Forwarded this email from a friend? Subscribe at the button below

Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Sunday, Seminole!

Today’s edition centers on structural change, roster pressure, and momentum shifts across Florida State athletics as the calendar flips toward a critical January stretch.

🧢 Defensive Reset Begins 🧢
Florida State makes its first major staff move of the offseason, officially hiring Blue Adams to stabilize and rebuild a secondary that’s been hit hard by portal losses.

🏀 A Needed Bounce-Back 🏀
FSU women’s basketball delivers its most complete performance of the season, rolling past South Carolina State with dominant effort, balance, and efficiency ahead of ACC play.

🧠 Front Office Decisions Loom 🧠
New reporting suggests Florida State’s GM search is narrowing, with a decision potentially coming before the transfer portal opens — and the role shaping up to carry real independence.

🔄 Portal Dominoes Still Falling 🔄
Randy Pittman’s status remains unresolved, leaving FSU’s tight end plans in limbo as the staff prepares for multiple portal contingencies.

🚪 Portal Math, Position by Position 🚪
With January 2 approaching, we break down exactly where — and how aggressively — Florida State needs to reload to reset the roster for 2026.

Let’s get into it.

Easy setup, easy money

Your time is better spent creating content, not managing ad campaigns. Google AdSense's automatic ad placement and optimization handles the heavy lifting for you, ensuring the highest-paying, most relevant ads appear on your site.

Earn with Google AdSense

🧢 FSU Officially Hires Blue Adams as Cornerbacks Coach 🧢

Florida State made it official Saturday, confirming the hire of Blue Adams as the program’s new cornerbacks coach ahead of a critical defensive reset.

🔥 The Move

• Adams replaces Patrick Surtain Sr., who was dismissed earlier this month

• Officially announced by Mike Norvell after Warchant first reported the hire Thursday

• Adds 16 years of coaching experience + six years of NFL playing experience to FSU’s staff

🧠 Why This Hire Is Different

• Proven track record developing NFL-caliber defensive backs

• Has coached:

  • 4 NFL Draft picks

  • 2 All-Americans

  • 24 all-conference players

• Deep South Florida recruiting ties as a Miami native

🔥 Recent Results That Stand Out

• Michigan State (2024–25)

  • Developed All-Big Ten CB Charles Brantley

  • MSU secondary ranked among league leaders in INTs and PBUs

• Oregon State (2019–23)

  • 14 all-conference DBs

  • 1 First-Team All-American

  • 3 NFL Draft picks

  • 2022: Best pass efficiency defense in the Pac-12 (13th nationally)

• South Florida (2017)

  • Defense ranked 2nd nationally with 20 interceptions

  • Led the AAC in pass efficiency, total defense, and scoring defense

🧬 NFL + Elite College Pedigree

• Coached All-American Rasul Douglas at West Virginia (8 INTs in 2016)

• NFL assistant with the Miami Dolphins:

  • Coached Pro Bowlers Brent Grimes and Reshad Jones

• As a player:

  • Appeared in 50 NFL games

  • Played for the Jaguars, Buccaneers, and Bengals

🔒 Why It Matters
FSU’s secondary is in full rebuild mode after heavy portal losses, and this hire signals urgency — not experimentation. Adams brings credibility, development chops, and Florida recruiting equity to a position group that must stabilize fast. With portal additions and young talent both in play, Florida State chose experience and results over projection.

👉 Read more for how Adams fits into FSU’s defensive overhaul and what this means for portal strategy at cornerback

🏀 FSU Women’s Basketball Dominates South Carolina State 🏀

🔥 Statement Win
Florida State rolled to an 89–41 victory, improving to 5–9 overall, behind a complete team performance that touched nearly every statistical category.

📊 By the Numbers

• Shot 41.7% from the floor

• 23-of-28 (82.1%) from the free-throw line

• Season-high 61 rebounds

• 16 steals (new season high)

• 18 assists, tying a season best

• Every Seminole scored and grabbed at least one rebound (third time this season)

🌟 Star Performances

• Jasmine Shavers: 29 points, 12 rebounds, 4-of-6 from three, 11-of-11 FT (ties school record), first double-double at FSU, surpassed 1,500 career points

• Pania Davis: 14 points, career-high 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals (second double-double this season)

• Avery Treadwell: Career-best 11 rebounds, six points, one block

💨 Game Flow

• Led 19–10 after the first and 44–19 at halftime

• Built a 69–30 advantage entering the fourth

• Never let South Carolina State find rhythm offensively

📅 What’s Next
Florida State heads north to resume ACC play at Syracuse on Thursday, Jan. 1, with tip set for 6:00 p.m. ET on ACCNX.

🔒 Why It Matters
This was FSU’s most complete performance of the season — dominance on the glass, pressure defense, and elite free-throw shooting. If the Seminoles are going to stabilize in ACC play, games like this show what the ceiling looks like when everything clicks.

👉 Read more for full box score notes and how this performance sets the tone heading into Syracuse

The first pet rewards credit card with free pet insurance, meet Nibbles

Vet bills aren’t getting any cheaper. Costs have jumped more than 60% in the last decade, and pet owners are feeling it. But one new card is actually helping lighten the load.

The Nibbles Pet Rewards Credit Card offers 3x rewards on pet purchases - from vet visits to toys - and even includes free pet insurance for one eligible pet, with no annual fee. It’s a smart way to save while keeping your best friend happy and healthy.

Nibbles is not a bank. The Nibbles Card is issued by Lead Bank. Fees and T&C apply.

🧠 FSU GM Search Reportedly Nearing a Decision 🧠

Reporting from Florida State Seminoles insiders at both Noles247 and Warchant have recently shared what they are hearing on where the GM search stands — and what it will (and won’t) look like.

🔥 Where the Search Stands

• FSU has narrowed the GM search to two finalists, per Noles247 (single-source info, but trusted).

• Additional interviews are expected next week, with momentum building toward a decision.

• Warchant reports an announcement could come soon, potentially before the Jan. 2 transfer portal opens.

🧠 Who’s Involved

• Mike Norvell, Athletic Director Michael Alford, the FSU president, and the Board of Trustees chair have all been actively communicating and meeting together during the process.

• This is a shared administrative decision, not a siloed hire.

⚙️ What This GM Role Is (and Isn’t)

• This is not an NFL-style GM overseeing the entire football operation.

• The GM will work alongside Norvell on:

  • Talent evaluation

  • NIL / revenue-share allocation

  • Roster strategy

• Importantly, this is not viewed as “Norvell’s guy” — the GM is expected to have real input and independence.

🔒 Why It Matters
FSU is signaling a shift toward checks, balance, and modernization without blowing up the current structure weeks before the portal opens. Hiring a GM who collaborates — but isn’t subordinate — could quietly reshape how roster decisions are made at Florida State moving forward.

👉 Read more here and here for what this timeline means for portal prep, NIL alignment, and FSU’s evolving power structure

🔄 Randy Pittman’s Portal Status Still in Flux 🔄

Reporting from Warchant indicates Florida State’s tight end outlook may not be fully settled just yet.

🧠 Where Things Stand

• While there have been reports that Randy Pittman plans to enter the transfer portal, his decision is not final.

• Pittman remained on FSU’s official roster as of Saturday, unlike other confirmed portal departures.

• A source inside the program says there’s still a chance he stays, though a source close to Pittman believes leaving remains more likely.

⚙️ Why It Matters
Pittman has been FSU’s most versatile tight end, filling an H-back / Swiss-army role in Gus Malzahn’s offense. If he leaves, Florida State is expected to add an experienced portal tight end to pair with a young but talented room.

🧱 Returning & Incoming TE Options

• Landen Thomas (former four-star)

• Chase Loftin (redshirt freshman)

• Xavier Tiller & Corbyn Fordham (incoming freshmen)

• Amaree Williams (hybrid TE/DE option)

🔍 Potential Portal Targets to Watch

• Jake Johnson (North Carolina) – Former LSU/Texas A&M signee; son of Brad Johnson

• Patrick Overmeyer (UTSA) – 25 catches, 294 yards, 4 TDs; H-back flexibility

• Jacob Harris (Bowling Green) – 6’4”, 255 lbs; strong blocker with red-zone production

• Peyton Strickland (New Hampshire) – Productive H-back type

• Hollis Davidson (Auburn) – Former FSU target; viewed as developmental depth

🔒 Why It Matters
FSU’s tight end strategy hinges on Pittman’s final call. If he exits, the staff will prioritize a plug-and-play veteran who can handle both blocking duties and Malzahn’s movement-based TE roles — especially with so much youth behind him.

👉 Read more for how Pittman’s decision could shape FSU’s portal priorities at tight end

 FSU Transfer Portal Needs by Position (Early 2026 Outlook) 🚪

With the January 2 transfer portal window approaching, Florida State Seminoles is expected to aggressively retool its roster. Based on current departures and internal evaluations, this is an early breakdown of how many portal additions FSU is targeting at each position.

🔥 Quarterback — Need: 1
FSU plans to add a starting-caliber QB, regardless of Tommy Castellanos’ waiver appeal. If Mike Norvell is going to reset the trajectory, it starts here.

🏃 Running Back — Need: 1
The 2025 room lacked a true RB1. Expect FSU to pursue a difference-maker to raise the ceiling alongside Singleton and Kromah.

🎯 Wide Receiver — Need: 1–2
Portal activity hinges on Duce Robinson’s decision and retaining Lawayne McCoy and Micahi Danzy. Hold the core → add one. Lose a key piece → add more.

🧱 Tight End — Need: 1–2
With Randy Pittman Jr. departing and Markeston Douglas out of eligibility, FSU is expected to target a blocking TE and possibly a receiving upgrade.

🛡️ Offensive Line — Need: 4
All five starters from 2025 are gone. As in recent cycles, FSU will rely heavily on the portal for starter-level competition.

💥 Defensive Line — Need: 2
There’s a returning nucleus, but not enough high-end reliability. Portal additions are needed for depth and impact.

⚡ Edge — Need: 2
Pass rush was a major weakness in 2025. Even with high school additions, FSU needs two portal edges who can contribute immediately.

🧠 Linebacker — Need: 2
Athleticism and coverage were issues. The ideal approach is one experienced LB and one high-upside athlete.

🛑 Cornerback — Need: 2
Both starters are departing. FSU needs at least one portal starter plus another rotational piece.

🛡️ Safety — Need: 2
Tony White’s 3–3–5 demands numbers. With Edwin Joseph gone and uncertainty around Earl Little Jr., FSU likely needs two starter-capable safeties.

🔒 Why It Matters
This isn’t a patch job — it’s a structural reset. How well Florida State attacks the portal in January will determine whether 2026 is a rebound season or another year spent digging out.

For more insights on position needs, read the full source here.

And that’s a wrap!

The hires, the portal math, and the GM decision all loom as the football program looks to restructure. How Florida State executes the next few weeks will tell us a lot about whether 2026 is a rebound… or just another reset.

More tomorrow.

— The Chief