-10 Villanova) has held them below 92 points. We don't really get into the dribble weave action which the defense will try to disrupt, but instead focus on the pieces they have. It's a toss up whether this will be FSU's most difficult game of the season, or it will be at Duke Or, whoever FSU faces in the Final Four, amiright. They feature a two-headed beast in the middle, and the guy coming off the bench was a preseason First Team All Big Ten selection. Plus they have a lottery pick who is beyond NBA ready. And a bevy of shooters to surround these dudes. The easier game - and probably more important to the season - comes this Saturday when the Syracuse Orange come to town. We're used to Syracuse featuring crazy long athletes all over the court, with at least of coup[e of NBA guys mixed in. Is it more of the same this year? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hey, it's that time of year for sports that FSU is good at! Matt and Michael dust off their microphones and dig in to the new Florida State basketball season. After briefly discussing the comings and goings people may have missed over the summer, they break down FSU's opening night opponent - the Penn Quakers. Penn and FSU should be familiar with each other's system, as Penn is coached by former Boston College head coach Steve Donahue. If we know anything about them, they'll be well prepared to take advantage of FSU's youth movement, they'll play fast, and they'll shoot a ton of 3s. Also covered is the UF game on Sunday. Florida State has won 7-straight over the Gators, but after bringing in a ton of high end transfers, it's likely that the Gators will be favored at home. We discuss the names to watch out for, and discuss the similarities in rosters. The new signing class will officially be in place on Wednesday, as that is the earliest players can sign. We've already seen notices from Tom House and Chandler Jackson that they'll be signing, and it is expected that all six recruits will sign in what will be a top-20 class. We cover the swings and misses, and how this class came together. Finally, you may have heard that Scottie Barnes is doing alright in the NBA. Matt lends his NBA expertise to lead a discussion about the 'Noles in the pros. Welcome back to basketball season, folks. We've made it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's been a while since Matt and Michael got together to talk some hoops, but honestly, there wasn't much reason to. Florida State went after transfer Tre Mitchell and whiffed. The same could be said for Kofi Cockburn. Toss in Moussa Cisse as well. The 'Noles were targeting a big man, but missed at every turn. Well, since nothing is happening with the roster, we decided it was time to talk basketball. We start with the summer update. What does the roster look like? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this year's version? How has recruiting worked out by position? From there we launch into the NBA Draft. FSU had the two highest ACC players in the draft last year, and with Scottie Barnes will most likely have the highest drafted ACC player again. But there are plenty of other 'Noles going pro, and we touch on them as well. Plus, how the current roster shake out for next year's draft? We touch on 2022 recruiting. Florida State has had multiple top-50 type recruiting on campus (hooray for the return of in-person recruiting), but can they land one to get this class started? And where does assistant coach Steve Smith fit in to this? He's probably the least talked about of the assistants, but this class could have his fingerprints all over it. Finally, we touch on some golf. Why? Why not? There are plenty of FSU golfers out there aside from Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger, so we get caught up on some of the important names to know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State entered the tournament struggling a bit after losses to Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. But in recent years the tourney has galvanized the team and this season is no different as the Seminoles roll into their 3rd straight Sweet 16. After knocking off UNC Greensboro in round 1 and dominating Colorado in round of 32 the 'Noles now face top seeded Michigan. Unlike other portions of the bracket that have been chaos, this one has been straight chalk for FSU and they don't get the benefit of facing any of the four double digit seeds which remain. We open the pod talking about Colorado, and specifically what FSU has done well through two games to get to this point. The Buffalos had one of the best players in college basketball in senior point guard McKinley Wright, and FSU completely shut him down. The rest of the team wasn't able to step up in his absence, and the final 12 minutes were a clinic. We also touch a bit on UNCG, though there isn't all that much to say. FSU was favored by 10 and won by 10 and did it in a fashion we pretty much described in the last podcast. After a break we talk a bit about the NCAA Tournament as a whole - or at least Matt listens while Michael rants. And then it's on to the main course: the Michigan Wolverines. Head coach Juwan Howard has done a fantastic job despite being asked to be the guy who follows the guy (John Beilein). Their roster is loaded. They play great on both ends of the floor. And they have plenty of ways to impact what FSU wants to do on the court. They also play a style of defense that Florida State hasn't really seen this year, so it will be interesting to see how the 'Noles attack. Michael predicts a game in the 70s, while Matt thinks it will be a low scoring affair. Tune in to see the picks to win. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's March folks, and the madness has arrived. Forget about the regular season. Forget about the ACC Tournament. It's the NCAA Tournament now, and in less than a week 48 dreams will have been dashed, leaving the dreaming to a field of 16. On the podcast we briefly touch on the Georgia Tech loss (hey, another turnover!) before moving on - or backwards - to how the season has shaped up as a whole. It seems the program has reached a height where many consider that after losing two lottery picks and an all-time point guard finishing 2nd in the conference both in the regular season and in the ACC Tournament is a disappointment. New bloods, it is. Then we get to the NCAAT. We start the conversation with some general observations about the bracket, and then move on to FSU's 1st round opponent: the Spartans of UNC Greensboro. In recent history FSU faced Murray State in the NCAAT which was a team built similarly to UNCG. They have one supremely talented point guard surrounded by a bunch of role players. Some of those role players bring interesting skill sets (the No. 2 shot blocker in the nation who also shoots more 3s than 2s comes to mind), but the reality is that this team goes as Isaiah Miller goes. He takes the 6th most shots in the nation, has won back-to-back conference Player of the Year awards, and won back-to-back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards. Oh, and he's probably the best athlete FSU has faced this season. Whatever FSU's game plan is, it will center around Isaiah Miller. We go in depth about where UNCG has the advantage, and where FSU has the advantage. Check it out Leave some comments. Let's do this thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State playing for the ACC Title? You bet. For the 2nd time in three years, FSU will be playing on Saturday and be one of the last two standing in the conference. Since FSU was awarded the automatic bid to the dance last year, you have to go back to the 2017-18 season to find one where FSU wasn't competing to cut the nets down. Much like the last time these two teams played, FSU dominated the first half, but also left a feeling like the lead should be more (it was 11). Then, UNC came out swinging in the 2nd half and pretty much dominated. The difference, this time, was that the Seminoles regrouped just in time to grind out the win. We talk about what went right in the game, and what went wrong. After that segment we launch into the Georgia Tech preview. It's been a couple of months since these two teams played, and GT has been playing great ball down the stretch. They only had to beat 13-seed Miami (of FL) to reach the finals, so they haven't exactly been tested. They should have played Virginia today, but the Hoos had to go home after a player tested positive. We wrap up with a quick discussion about other happenings in basketball, including a UF player nearly knocking out an opponent on a dirty play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Your Florida State Seminoles controlled their own destiny en route to a 2nd consecutive ACC regular season title, but that quickly went out the window when the ball tipped. FSU fell behind by 20 points, and even though they were able to make an impressive run in the 2nd half, it was too little, too late. We talk about where FSU went wrong this game. Was it X's and O's? Was it lack of focus? We also talk about poor trends this team has shown all season, and how that manifested its way into today's loss. But this is a new era for the 'Noles, so instead of sweating the NCAA bubble, FSU still has a chance to win the ACC regular season. UVA travels to Louisville, and a loss there would give FSU the title. After a break we look ahead to the ACC and NCAA tournaments. We talk about potential matchups, and also how much importance should be placed on FSU's road woes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to episode 36 of the Tomahawk Nation hoops dedicated podcast. We start with a brief recap of the Pitt and Miami games. Pitt seems to be dissolving as a program after the loss, while Miami was basically a live scrimmage for the final thirty minutes. Regardless, Florida State picked up a couple of road wins, which are key, as FSU has only played five times outside the friendly confines of the Tuck. Next we dip into the mailbag. We talk about the always debatable computer rankings over at kenpom.com. A question came in about coaching - specifically the post-Ham plan. But will Coach Hamilton ever retire? We also look ahead to the NCAA Tournament, focusing a lot on teams we may want to avoid, and a few that Florida State fans should be happy to see in their bracket. Last, the UNC preview. How dumb was it for them to schedule a late season game vs. Marquette (spoiler: very dumb). But they're still a dangerous team, and they've evolved a bit since FSU last played them due to the emergence of freshman sharpshooter Kerwin Walton. Though this is still a huge team that looks to get it done down low. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
When we last sat down to record a podcast, FSU was set to fly to Boston to take on the BC Eagles and their four scholarship players. Then FSU's second Covid-19 shutdown began and we all went a couple of weeks without basketball. Now Virginia Tech has Covid problems of their own, so our game vs. the Hokies has been cancelled, but the staff recovered quickly and scheduled a game at Pitt. But before we get into the Pitt Panthers, we recap the lessons from FSU's close win over Wake Forrest, and the blowout over No. 7 Virginia. Was the close game vs. Wake a sign that the Seminoles needed to wake up, or did it demonstrate that the floor of this team still needs some serious attention? With the postseason approaching quickly, how close is FSU to playing their best basketball? The Virginia beat down, on the other hand, showed that Florida State likely has the highest ceiling of any ACC basketball team. FSU's offense abused the vaunted pack line defense, and the 'Noles defense played solidly as well. After talking those two games, we take a quick foray into the "And-1" feature, and Matt rapid fires some questions to Michael. Then it's on to the Pitt preview. The Seminoles have struggled at the Zoo, and are those struggles going to continue? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FSU played twice this week, destroying Miami at home and then dropping a disappointing game at Georgia Tech. There wasn't too much to talk about from the Miami win, as everyone is blowing them out. Florida State won 81-59, which is what you want to see vs a bad team. The loss to Georgia Tech, however, was different. It's not the loss that is concerning - GT is a good team - but rather how they lost. We've had flashes all year of a turnover prone team that stagnates in the half court, and then in this game all of that finally came to light. The 'Noles are now 14th in ACC play in turnovers, and it is slowing down what otherwise is a very efficient offense. Many of the turnovers vs. the Yellow Jackets also led to easy transition buckets, which is a recipe for a loss. So how good is FSU? We take a few minutes to do a deeper dive into the team's floor and ceiling. Finally, we tackle Boston College. They're last in the ACC, but they've dropped some close ones including a 1-point loss at Duke. Their magic formula is lots of early 3s, which can lend FSU some problems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State basketball is on a roll. They knocked off North Carolina State by 32, beat North Carolina, and then went to Louisville as a four point underdog and won by 13. They're not only winning, but they've covered each spread by an average of 16 pointss. Raiquan Gray and Rayquan Evans have been playing their best basketball, and we examine them through the lens of the UL game. We talk a bit about Chris Mack and Coach Ham's success against him. And we dive into a few other interesting themes from the game. Then we take a quick look at the ACC, and check in on how the standings are shaking out now that most teams have played at least five conference games. Florida State is in good position there to repeat. Finally, we move on to the rematch vs Clemson. The Tigers and the Seminoles are like two ships passing in the night - FSU is playing its best basketball, while Clemson is slumping. Of course, that can all change in one game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of the Tomahawk Nation hoops dedicated podcast we recap the most recent wins for FSU. First there was the 32-point drubbing of NC State, and then a more modest 7-point win over North Carolina. Using the games as themes, we dive in to why FSU has been more successful after their 15-day layoff. Lots of things went well, including improved bench play which proved critical. Next we dive in to what FSU is getting from recent transfer Caleb Mills. The team he's leaving - Houston - is a top-10 program, and Mills is arguably their most valuable player. After a quick And-1 segment following the break, we dive in to Louisville. Will FSU continue their stellar play? Will recent success vs Louisville be the difference? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Saturday was a rare great day for FSU athletics. The football team won. The basketball team beat the Gators for the 7th straight time. And UF and Miami both went 0-2 in major sports and lost their football games in humiliating fashion. 2020 is almost over folks! We begin the pod (APPLE // SPOTIFY) by talking all things Gators. We should all wish the best to Keyontae Johnson, who was hospitalized after collapsing during the game. But this is a basketball pod and we also have to talk hoops. The ‘Noles got off to a rough start, but once they figured out how to attack offensively, the Gators were never able to respond. It also helped that FSU forced 20 turnovers and kept UF off balance for the final 28 minutes of the game. Plus there were a couple of murderous dunks from Scottie Barnes and M.J. Walker. After the recap, we debut a new segment called 1-and-1. Matt tosses out some questions, and Michael does his best to respond. Then it’s on to the Georgia Tech game. They finished 5th in the ACC last year, and basically returned their entire team. But early season success has been mixed. Still, they have a few talented players in Moses Wright, Michael DeVoe, and Jose Alvarado who could hurt the Seminoles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Good news, college hoops is back! Michael Rogner and Matt Minnick celebrate by talking first impressions from FSU basketball's win over North Florida. They also talk a bit about what is happening on the national scene, Next up is a preview of the Indiana - Florida State rematch in the ACC - Big Ten Challenge. Finally, they wrap it up with a discussion about 5* incoming freshman Matthew Cleveland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We begin this episode with special guest Ariya Massoudi, man about town, voice of FSU women's basketball, and discuss where Florida State basketball fits in to the upcoming 2020-21 ACC basketball season. After he signs off, Matt and Michael pivot to Seminoles hoops, focusing on who might be in the starting five this season, and more importantly who might be in the finishing five. Next up is the recruiting segment where we discuss the decommitment of Bryce McGowens, and how that affects the class. Finally, we briefly address the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It’s been a while since the last hoops podcast (APPLE // SPOTIFY), but real sports being on television has inspired the crew to talk some hoops. The void of sports has actually lured Michael into paying attention to the NBA, so we lead with some bubble talk - not the NCAA Tournament bubble where FSU used to find itself annually, but the NBA bubble which is providing a model for executing a full college basketball season. Obviously you can’t pack 353 Division I teams into a Disney bubble for four months, but you can take away bits and pieces to make the season work. Next we delve into the draft now that the lottery order has been decided. The ‘Noles have never had two lottery picks in the same year, and have to go back to 1993 to have two first rounders. Now the Seminoles have a shot to be the only team in the nation with two lotto picks in the October draft. From there we move on to the current team. Are there lotto picks on this team? 1st rounders? 2nd rounders? To wrap it up we can’t resist looking ahead to the 2021 class. Everyone wants 2020 to be over (1 year for sure) so for fun we talk about some of those players, including the intriguing skill-sets of Bryce McGowens and John Butler. As always please rate us 5s on Apple to help spread the word and go ‘Noles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Former FSU point guard David Nichols joins the pod for a wide ranging interview covering his time at Florida State. He also provides some great insight into upcoming NBA draft picks Devin Vassell and Patrick Williams. Prior to the interview, we talk about the State of Florida's new name, image, likeness law which will allow players to make money off of their own name. Florida leap frogged California with their legislation, but expect a bunch more states to jump in now. After the interview we talk recruiting, including Moussa Cisse, Matthew Cleveland, James White, and Chance Moore. And we wrap with a discussion about the NBA Draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Despite the off-season coming much sooner than expected, there is still plenty of FSU news to go around. Devin Vassell was the first to announce that he was going pro, and soon after that Patrick Williams joined in. Technically, Williams could return, though we don't expect that to happen. We talk about the career trajectories of those two, and compare them to recent early jumps to the NBA such as Malik Beasley, Jonathan Isaac, and Mfiondu Kabengele. It should also be noted that this will be back to back drafts (Fi and Devin) where a non-blue chip recruit from FSU gets drafted in the 1st round of the NBA draft. While that is remarkable scouting by the Florida State staff, is it sustainable? How does it compare to Virginia's roster building, for example? The departure of those two leaves three open scholarships on the roster. We discuss what skill sets we'd like to see recruited to FSU, and what skill sets we expect to see. We also jump ahead to the 2020-21 season, and look at where Florida State might slot into the ACC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Instead of preparing for the ACC semifinals, we instead sit down to talk about the season that was. Was this FSU's best team in most of our lifetimes? How should this team be remembered? There is naturally a lot of discussion about Trent Forrest - the Seminole's senior leader - but we also discuss the differences between this year's team and last year's. What now for Patrick Williams and Devin Vassell? What sort of feedback are they going to get from the NBA? The NCAA and the NBA have worked together in recent years to provide much better information on players making the all important decision of whether to begin their pro careers now or later, but all of that could be out the window this year. Luckily for them they play for a staff with tremendous NBA connections, so they will have as good of information as any prospects. We look forward to next year's team, with or without Williams and Vassell, and talk about how it will differ from this year's team. We also discuss the tough spot the NCAA is in, and how they've handled the coronavirus pandemic to date, and what that portends for future rational and informed decision making in the best interest of student athletes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The NCAA announced this afternoon that the NCAA Tournament will be going forward, but without fans in the stands. We try and digest the news, and discuss how it impacts the tournament going forward. News has broken since this recording that the ACC Tournament has followed suit, and beginning tomorrow only essential personnel will be in attendance. Despite all this, it still looks like the games are going to be played (though that too could change). FSU's first opponent are the Clemson Tigers, who beat Miami in their ACCT opener today. If FSU is able to get past the Tigers, then they'll get the winner of the NC State - Duke game in the semis. We talked a bit about some specific games and storylines and finished by making predictions as to whether Florida State will be playing Saturday to cut down the nets. If this happens, we'll be back with another podcast on Saturday morning. And after that, it's on to Selection Sunday. Go Noles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State basketball is your ACC regular season champion. You'll be surprised that for the 4th straight year the ACC media picked Duke to win the regular season (they haven't won since 2010), and plucky FSU was a distant fifth. But the Seminoles finish a full game ahead and win the regular season outright. We talk a bit about the Boston College game, but mostly focus on the post game atmosphere and placing this season in its proper perspective. We make our picks for 1st and second team All-ACC, as well as coach of the year (spoiler: it's J. Leonard Hamilton). It seems that there are four solid picks for 1st Team All-ACC, and then a group of three that could be the fifth. After those top seven players, it's a pretty big drop off to the rest of the second team. We also dive into the slim history of FSU players on All-ACC teams. We answer a couple of mailbag questions, and talk a lot about who belongs in the rafters. Where does Trent Forrest belong? If guys like Toney Douglas, Al Thornton and Terance Mann aren't in the rafters, does Forrest even stand a chance? We close with a bit about the ACC Tournament, as well as a look at how Championship Week(s) is progressing. All those small conference tourneys have a great effect on the strength of Florida State's 1st round opponent in the big dance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's March, and when you're a basketball school that means there is a lot to talk about. We begin with FSU's thrilling win over Notre Dame. MJ Walker had a stretch to remember during the 2nd half, and then of course Trent Forrest came up huge down the stretch. Prior to that, Florida State couldn't stop Notre Dame. Some of that was just getting beat on defense, and some was poor to average shooters having career nights. It's no coincidence that Prentiss Hubb and John Mooney combined to go 1-7 from deep in the 2nd half. They just aren't the bombers we saw in the first half. Matt also throws a curve ball and without warning asks Michael to choose between Trent Forrest and Terrance Mann. We'd love to hear any takes you may have in the comments. Couple that with ND's thin roster getting worn down, and there was the recipe for FSU's 13-point comeback in the final ten minutes. We spend some time discussing Championship Week on ESPN. A lot of the small conferences are battling for their chance in the sun, and it's likely that FSU's first round opponent in the NCAA tourney will come from a team that wins their conference this week. Then it's on to Boston College. Florida State will be heavily favored in this game (think 17+), but we talk about how BC could pull the upset, however remote the chances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It was a frustrating 1-point loss to Clemson, and the game likely ended FSU's hopes for a national 1-seed for the NCAA Tournament. But the 'Noles still control their own destiny in the ACCT as a few hours after FSU losing in Littlejohn, Duke went to Virginia and lost. Now FSU and Louisville are atop the ACC, with Duke and Virginia one game back. The defense was a mess vs. Clemson. Florida State did a decent top taking away the 3-ball, but while they were doing that they were losing one-on-one battles at the rim all game. Clemson ended up making 58% of their 2s, including the game winner with a second left. The refs were also horrible on both ends, but this is college basketball and that's what NCAA thinks we deserve. After Clemson, we talked about Virginia's resurgence. This was a preseason top-10 team, and now they're finally playing solid basketball. In fact, they have a chance to be the 1-seed in the ACCT. Then it's on to Notre Dame. The Irish present many of the same challenges as Clemson. Hopefully it will be a different result. We wrap with a quick rooting guide on games happening between now and Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State has three games left in the season. Those three games are going to play a huge role in ACC and NCAA tournament seeding. First up is Clemson, and in this episode we catch people up on a Tigers team that we last saw in early December. Since then they've pulled off upsets of Duke and Louisville, and have only lost once at home in the new year. We go in depth on some Clemson players - Aamir Sims in particular - and discuss the importance of guys like RayQuan Evans and Devin Vassell in the attack against Clemson. It's a relatively short pod, and we'll be back next week as the ACCT and NCAAT pictures begin to clarify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The second half blowout of Louisville had our heads spinning, and we spend plenty of time discussing how it all happened and who was responsible. Matt talks a bunch about the atmosphere, which was absolutely electric, and slots it into his 20+ years of experience at the Tuck. But were not here at Tomahawk Nation to only talk about all the great things. So we dove into a couple of underlying issues which you may have missed in the excitement. We could have given long spiels about any of nine or ten guys, but in the interest of time we limit the kudos to the highlights. Go back and watch the last 22 minutes of the game if you want to see Ham ball in all its glory. From there we naturally transition to Tiger Woods (shoutout to the Cat) and Bobby Bowden. There's actually a method to our madness, but you'll probably have to just listen to us discussing peak FSU which somehow ends with us fantasizing about Michael Snaer on this team. We wrap things up with a discussion about potential paths to a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament. That would obviously begin with a win this weekend at Clemson. We'll be back soon with a quick Clemson preview pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Florida State picked up an all-important Quad 1 win vs. NC State. After breaking down what went well (hello Malik Osborne and MJ Walker), what didn't (and why four guys played 20 minutes in the 2nd half), we do a deep dive on FSU's resume through a tournament filter. Want to know why Seton Hall (19-7) is competing with FSU for seeding? You get your answer. As well as how a wild Saturday on the national scene potentially shook up the standings. Then it's back to Louisville. FSU has a huge rematch with the Cardinals, and absolutely needs to win to have a legitimate shot at the ACC regular season "title." The Cards got hot after losing at home to Florida State, but then went through a rough spell while their star Jordan Nwora struggled. But all appears back on course as they crushed North Carolina on Saturday, and Nwora had a ho-hum double-double. At the end we briefly mention the silly stat lines being put up by players committed to FSU. Rogner gets so excited talking about it that he forgets to mention that 5 PG Kennedy Chandler begins his official visit today. If you want to know what recruiting 5s is like, yesterday Chandler was at Kentucky who just happened to get a surprise visit from John Wall. What a coincidence! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
There isn't a ton to talk about from the Pitt game as it played out pretty much exactly as predicted. The starters did struggle, and we discuss what that means moving forward. We also go a bit in depth on some of the stars from the bench. Patrick Williams, Dom Olejniczak, and Balsa Koprivica all had good games. This game coupled with Duke's unexpected blowout loss at NC State created a log jam atop the ACC with FSU, Louisville, and Duke all now having three losses. We discuss the various scenarios where FSU can win the regular season "title." Next we talk about the national scene. Where is FSU trending for seeding? What other seeds are realistic? And who to root for in the bevy of interesting games this weekend. Finally, we tackle NC State and we have a split decision on the prediction. What do the Wolfpack do well, and how can Florida State exploit some of their weaknesses? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's always fun to beat Syracuse. Jim Boeheim was his usual jovial self in the post-game. Coach Hamilton remained tight-lipped about why Devin Vassell didn't play. And MJ Walker had a fat lip. Good game! We break down how Florida State was able to pull the win despite missing their leading scorer. We range over a bunch of topics including offensive rebounding, turnovers, 3-point defense, and high level (literally) play from Patrick Williams. Before the break we go to the mail bag! Lots of great questions from listeners, though on our cheat sheet the selfish producers failed to include the listener's name who asked the question, so you must live in Tomhawk Nation anonymity. We press them harder next time. We cover recruiting, lineups, adjustments, seeding, and the length of Coach Ham's tenure. Finally, we go back to November and talk about what is different this time around vs. Pitt. After FSU was forced to play Pitt in the season opening ACC money grab round, the two teams now meet again, though each team is a bit altered now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Orange are coming to town, with or without their best player Elijah Hughes. The junior hurt himself in warmups on Tuesday, and will likely be a gametime decision. Coach Boeheim can be as tight lipped about injuries as Leonard Hamilton, so unless Hughes doesn't travel with the team I am guessing that this is all we are going to hear. In his absence, Syracuse lost a close game at NC State. Boeheim doesn't really trust his bench, so four players went at least 37 minutes and two played the whole game. His son Buddy was one of the those players, and we talk about his development from last year's mediocre freshman season. Other topics covered include how to attack the Syracuse zone and who on FSU's roster is best suited to do that; the likelihood that Syracuse will bait FSU into a 3-point shooting contest; and some historical tidbits about Ham and Boeheim. As a bonus for all you derelicts out there, we make ACC picks for the weekend. As always, these picks are not for betting purposes, but if you'd like to share some winnings we prefer Venmo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Well, that was no fun. We start with the elephant in the room - the refs - so feel to skip over if you want to get to what went well and what didn't (and no, we're not blaming the refs for the loss). Trent Forrest had a game which was easily one of the handful of best games of his impressive career. He passed Bob Sura on the career steals list and is now 3rd all time. He forced five turnovers against a 5* point guard. His final stat line was 18 points, 9 rebounds, 8 steals, 4 assists, and a block. Since much of the ACC media will see FSU one time this year (tonight), then it's good chances that Trent will finally get a spot on the ACC All Defensive Team. FSU also did a fantastic job of defending the post, and we break down how that happened from a scheme perspective. Unfortunately, as with any loss, there were some down areas. FSU needed the big three of Forrest, Devin Vassell, and MJ Walker to have a big game, and only Trent was able to do that. Then there were the painstakingly obvious shooting woes from deep and from the stripe. Finally, where does this leave FSU's season? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After watching Florida State drop 99 on Miami, Matt and Michael get together to discuss how good the team played, which pretty much encapsulated the entire roster. The first half defense was terrible, but Coach Hamilton was able to make a nice adjustment to which Miami had no answer. Always a fun rivalry game when it ends with the Green Vipers making it rain. During the Miami game, the NCAA released their initial bracket which captures the top-16 seeds. FSU was obviously in the bracket, and we discuss where they currently are, and how difficult it will be to move up to that 2-seed line. Then it's on to Duke. FSU has a top-10 matchup on Monday night. Will FSU sell out to stop Vernon Carey, and leave guys like Tre Jones and Cassius Stanley available to go bananas? Who on FSU's roster could be primed for a big game? How much would a loss matter? To wrap up the pod, we say farewell to our fearless leader Bud Elliot who is leaving Tomahawk Nation for his next challenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Road wins are important currency on NCAA Tournament resumes, and Florida State picked up a nice one at Virginia Tech on Saturday. On the podcast we break down what went well - aside from the obvious ‘Devin Vassell goes bananas’ - and what caused a bit of alarm. We also dive in to the radio broadcast which is pushing the narrative that FSU is struggling down the stretch in games, and why that might be. Since it is Super Bowl Sunday we at least mention the game, especially since Michael lives north of the Bay Area. Go Niners! We also found out that the overlords at SB Nation randomly pushed a Cowboys podcast onto our channel, so apologies for any confusion that may have caused for our subscribers expecting to hear something hoops related. We wrap it up by talking North Carolina. Cole Anthony - the No. 4 overall recruit in last year’s class - is back just in time for the Florida State game. Will it be enough to the Tar Heels to rally and save their season? That rally didn’t get off to a good start, as UNC lost yesterday to Boston College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As the buzzer sounded in Virginia, Matt and Michael got together to discuss what went well and what didn't in the disappointing 61-56 loss to Virginia. After discussing the game they talk about general ineptitude of refs surrounding the block/charge call, and how it is the lowest of the low hanging fruit for the NCAA to improve college hoops for the fans. Will they do it? Haha yeah, right. They move on from Virginia to tackle the upcoming Virginia Tech game which will be FSU's first look at the new Hokies head coach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The boys got together to talk about the upcoming Notre Dame game, which has the No. 5 FSU Seminoles playing in prime time in front of a sold out crowd. The Irish are one of the best teams in the nation at taking care of the ball, so we dive into how that could affect the game. The Irish also take and make a ton of 3-pointers. Prior to that discussion, Matt and Michael talk about FSU's new shiny top-5 ranking in the AP Poll. What does that mean, and how should we be thinking about this team? They also list their top websites to visit for both statistical analysis and X's and O's. Finally, 5* signee Scottie Barnes was in the news as his high school team played in the Hoophall Classic. The games were broadcast on ESPN, and though Michael isn't a huge fan of watching high school hoops on television, he took one for the team and offers his impression on this uber recruit. Barnes was also bumped up this morning at Rivals from the No. 8 player in the nation to the No. 4. We'll wait to see how that affects his composite rating at 247, but it's highly likely that he'll be the highest rated recruit at FSU in the modern era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Take the win and go home. After a stressful 83-79 OT win, the Seminoles are now 16-2 (6-1) and tied atop the ACC. Matt and Michael got together post game to talk about what went well and what didn't. Devin Vassell, MJ Walker, and Anthony Polite got a lot of love, while FSU's clunky offensive performance and Coach Hamilton's management of the rotation took some shots. But the end result was that FSU won its 9th straight overtime game, and you have to go back to 2008 to find an OT game vs. an ACC opponent where FSU came up on the short end. And considering what has been happening to top-10 teams of late, stretching out that OT streak will garner the 'Noles a lot of votes in next week's AP Poll. Now Florida State has a week off, and will be back in action next Saturday against Notre Dame. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt’s on the road. Michael is sick. Clemson is beating Duke. But we don’t let these things distract us. The No. 9 Florida State basketball team is getting ready to host the defending national champion Virginia Cavaliers, and we’ve got everything you need to know about the game. We break down Virginia’s famous pack line defense - what it is, and how to attack it. Their defense isn’t just legit, it’s battling to be statistically the best defense in decades. And the key to beating it is either Trent Forrest having a great game or avoiding it all together by generating live ball turnovers. We talk about Mamadi Diakite and how Virginia has become a bit one dimensional on offense as opposing coaches are making other players beat them. We spend too much time talking about Kihei Clark, their diminutive point guard who had the luxury of Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome help run the point last year, and is struggling a bit without them. And we discuss their 3-point shooting without even laughing. The game tips at 7 PM on Wednesday from the Tuck. Give this a listen if you want ammunition to help talk smack with your friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
For episode seven of the Tomahawk Nation podcast, we started by breaking down the win at Wake Forest. After the Louisville game several things became clear that could keep Florida State’s season headed in the right direction, and we discuss which of those things the Seminoles did well vs. the Demon Deacons. Next up the co-hosts each drafted their All-Decade teams. Matt was generous enough to give Michael the first pick and his team ended up: Jonathan Isaac Michael Snaer Trent Forrest Dwayne Bacon Malik Beasley Okaro White Matt wanted an elite defensive team with enough shooting to get it done, so he ended up drafting: Chris Singleton Terance Mann Derwin Kitchen Devin Vassell Bernard James Devon Bookert Somehow first round draft pick Mfiondu Kabengele was left on the board, as well as MJ Walker, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Ian Miller, Deividas Dulkys, Luke Loucks, Braian Angola, and a bunch of other talented players. Let us know in the comments how we screwed this up, or who you would have drafted. Then we discussed some upcoming official visits from Bryce McGowans, Moussa Cisse, Kennedy Chandler, and Michael Foster. Three of those guys are top-10 players in the class of 2021. Finally we covered games to watch. Get out there and watch some hoops, and this will help you know who to root for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After taking a break to enjoy the holidays Matt and Michael jumped back into the studio to talk some basketball. You may not have noticed but Florida State is pretty good, and we took a few minutes to break down what happened in Louisville. No, FSU isn’t going to make 11 3s every game, but there are some great takeaways that the team can build on. Plus there is a game tomorrow night in Winston-Salem and we talked about how Wake Forest can pull the upset. Then we gave our predictions so you can see if we think that upset is coming. We also argued whether the 2010’s was the best decade in the history of the program, and reminisced about our favorite games (spoiler: Michael Snaer is still clutch). Finally, we took a quick tour through what you may have missed - like UNC being terrible - during the holidays. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Christmas eve is one of the only days during the season when there are no college basketball games to watch. So Michael and Matt got together to talk FSU's best lineup as well as who from the current roster will be playing in the NBA. Plus they hand out plenty of holiday gifts, debate the merits of ham (the food, not the coach), and drink a little whiskey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The latest episode of the Tomahawk Nation podcast has Matt and Michael breaking down FSU's 66-60 comeback win against the South Florida Bulls in the Orange Bowl Classic. Matt had predicted a 65-59 win, so the two discuss how this game fit the mold of what he was expecting. They go in depth on USF's 11-0 2nd half run which included a technical foul assessed against Coach Hamilton. And they talk about why the FSU players remain calm under pressure in late game situations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt and Michael break down the predictable almost-blowout of North Florida, before launching into an analysis of Trent Forrest's year to date. Since this was recorded on national signing day (for football), they talk about the exciting basketball class, as well as all the new guys on the this year's team. The episode wraps up with a look ahead to this weekend's neutral site game vs. South Florida. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt and Michael discuss FSU's 72-53 win over Clemson. Since new football head coach Mike Norvell was in attendance, we discuss his hire. And then look ahead to a week of hoops where FSU has no games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt and Michael talk the season to date, ACC hoops, and a Clemson preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices