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Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Monday, Seminole!

Florida State’s offseason is officially underway — and nearly every pressure point facing the program is coming into focus at once. From a non-negotiable quarterback reset to major shifts in college sports finance, this edition sets the table for what may be the most consequential few months of the Norvell era.

🏈 Quarterback Reset: The Portal Is the Season 🏈
FSU enters 2026 with no proven starter and no margin for error. We break down why quarterback isn’t just a need — it’s the entire offseason.

🏦 Money, Power, and the Next Arms Race 🏦
Former FSU QB Drew Weatherford is now at the center of a potential $500M college sports financing play — and it could directly impact how programs like FSU survive the next wave of realignment.

🏀 Women’s Hoops: Another Close One Slips Away 🏀
FSU battles to the final minutes but falls again at home. The flashes are there — the results still aren’t.

🏀 Men’s Hoops and the 3-Point Identity Crisis 🏀
Luke Loucks built this roster to shoot — a lot. The numbers show why that gamble hasn’t paid off (yet).

🧠 Staff Moves and a Quiet QB Coach Solution 🧠
With Tony Tokarz gone, FSU may already have its next quarterbacks coach in-house — and timing matters more than ever with the portal looming.

🌟 The Future Shows Up on the Big Stage 🌟
FSU signees made noise in state title games across Florida, offering a glimpse of what #Tribe26 might bring to Tallahassee sooner than expected.

This isn’t just offseason noise. Quarterback decisions, capital access, coaching structure, and roster development are all colliding — and how FSU handles the next few weeks will shape whether 2026 marks a true reset or another year of instability.

Let’s get into it 👇️ 

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↔️ Quarterback Reset: Why the Portal Is Non-Negotiable ↔️ 

Florida State enters the 2026 offseason with no position more urgent than quarterback as Mike Norvell looks to stabilize the program after back-to-back losing seasons.

🔥 Was QB Play Good in 2025?

• Short answer: not really.

• Tommy Castellanos delivered exactly what many expected — high variance and heavy reliance on his legs.

• Home vs. road splits told the story:

  • Home passer rating: 176.6 (9th nationally)

  • Road passer rating: 120.9 (85th nationally)

• FSU is now moving forward with his future very much in doubt.

💨 Who’s Back — and What That Really Means

• Kevin Sperry (RS Fr.)

  • The most intriguing option.

  • Gus Malzahn has consistently spoken highly of him.

  • Flashed ability, but likely not a plug-and-play starter yet.

  • Needs time for the game to slow down before his tools fully translate.

• Brock Glenn (Rising Sr.)

  • Likely portal candidate.

  • Has not progressed enough since his freshman season to project as a P4 starter.

• Jaylen King (FCS transfer)

  • Redshirted in 2025.

  • More of an extended evaluation and scout-team option than a long-term solution.

🧠 Incoming Help?

• Jaden O’Neal (Class of 2026)

  • Borderline 3/4-star prospect with arm talent.

  • Not viewed internally as a Day 1 contributor.

🚨 Portal Priority

• If the objective is winning — and preserving Norvell’s job — this position must be solved externally.

• FSU needs a quarterback who can both run and throw, with real game experience.

• Rolling into 2026 without a proven portal QB would be a massive gamble.

🔒 Why It Matters
More than any other position, quarterback will determine whether FSU’s offseason produces a true reset or another year of uncertainty. Nearly everything — roster retention, offensive ceiling, and Norvell’s future — seems dependent on getting this one right.

👉 Read more on on FSU’s QB portal situation here

🏦 Drew Weatherford’s Firm at the Center of College Sports’ Next Financial Shift 🏦

Former FSU quarterback Drew Weatherford is now helping shape the financial future of college athletics — and Florida State could be directly affected.

🔥 A $500M Signal About Where College Sports Is Headed

• Weatherford Capital, founded by Drew Weatherford and his brothers, is partnering with RedBird Capital to provide up to $500 million in credit financing to the Big 12 Conference.

• The deal isn’t finalized yet, but multiple outlets report it could close within weeks.

• Instead of buying equity, the firms would provide credit financing (~$30M per school) — a structure Weatherford says is far more realistic in the near term.

💰 Why This Matters for FSU (and Everyone Else)

• Weatherford, who sits on FSU’s Board of Trustees, confirmed that FSU previously explored private equity but stalled due to legal hurdles.

• The core appeal: college athletic departments generate massive, predictable revenue via long-term media deals.

• That consistency makes them extremely attractive to capital providers — without requiring schools to give up ownership (yet).

🧠 The Bigger Picture: Survival, Not Luxury

• Weatherford stressed that capital access may decide who survives the next wave of realignment.

• NIL demands, athlete revenue sharing, buyouts, and facilities arms races are colliding at once.

• “If you don’t win over the next five years,” Weatherford warned, “you don’t want to be on the outside looking in.”

🔮 What’s Coming Next

• Weatherford Capital and RedBird launched Collegiate Athletics Solutions, claiming it’s the only fund with capital already raised specifically for college athletics.

• Meanwhile:

  • The Big Ten is still exploring a massive equity deal tied to its media rights.

  • Utah has approved a framework to sell a minority stake in a new for-profit athletics entity worth $400M+.

🔒 Why It Matters
This isn’t just a Big 12 story. It’s a preview of how programs like Florida State may soon fund competitiveness — not through donors alone, but through sophisticated financial structures that could reshape college sports faster than realignment ever did.

👉 Read the full source for deeper details on FSU’s role, the Big Ten equity talks, and what Weatherford says comes next

🏀 FSU Women’s Basketball Falls Short vs. College of Charleston 🏀

Florida State dropped a tight one at home, falling 75–70 to College of Charleston on Sunday night at the Tucker Center.

🔥 Scoring Leaders

• Emma Risch led all Seminoles with a season-high 18 points, knocking down five three-pointers and adding a career-best 7 rebounds.

• Treadwell chipped in 13 points and a career-high 9 rebounds, anchoring the effort inside.

• Jasmine Shavers scored 12 points, while Solè Williams added 10 to give FSU four players in double figures.

💨 Game Flow

• The game was tightly contested throughout, tied 15–15 after the first quarter and 47–47 entering the fourth.

• FSU surged multiple times behind perimeter shooting, including late threes from Risch and Shavers to stay within striking distance.

• Charleston ultimately sealed the game at the free-throw line in the final minutes.

🧠 Notable Contributions

• Amaya Bonner posted season highs in points (9) and assists (4) while adding defensive pressure.

• Pania Davis tied her career high with 3 blocks, continuing her strong interior presence.

📅 What’s Next
FSU (4–8) continues ACC play at home, hosting Virginia Tech on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 6:00 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra.

👉️ Read a detailed breakdown and individual stat lines

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🏀 FSU Men’s Basketball’s 3-Point Gamble Isn’t Paying Off 🏀

Florida State was built to live beyond the arc under first-year head coach Luke Loucks — but early returns suggest the strategy hasn’t clicked yet.

🔥 By the Numbers

• FSU averages 37.1 three-point attempts per game, with a season range from 30 to 49 attempts.

• Against UMass, the Seminoles went 12-of-41 (29.3%) from deep while shooting 64.5% inside the arc — a stark imbalance.

• Over the last five games, FSU is just 47-of-176 (26.7%) from three, eclipsing 30% only once.

💨 Shooting vs. Reality

• FSU has attempted 116 more threes than its opponents, yet has made only 25 more that their opponents.

• Opponents are shooting 35.7% from deep, compared to FSU’s 31.3% on the season.

• Four of the five portal shooters have regressed from their career perimeter averages.

• Additional contributors haven’t helped stabilize things:

  • Cam Miles: 20.5%

  • AJ Swinton: 21.4%

  • Thomas Bassong: small sample, but limited volume

🧠 Bigger Picture

• Perimeter shooting isn’t the only issue — effort, defense, and interior presence remain concerns.

• Still, this roster was constructed to win with volume and efficiency from three, and it hasn’t consistently done either through 10 games.

🔒 Why It Matters
Loucks’ system depends on reliable perimeter production. Until the shooting improves — or the approach adjusts — FSU’s margin for error remains razor thin.

👉 Read more here for deeper shooting splits and roster context

🏈 FSU QB Coach Search May Have an Internal Answer 🏈

With Tony Tokarz departing for Buffalo, Florida State suddenly has another staff vacancy — but this one may already have a clear, in-house solution.

🔥 Brendan Bognar Already in the Mix

• Offensive analyst Brendan Bognar functioned as an unofficial assistant quarterbacks coach throughout the 2025 season.

• He worked alongside Gus Malzahn and Tokarz during pregame walk-throughs and QB prep all year.

• Bognar even identifies himself as an “assistant quarterbacks coach” on his social media bio.

💨 Proven QB Background

• Former QB coach and recruiting coordinator at Samford (2024).

• Coached Quincy Crittendon, who led the Southern Conference in total offense and passing TDs.

• Previously served as an analyst under Malzahn at UCF before joining FSU.

• Former Murray State quarterback with direct playing experience at the position.

🧠 Timing and Fit

• Sources indicate Bognar had already been interviewing for assistant roles elsewhere before Tokarz’s exit.

• Promoting Bognar would provide continuity at quarterback during a critical portal cycle.

• The move would further align FSU’s offensive staff around Malzahn’s system and philosophy.

🔒 Why It Matters
With quarterback stability already fragile and the transfer portal looming, promoting Brendan Bognar could give FSU continuity, familiarity, and speed — three things this offseason can’t afford to lack.

👉 Read more to see why an internal promotion could quietly shape FSU’s 2026 offense and staff structure

🌟 FSU Signees Shine on the State Title Stage 🌟 

Florida State’s future was on display this week as several Seminole signees took the field in high school state championship games across Florida.

🔥 Jordan Crutchfield’s All-Time Performance

• Vero Beach safety Jordan Crutchfield delivered a performance for the ages despite a heartbreaking loss.

• Finished with 3 tackles and 3 interceptions, including two in the first half and another late in the fourth quarter.

• Vero Beach ultimately fell on a last-second Hail Mary, but Crutchfield was the best player on the field.

💨 Efrem White Does It All

• Fellow Vero Beach signee Efrem White showcased his versatility once again.

• Stat line: 3 catches for 101 yards and a TD, 4 rushes for 9 yards and a TD, plus a 79-yard passing TD.

• Played wide receiver in the title game after spending much of the season at quarterback — a strong preview of his next-level role.

🏆 Brandon Bennett Battles Through

• Wide receiver signee Brandon Bennett played through a season-long hamstring issue in American Heritage’s state championship win.

• Contributed 2 catches for 35 yards as his team secured the title.

📉 Jasen Lopez Closes Prep Career

• Four-star WR Jasen Lopez wrapped up his high school career with 3 catches for 41 yards.

• Chaminade-Madonna fell in the title game, but Lopez finished the season as one of the most polished receivers in #Tribe26.

👉 Read more on the top performers from FSU’s signing class

And that’s a wrap!

This offseason isn’t about tweaks or patience — it’s about leverage. Quarterback, capital, and clarity are all on the table at once, and Florida State doesn’t get to miss anymore. The next few weeks will tell us whether this program is positioning itself for a real reset… or just another year of explaining what went wrong.

See you tomorrow,
— Chief