🏹 April 11th - The Chief Brief 🏹

FSU’s Weekend Forecast: West Coast Digs, Southern Swings & April Fool’s Fire Sales

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The Chief
April 11, 2025

Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

Which FSU sport has the most to prove this weekend?

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🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

TGIF, Seminole!

We’re 11 days removed from April 1st, but the jokes still aren’t over. Why?

Because the April Fool’s Afterparty is in full swing — and it’s not just a punchline, it’s a collectible drop. 💥

At fsuaprilfools.com, we flipped a prank into something permanent. Only 200 of these FSU-themed digital collectibles will ever exist, and the price rises every time one is claimed. Two more sales and it’s going up again. So if you’ve got that Seminole smirk, this is your moment to make it official.

Meanwhile, back in Tallahassee (and all across the country), it’s a loaded weekend of competition and recruiting momentum:

– Baseball battles begin in Blacksburg 🧢
– Women’s Tennis takes on two national juggernauts 🎾
– Beach Volleyball gears up for a gauntlet in Cali 🏖️
– New commitments + surprise visits shake up the recruiting board 📈
– And the transfer portal carousel keeps spinning 🌀

Let’s get into it.

🏆🏆 The April Fool’s Afterparty is here – and it’s your chance to own a piece of the prank. 🏆🏆

April 1st may be behind us, but the laughs don’t have to be.

At fsuaprilfools.com, we’ve turned the spirit of April Fool’s into something unforgettable: collectibles that are as clever as they are limited.

But here’s the kicker: the faster you act, the lower the price. Every second you wait, the price ticks up, and someone else might snag the deal you could’ve had. Think of it as a race against time, with a punchline waiting at the finish line.

Don’t let the joke be on you.

Go to fsuaprilfools.com right now, claim your collectible, and secure your spot in the Afterparty before it’s too late.

⚾ On Deck: Top-25 Showdown in Blacksburg

It’s a battle of ranked powers in the ACC this weekend as No. 9 Florida State Baseball (25–7) hits the road to face No. 25 Virginia Tech in a high-stakes three-game series that could shake up the standings. 🧨

📍 Series Schedule (All ET):
• Friday – 6:00 PM (ACCNX)
• Saturday – 1:00 PM
• Sunday – 12:00 PM (ACCNX)

🔥 Why It Matters:
• FSU’s first ranked weekend opponent of the season
• Both teams are top-5 in the ACC standings
• Bounce-back opportunity after a tough Sunshine Showdown loss

🖥️ How to Watch:
• Friday + Sunday available via ACCNX (ESPN+ or TV provider login)

🎾 Noles Set for Top-5 Tennis Tests in North Carolina

It’s a heavyweight regular-season finale for No. 64 Florida State Women’s Tennis, as the Noles head to the Tar Heel State to take on two national powerhouses:

📅 Weekend Schedule (ET):
• Saturday @ No. 3 Duke – 11 AM
• Sunday @ No. 6 UNC – 12 PM

🔥 Match Notes:
• FSU topped Duke 6–1 last spring and has won 2 of the last 3 meetings
• Looking to avenge last year’s 5–2 loss to UNC
• Seminoles jumped 11 spots in latest ITA rankings

💫 Players to Watch:
• Millie Bissett: Coming off a 3–0 Senior Weekend with ranked wins in both singles and doubles
• Laura Putz: Earned a straight-sets win vs. Duke in 2023
• Mary Boyce Deatherage: Now 15–8 as a freshman
• Kristyna Lavickova: Beat UNC’s No. 3 last season

🎾 Doubles Rankings:
• No. 62: Putz/Bissett
• No. 76: Shaw/Parra Romero

🏐 Battle-Tested: FSU Beach Heads to California for Top-10 Showdowns

It’s a west coast war to wrap the regular season. No. 7 Florida State Beach Volleyball heads to San Luis Obispo this weekend for the Center of Effort Challenge, where the Noles will face a gauntlet of top-10 opponents: No. 6 USC, No. 5 Stanford, and No. 3 Cal Poly.

📆 Weekend Lineup (ET):
• Friday, 1 PM – vs. No. 6 USC
• Friday, 6 PM – vs. No. 5 Stanford
• Saturday, 2:30 PM – vs. No. 3 Cal Poly
• Saturday, 5 PM – Final dual (TBD by pool results)

🔥 Quick Hits:
• Coming off a 4–1 run at the Unconquered Invitational
• Gella Andrew & Maddie Trusty: Undefeated on top courts last weekend
• Durish/Koenig: Now 23–5 on the season, 4–0 at Unconquered

📊 What’s at Stake:
• 🔁 USC rematch: FSU won 3–2 on March 28 — but the Trojans are riding a 5-match win streak
• 💥 Revenge shot vs. Stanford, who edged FSU 3–2 in their last meeting
• 🐎 Cal Poly rematch from 2024 NCAA quarters — Mustangs won 3–1 and are undefeated at home this year

📍 Eyes on the Prize: A strong showing could vault the Noles into top-5 territory heading into postseason play.

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🏀 Transfer Watch: Oregon State PG Damarco Minor Visiting FSU Monday

Luke Loucks and the Seminoles are staying aggressive in the portal — and their next backcourt target is officially en route. ✈️

Oregon State transfer guard Damarco Minor is scheduled to visit Florida State starting Monday, per reports, as he narrows his focus to FSU, Pitt, and Virginia Tech.

📊 Minor’s 2023–24 Snapshot: • 9.8 PPG | 5.0 AST | 4.8 REB | 1.5 STL
• 32 starts for the Beavers
• 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio
• 39.7% FG | 28.2% from three

🧠 What FSU Likes: • Steady, two-way playmaker with toughness
• High-IQ guard with JUCO roots (South Suburban)
• Chicago-native with proven production at multiple levels

📍 Zoomed In: Minor recently met with Loucks via Zoom — and the mutual interest is clear.

🔁 Portal Activity:
• Friday – Alex Steen (Florida Southern) visits campus after committing
• Sunday – Max Green (Holy Cross PG) set to visit after Northwestern

📝 Commitment Alert: 3⭐️ DB Sean Johnson Picks FSU Over Penn State

The 2026 class has its newest 'Nole. 🌟

Sean Johnson, a 6’2”, 195-pound defensive back from Archbishop Spalding (Md.), committed to Florida State on Thursday — choosing the Seminoles over Penn State and others after a spring visit that clearly sealed the deal.

🗣️ Johnson on FSU:

“It felt like home… The energy between the players and coaches, the intensity — it was all there.”

🔥 Why It Matters:
• Ends FSU’s 2026 commitment drought
• First visit to Tallahassee made a major impression
• Cancelled Penn State visit = momentum shift complete

🎯 On Evan Cooper + the DB Room:

“It’s more than football with him… He cares about his guys. I really liked how the older DBs helped the younger ones.”

🧠 Scouting Snapshot:
• Physical, instinctive safety
• Tightens passing windows with length + IQ
• Willing tackler who plays with purpose

📍 What’s Next:
Johnson plans to officially visit FSU in June — and that might be the only OV he takes.

🔒 TE Target Evan Jacobson Makes Surprise Visit — Leaves Impressed

Four-star tight end Evan Jacobson wasn’t planning to visit FSU again until his official in June — but that changed Thursday, and it might just prove to be a pivotal decision. 💥

The 6’5”, 230-pound Iowa standout made a return trip to Tallahassee and came away raving about everything from Gus Malzahn’s offense to the tight end room’s performance in practice.

🗣️ Jacobson on What He Saw:

“Every type of tight end you could think of is in the room… They line up everywhere. That really excites me.”

🎯 What He Wanted to See: • New OC Gus Malzahn’s impact and how tight ends are used
• Real-time results: “There had to be 10+ TE receptions today.”
• Strong relationship with Mike Norvell & TE coach Chris Thomsen reaffirmed

📍 Recruitment Update: • No leader yet, but says FSU, Notre Dame, and Auburn are his top three
• Official visit to FSU is locked for June 16
• FSU might now be neck-and-neck with Notre Dame following this visit

👥 Familiar Faces: • Compared himself to FSU freshman Chase Loftin: “Very similar body types”
• Knows Loftin personally from the Midwest connection

📢 Michael’s Take:

“This visit went about as well as it possibly could for FSU. If it was Notre Dame’s edge before, it’s now dead-even.”

📈 Target List Shakeup: 12 Prospects Move Up, 3 Move Down

Recruiting boards evolve fast — and Florida State just reshuffled its deck in a big way. 🔁

Noles247 updated its Target List, bumping several 2026 prospects into the coveted Top Target tier — signaling major momentum in key recruitments. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest movers ⬇️

🔼 Now Top Targets:

• DT Kendall Guervil — From off the radar to center stage. Replaced a Bama OV with an FSU one.
• WR Devin Carter — Former FSU commit, now at Auburn… but the ‘Noles are back in the fight.
• RB Derrek Cooper — The South Florida standout just locked in his FSU OV — big step forward.
• DL Deuce Geralds — Two spring visits = legit movement. FSU’s quietly surging here.
• EDGE Keysaun Eleazer — Two-day March visit + June OV has him rising fast.
• TE Evan Jacobson — Just visited again. FSU-Notre Dame battle brewing.
• DT Seven Cloud — Georgia commit, but FSU’s pushing hard. Now top two.
• TE Isaac Jensen — Ex-teammate of Chase Loftin. FSU is gaining ground.
• S Xavier Lherisse — Oregon commit still taking an OV to Tally. FSU not backing down.

🔽 Moved to High Choice:

• WR Kavon Conciauro — No spring visit + trending elsewhere = bump down.
• TE Zach Turner — Has a summer OV, but hasn’t been on campus in months.
• LB Adam Balogoun-Ali — Took spring trips elsewhere. Needs an OV to rise again.

🆕 High Choice Additions:

• WRs Daniel Odom & Madden Williams — Both are committed elsewhere, but June OVs = worth watching.

📍 The Takeaway: FSU is heating up with several blue-chip prospects — especially at WR, DL, and TE. Official visit season is going to be massive.

And that’s a wrap!

That’s all for now, Tribe — but we’ve got a weekend full of top-25 battles, transfer visits, and recruiting chess matches ahead.

Stay locked in. Stay loud. And if you haven’t yet...
Don’t let the April Fool’s drop pass you by.
👉 fsuaprilfools.com — only two more sales 'til the price hikes.

Until next time —
Keep climbing. Keep believing. Go Noles. 🏹

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