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Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Monday, Seminole!

TA quieter week on the surface — but underneath it, Florida State is navigating injuries, portal losses, roster rebuilds, and long-term bets that will shape 2026 more than any single signing.

🩺 Health, Not Hype 🩺
Five young contributors lost critical development time in 2025. If even a few return at full strength, FSU could get internal “additions” that matter just as much as portal wins.

🧱 The Portal Reality Check 🧱
With the offensive line gutted and the roster still in flux, January isn’t about luxury upgrades — it’s about survival. Who FSU targets (and how much it spends) will quietly define the offense.

🥍 A New Program, No Patience 🥍
FSU women’s lacrosse isn’t easing into Year One. Four impact transfers signal immediate expectations, not long-term excuses.

🚪 More Attrition from the 2024 Class 🚪
Another former blue-chip departs as the roster reset accelerates. The pattern is becoming impossible to ignore — and the implications extend beyond one position.

🏀 One Last Tune-Up 🏀
Men’s basketball wraps non-conference play at home with confidence, shooting, and momentum before the ACC schedule turns ruthless.

Let’s get into it.

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🩺 Five Injuries That Quietly Shaped FSU’s 2025 — and Why 2026 Could Look Different 🩺

Several expected young contributors were limited or sidelined by injuries in 2025, and their potential returns to full speed loom large heading into 2026.

🔥 DT Kevin Wynn — Untapped Interior Force

• Missed most of the season after a preseason injury

• Played just 40 snaps to preserve his redshirt

• Flashing traits early; graded above average by PFF as a pass rusher

• 2026 Outlook: Healthy offseason could unlock a major rotational (or starting) role up front

🔥 CB Quindarrius Jones — Starter-Level Depth Lost Early

• Top reserve corner before a season-ending injury vs. Miami

• Prior starting experience and strong size (6’2”, 192 lbs)

• Posted above-average coverage grades in his last full game

• 2026 Outlook: Likely starter candidate in a rebuilt secondary

🔥 WR Jayvan Boggs — Development Paused, Not Derailed

• Spring standout who started the first three games

• Nagging injury limited consistency all season

• Finished with 9 catches, but showed late flashes

• 2026 Outlook: Still firmly in the starting conversation if healthy

🔥 LB Caleb LaVallee — Unknown Ceiling

• Transfer from UNC expected to bolster a struggling LB room

• Injured most of spring, camp, and season

• Saw action in just one game (Stanford, special teams)

• 2026 Outlook: Wide-open opportunity if he stays healthy

🔥 TE Chase Loftin — Timing, Not Talent

• Early buzz as a TE/slot hybrid

• Preseason injury knocked him off track

• Played only four games to preserve redshirt

• 2026 Outlook: With Pittman uncertain and Douglas gone, Loftin enters spring with a real opening

🔒 Why It Matters
FSU’s 2025 wasn’t just about misses — it was about missed reps. If even a few of these players return at full strength, Florida State could get internal “additions” that matter just as much as portal wins. For a roster trying to stabilize, health may be the most underrated variable heading into 2026.

👉 Read more for deeper film notes and spring-position battles to watch

🧱 FSU’s OL Rebuild: Why the Portal Is the Only Real Answer for 2026 🧱

Florida State is planning to take up to four offensive linemen from the transfer portal as it replaces all five starters from the 2025 unit. There are a few internal building blocks, but the staff knows veteran help is required — again.

🔥 The Big Picture

• Need: 4 portal offensive linemen

• Approach: Prioritize experience and durability to stabilize the unit

• Reality: Proven OL talent is expensive — top options can command $400K–$600K+ in rev-share

🧠 Top-End (“Splurge”) Targets to Watch
These are plug-and-play types or high-upside veterans who would immediately compete to start:

• OT Josh Atkins (Arizona State): Three-year starter, steady LT play, portal-bound

• OT Drew Terrill (Miami OH): One of the best G5 tackles available; strong PFF grade, rising stock

• OT Ben Murawski (UConn): Big-bodied run blocker; fits a Malzahn-style run-heavy attack

• iOL Trovon Baugh (South Carolina): Power interior lineman with IZ-scheme fit

• OT Conner Moore (Michigan State): Strong run blocker; MSU coaching change could open doors

• OT Carius Curne (LSU): Massive upside, but likely a bidding war FSU may avoid

⚙️ “Starter-Worthy” Budget Fits
Less proven, but realistic options if numbers have to work:

• OT Anwar O’Neal (Delaware): High snap count, good movement skills

• OT Reggie Jackson (Jacksonville State): Florida ties, solid pass protection traits

• iOL Trent Wilson (JMU): Tough, balanced interior lineman with P4 tools

• iOL Zachary Henning (Washington): Multi-position flexibility; graded well late

• OT Zach Cochnauer (Nevada): Athletic, scheme-versatile, Norvell familiarity via Central Arkansas

🔒 Why It Matters
This isn’t about depth — it’s about functional survival. Florida State has to replace its starting line yet again, and development alone won’t bridge the gap fast enough. The portal is not a luxury here; it’s the foundation. How well FSU spends at offensive line will quietly determine whether the 2026 offense can actually operate.

Read more details on these potential portal targets here

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🥍 FSU Women’s Lacrosse Adds Four Transfers Ahead of Inaugural Season 🥍

Florida State women’s lacrosse continues building its inaugural roster, adding four transfers during the December portal window as the program prepares to debut in spring 2026.

🔥 The Additions

• Lola Mancuso (Attack | Xavier) – 124 career goals, 2025 All-BIG EAST Second Team, former BIG EAST Freshman of the Year

• Victoria Tomonto (Attack | Penn State) – Florida native, All-American, IL Women’s Top 100 Freshmen

• Brooke Long (Midfield | Penn State) – 2025 Big Ten All-Freshman Team honoree

• Alyssa Deacy (Midfield | Florida) – SEC experience, part of a Final Four roster

🧠 Why It Matters

• Two Florida natives (Mancuso, Tomonto) return home to finish their careers in Garnet & Gold

• Mancuso brings proven, high-volume scoring and free-position dominance

• Long adds immediate ACC-ready production after a strong Big Ten freshman season

• Deacy brings championship-level experience from an elite Florida program

🗣️ Coach Sara Tisdale

📅 What’s Next

• Inaugural game: Saturday, Feb. 7

• Opponent: Stetson

• Time: 1:00 p.m.

• Location: Seminole Lacrosse Complex

🔒 Bottom Line
This is not a slow-build roster. Florida State is loading up with experienced, high-impact talent to compete immediately in its first-ever season — and the portal strategy reflects clear urgency and intent.

👉 Read more on how these additions shape FSU’s inaugural lacrosse roster and expectations for Year One

🚪 Former 5⭐ TE Landen Thomas Enters Transfer Portal 🚪

Another high-profile member of Florida State’s 2024 recruiting class is on the move, as tight end Landen Thomas is set to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.

🔥 The Move

• Thomas signed with FSU over Georgia and other national powers as one of the top tight end prospects in the country

• Reported Sunday night by On3’s Hayes Fawcett

• Portal officially opens Jan. 2 and runs for 15 days

📉 Usage Shift at FSU

• 2024: 14 catches, 173 yards, 1 TD — promising freshman campaign

• 2025: Role diminished; just 3 catches for 35 yards, though he scored 2 TDs

• Never became a consistent fixture in the rotation despite elite pedigree

🧠 Bigger Picture

• Thomas becomes the latest marquee 2024 signee to depart, joining:

  • QB Luke Kromenhoek

  • CB Cai Bates

  • RB Kam Davis

• Further underscores how volatile FSU’s roster reset has become heading into January

🔒 Why It Matters
Losing Thomas strips away a former blue-chip development piece at tight end — and continues a troubling trend of highly rated young talent exiting early. With portal needs already mounting, this adds urgency to FSU’s January strategy.

👉 Read more for how Thomas’ departure impacts FSU’s tight end room and what it signals about the 2024 class attrition

 🏀 FSU Closes Non-Conference Play vs. Jacksonville 🏀

Florida State wraps up its non-conference slate Monday night before jumping into ACC play.

🔥 Game Snapshot

• Opponent: Jacksonville

• When: Monday, Dec. 22 | 7:00 p.m. ET

• Where: Donald L. Tucker Civic Center

• TV: ACC Network Extra

📊 Why This One Matters

• FSU is 6–1 at home this season

• Seminoles have won 19 straight vs. Jacksonville

• Final tune-up before ACC matchups with North Carolina and Duke

🎯 FSU’s Offensive Identity

• 2nd in the ACC in made three-pointers

• 40%+ of total points coming from beyond the arc

• Nine players hit a three in the last game vs. MVSU

🔥 Key Trends

• Martin Somerville: three-pointer in 40 straight career games

• Robert McCray V: 6.8 assists per game, tied for ACC lead

🔒 Why It Matters
This is about polish, not panic. Florida State’s spacing-and-shooting identity is set — now it’s about carrying that confidence into ACC play. Monday offers a final chance to lock in rotations and rhythm before the schedule turns unforgiving.

👉 Read more for matchup notes and what FSU wants dialed in before conference play

And that’s a wrap!

FSU’s next chapter won’t be decided by headlines — it’ll be decided by health, development, and how sharply January is handled. Some answers are already in the building. Others will cost real money. Either way, the margin for error is gone.

We’ll be tracking it all — portal moves, spring battles, and the decisions that actually matter.

— The Chief