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Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Thursday, Seminole!

Big week in Tallahassee, Chief — and it’s not just because Alabama’s coming to town.

• ⛳ Women’s Golf Ranked — The Seminoles open 2025-26 at No. 18 in Golfweek’s preseason poll, continuing an incredible streak of consistency under Amy Bond.

• ⚽ Soccer Hits the Road — After back-to-back clean sheets at home, FSU women’s soccer heads to Kansas for its first road test of the year.

• 💰 NIL Consolidation — The Battle’s End becomes FSU’s official collective, dissolving Rising Spear and unifying the program’s NIL future.

• 🔥 Jordan Travis Returns — Not on the field, but as a brand ambassador for TBE, bringing star power into the NIL era.

• 🚨 Bama Injury Update — Alabama loses starting DT Tim Keenan, plus other key pieces, before Saturday’s showdown.

• 🌟 Recruiting Watch — Jameis Winston’s younger brother, Jonah, will be at Doak on Saturday — and announcing his commitment.

• 📊 Team Talent Composite — Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio State lead the annual roster rankings… but FSU slides to No. 19, signaling an uphill battle on paper.

It’s a jam-packed lineup — from the field, to the stands, to the recruiting trail, Florida State is at the center of the college football universe this week.

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⛳ Women’s Golf Earns Top-20 Preseason Ranking ⛳

Florida State women’s golf opens the 2025-26 campaign ranked No. 18 in Golfweek’s preseason poll after finishing a program-best third at last year’s NCAA Championship Finals.

🔥 Program Consistency

• One of just four teams (FSU, Stanford, Texas, USC) to make nine straight NCAA Championship Finals.

• 15 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances under head coach Amy Bond.

• Bond is FSU’s winningest coach with 28 victories and 14 straight NCAA finals berths.

🌟 Youth Movement
The Seminoles’ oldest players are only sophomores (Sophia Fullbrook, Alexandra Gazzoli, Layla Pedrique), giving this talented but young roster plenty of room to grow.

📅 Season Ahead

• Sept. 8-10: Folds of Honor Collegiate (Michigan) opens the fall slate.

• Spring 2026: FSU will host both the Florida State Match Up (March 20-22) and NCAA Tallahassee Regional (May 11-13) at Seminole Legacy Golf Club.

📌 Why It Matters
FSU continues to prove itself as a national power in women’s golf, pairing elite consistency with a rising core of young stars.

👉 Full Golfweek poll breakdown here

⚽ No. 6 FSU Soccer Heads to Kansas ⚽

After a week off, Florida State women’s soccer (2-0-0) hits the road for the first time in 2025, traveling to face RV Kansas on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+).

🔥 Season So Far

• Wins over Florida (5-0) and FIU (2-0) to open the year.

• Seven goals scored with seven assists, while allowing just seven total shots.

• Key scorers: Heather Gilchrist, Peyton Nourse, and Wrianna Hudson (2 goals each).

• Enasia Colon leads the team with two assists.

• Goalkeeping trio (Todd, O’Steen, Ockene) has combined for back-to-back clean sheets.

📊 Streaks in Play

• 30 straight games unbeaten in regular-season non-conference play (27-0-3 since 2019).

• 30-game home unbeaten streak (28-0-2 since 2022).

• 57 consecutive games with a goal, the longest streak in school history.

📅 What’s Next

• Aug. 28: at Kansas (3-0-1), FSU’s first Big 12 foe since beating TCU in 2023.

• Sept. 4: Back home vs. Stetson (Military Appreciation Night).

📌 Why It Matters
The Seminoles have dominated early, and now face their first test away from Tallahassee. Kansas is unbeaten at home this season, making Thursday a true barometer for FSU’s No. 6 ranking.

👉 Match preview + live links here

💰 FSU Consolidates NIL Under The Battle’s End 💰

Florida State Athletics announced Wednesday that The Battle’s End (TBE) will become the official NIL collective of the program, absorbing all operations from the now-dissolved Rising Spear collective.

🔥 Key Moves

• Rising Spear, FSU’s first collective, is dissolved after controversies — including penalties tied to the Amarius Mims recruitment.

• TBE will now lead all NIL activity across sports, with a focus on third-party partnerships with regional businesses.

• A “strategic rebrand” of TBE is also underway to reflect its expanded role.

• TBE will work closely with Seminole Boosters, Legends, and FSU Athletics to align operations with institutional goals.

📣 From AD Michael Alford
“This is a pivotal moment in the evolution of FSU Athletics. By aligning and consolidating our NIL efforts under The Battle’s End, we are positioning our teams and student-athletes for success.”

🔑 Why It Matters
For the first time, Florida State has a unified NIL model. With the spotlight on high-profile games like Alabama and the ACC exit fight looming, the ability to streamline NIL support could make or break FSU’s competitive edge in recruiting and retention.

👉 Full release from FSU here

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🔥 Jordan Travis Joins The Battle’s End 🔥

Former Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis is officially back in Garnet & Gold — this time as a brand ambassador for The Battle’s End Collective.

📣 The Announcement
“The Battle’s End is thrilled to announce that Jordan Travis is joining TBE as a Brand Ambassador,” the collective posted on X. “He was in many ways tied to the creation of TBE & there is no one else we would rather partner with as we grow TBE 2.0.”

🏈 Travis’ Legacy at FSU

• Appeared in 46 games, throwing for 8,644 yards & 65 TDs while adding 1,910 rushing yards & 31 TDs.

• Drafted by the New York Jets in the 5th round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

• Medically retired in April 2025 after never fully recovering from his devastating leg injury.

🌟 Why It Matters
With FSU Athletics now formally aligning with The Battle’s End, Travis’ presence provides credibility, energy, and a direct tie to the program’s recent resurgence. While his playing days were cut short, his influence continues — this time helping shape the NIL era at Florida State.

👉 Full announcement via TBE’s X account here

🚨 Bama Loses DT Tim Keenan 🚨

Alabama’s defensive line took a major hit just days before facing Florida State — starting tackle Tim Keenan went down in practice Tuesday with what’s reported to be an ankle injury requiring “tightrope” surgery.

🩹 What DeBoer Said
On his radio show Wednesday, Kalen DeBoer didn’t confirm surgery details but admitted Alabama will lean on youth and depth:

• James Smith – Former top-50 prospect, expected starter, 296 lbs of quickness.

• Jeremiah Beaman – Bulked up from 265 → 314, now looks like a veteran.

• Edric Hill / Kelby Collins / Isaia Faga – Rotation options, but all less experienced than Keenan.

• Freshmen London Simmons & Steve Bolo Mboumoua – Wild cards who could see early snaps.

📌 The Big Picture
Alabama will be without both Keenan and starting RB Jam Miller on Saturday, while guard Jaeden Roberts is questionable. That’s a heavy blow heading into Doak — especially against a Seminole offense that will test the Tide’s reworked defensive front early and often.

👉 Full details on Keenan’s injury and Alabama’s DL shuffle here

🌟 Jonah Winston to Announce at Doak 🌟

All eyes will be on the field Saturday — but in the stands, recruiting buzz could make headlines too. Up to 100 recruits are expected at Doak Campbell, and one of them may commit before kickoff: three-star WR Jonah Winston, younger brother of FSU legend and Heisman winner Jameis Winston.

🔥 The Latest

• Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong logged a prediction for FSU to land Winston.

• Winston’s season opener was strong: 6 catches for 82 yards, including a 39-yard TD vs. IMG Academy.

• He announces his commitment this Saturday — the same day as FSU-Alabama.

📌 Why It Matters
Adding Winston would give FSU a shifty slot receiver to complement its already loaded 2026 WR class (Devin Carter, Jasen Lopez, Brandon Bennett, Darryon Williams).

👉 Full analysis and highlights here

📊 2025 Team Talent Composite Released 📊

247Sports dropped its annual Team Talent Composite, the roster-strength metric that’s nailed 9 of the last 10 national champions. As always, the blue bloods sit at the top — but the details say plenty about where Florida State fits heading into the season.

🔥 Top of the Board

• Georgia (1,002.98 points) retakes the No. 1 spot for the first time since 2020, with 13 five-stars and 57 four-stars.

• Alabama (993.55) slides to No. 2 after five straight years at No. 1, but still boasts 14 five-stars.

• Ohio State (973.69) rounds out the top three, holding steady under Ryan Day.

• Texas (973.54) stays at No. 4, its highest modern era roster, featuring Arch Manning and Jonah Williams.

• Oregon (941.22) hits its best mark ever at No. 5 under Dan Lanning.

🍢 Other Notables

• LSU (6), Clemson (7), and Texas A&M (8) all field deep rosters that keep them in playoff conversations.

• Notre Dame (9) and Penn State (10) round out the top 10, both returning veteran stars.

• Michigan (11), last seen winning the 2023 title as the only champ ranked outside the top 10 (No. 14), is back near the upper tier.

🍢 FSU’s Reality Check
Florida State checks in at No. 19 with 1 five-star, 36 four-stars, and 46 three-stars — down nearly 50 points from 2024. That puts the Noles behind Clemson (7) and Miami (15) in the ACC. The drop reflects heavy roster turnover (16 starters gone) and a portal-heavy roster build.

📌 Why It Matters
The Composite isn’t perfect — it doesn’t weigh transfers or actual on-field development — but it’s a reliable baseline. For FSU, the No. 19 slot shows the challenge ahead: Mike Norvell’s team must rely on scheme, development, and culture to outperform the raw numbers against the likes of Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State.

👉 Full 247Sports composite rankings here

And that’s a wrap!

That’s all for today’s Chief Brief! From NIL shakeups and Jordan Travis’ return in a new role, to Alabama limping into Doak without key starters, this week is building toward one of the most electric openers in recent FSU history. Add in recruiting fireworks (👀 Winston 2.0?) and national roster rankings, and the Noles are in the thick of every headline.

Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you tomorrow with more coverage leading right into kickoff weekend.