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Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

TGIF, Seminole!

A Christmas edition focused on culture, continuity, and what comes next for Florida State on the court, in the NFL, and deep inside the football program’s reset.

🏀 Home for the Holidays 🏀
Seminole basketball sets the tone under Luke Loucks as holiday giving, leadership, and community come first — with a powerful reminder that culture is built long before the final buzzer.

🏈 NFL ’Noles: Christmas Games to Playoff Push 🏈
From Christmas Day matchups to a tightening postseason picture, former Seminoles are logging meaningful snaps across the league as January football comes into focus.

🌱 Early Recruiting Pulse: 2027–2028 Targets Emerge 🌱
FSU makes early moves on rising linebacker Shamar Evans while building momentum with key 2027 prospects on both sides of the ball — including familiar names and local talent.

🎄 Henshaw’s Holiday Truths 🎄
A Bowden-era voice delivers a blunt Christmas message: toughness still matters, change must be real, and everything starts with finding the right quarterback.

🧠 Portal Theory for the Future 🧠
A leaked Slack debate sparks one of the smartest conversations of the season — how FSU (and everyone else) should actually be using the transfer portal in 2026 and beyond.

Settle in, enjoy the holiday, and let’s get into it.

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🏀 “It’s Good to Be Home”: Loucks, Mann Lead Holiday Giving at FSU 🏀

Florida State basketball’s first season under Luke Loucks is already building community.

🎁 Toys for Kids Returns to Tallahassee

• Head coach Luke Loucks continued the program’s annual Toys for Kids drive during FSU’s home game vs. Georgia.

• The Tallahassee community filled seven wagons of toys, supporting 80+ local families this holiday season.

🤝 A Seminole Partnership

• Loucks teamed up with former FSU great and current Assistant GM Terance Mann, now with the Brooklyn Nets.

• Mann helped champion the effort, continuing a tradition he’s supported since his playing days at FSU.

🧠 More Than Basketball

• Loucks emphasized that returning to Tallahassee was about family and belonging, not just the job.

• Both Loucks and Mann spoke to the impact the FSU community has had on their lives and their desire to give back.

🎄 Why It Matters

• Culture starts before tipoff.

• As Loucks builds his program on the court, moments like this show how he’s laying the foundation off it; connecting players, families, and the Tallahassee community around something bigger than basketball.

👉 Bottom Line: The wins will come, but this is how trust, identity, and long-term buy-in are built. For Loucks and Seminole basketball, it really is good to be home.

🏈 NFL ’Noles: Week 17 Results + Playoff Picture Update 🏈

Christmas Day games are in the books, the playoff field is tightening, and Seminoles remain spread across the league as meaningful football ramps up.

🎄 Christmas Day Recap

• Cowboys 30, Commanders 23

  • Eddie Goldman was placed on IR with a concussion and will finish the season with 26 tackles; he enters the offseason as a free agent.

  • DeMarcus Walker remains on Washington’s practice squad.

• Vikings 23, Lions 10

  • No former Seminoles appeared.

🌙 Thursday Night Football

• Broncos 20, Chiefs 13

  • Janarius Robinson (IR), Derrick Nnadi (inactive, illness).

  • Kevin Knowles II played but recorded no stats.

🗓️ Weekend Slate (Seminole Check-In)

• Texans at Chargers — Derwin James, Bobby Hart (LAC); Mario Edwards Jr. (IR), Ronald Darby (retired/reserve).

• Seahawks at Panthers — Cam Akers (SEA PS), Ryan Fitzgerald (CAR).

• Cardinals at Bengals — Josh Sweat (ARI), Trey Benson (IR).

• Steelers at Browns — Jalen Ramsey, Asante Samuel Jr. (PIT).

• Giants at Raiders — Jameis Winston, Brian Burns (NYG).

• Eagles at Bills — Keon Coleman (BUF); Johnny Wilson (IR, PHI).

• Bears at 49ers — Tatum Bethune, Renardo Green (SF).

• Rams at Falcons (MNF) — Jared Verse, Braden Fiske (LAR); Jammie Robinson (ATL).

📊 Playoff Picture Snapshot

AFC (Top 7)

1. Broncos (13–3) — clinched

2. Patriots (12–3) — clinched

3. Jaguars (11–4) — clinched

4. Steelers (9–6)

5. Chargers (11–4) — clinched

6. Bills (11–4) — clinched

7. Texans (10–5)
   Bubble: Colts (8–7), Ravens (7–8)

NFC (Top 7)

1. Seahawks (12–3) — clinched

2. Bears (11–4) — clinched

3. Eagles (10–5) — clinched

4. Panthers (8–7)

5. 49ers (11–4) — clinched

6. Rams (11–4) — clinched

7. Packers (9–5–1) — clinched
   Bubble: Buccaneers (7–8)

👉 Why It Matters: Christmas football gave way to a playoff push and Seminoles are still logging snaps, starting games, and shaping postseason races across both conferences.

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🏈 FSU Joins Early Pursuit of Rising 2028 LB Shamar Evans 🏈

Florida State is getting an early look at one of Mississippi’s fastest-rising defenders in the 2028 class.

🔥 Who He Is

• Shamar Evans, a 6’0”, 205-pound linebacker from Forest (Miss.) High School, has seen his stock surge after strong midseason film.

• Known for his physical, downhill style — a true contact-seeker whose tape has drawn buzz across the state.

🗓️ Visits on the Horizon

• Evans plans offseason visits to Florida State, Miami, and LSU.

• He’s also staying in touch with Mississippi State, one of his earliest offer schools.

🧠 What Stands Out

• Coaches have keyed in on Evans’ violence at the point of attack — a trait that pops in an era where true thumpers are harder to find.

• He’s embracing a critical offseason, aiming to sharpen his key reads and coverage skills to round out his game.

🏆 Competitive Mindset

• After back-to-back playoff runs that fell short of a state title, Evans believes his Forest team has championship potential and is vocal about leading that push.

👉 Why It Matters: This is early, but FSU getting involved now fits its long-term linebacker strategy; identifying high-upside, physical defenders before their recruitment explodes. Evans’ visit slate says his recruitment is about to accelerate fast.

🏈 FSU Building Early Momentum on Key 2027 Targets 🏈

Florida State’s 2027 recruiting board is already taking shape, and the Seminoles are firmly involved with several high-upside prospects on both sides of the ball.

🔥 Four-Star DL Cam Pritchett (Committed to Oregon)

• Cam Pritchett, a four-star DL from Alabama, remains committed to Oregon but continues active dialogue with Florida State.

• FSU hosted Pritchett multiple times in 2025, and he plans to return to Tallahassee again in 2026.

• DL coach Terrance Knighton, DC Tony White, and HC Mike Norvell have all been heavily involved.

• New DE coach Nick Williams adds another connection, having previously recruited Pritchett at Syracuse.

• LSU, Tennessee, and Auburn are also expected to receive visits, but FSU is viewed as one of the most consistent presences.

🧠 LB Michael Griffin Trending Garnet & Gold

• Three-star linebacker Michael Griffin (Charlotte) has FSU high on his list after a strong summer camp visit.

• Griffin praised the culture, staff, and leadership under Norvell, saying he feels the program “will be back next year.”

• Oklahoma and Michigan remain involved, but early buzz suggests Florida State holds momentum.

🎯 Offense: WR Jamarin Simmons (Godby HS)

• Four-star wide receiver Jamarin Simmons has visited campus multiple times and is expected at a Junior Day soon.

• FSU’s traction here is tied to the work of WR coach Tim Harris Jr. and visible on-field development at the position.

• Clemson and Miami are the primary competition.

👉 Why It Matters:
With defensive recruiting gaining early traction and local offensive talent in play, the Seminoles are positioning themselves to make real noise in the 2027 cycle long before decision time arrives.

🏈 George Henshaw’s Christmas Wish for FSU: Toughness, Change, and a Quarterback 🏈

A longtime Bowden assistant and NFL veteran weighs in on what Florida State must fix and what truly matters most.

🧠 The Gap Is Real and It’s Physical

• Henshaw says the playoff teams are playing a different brand of football than FSU has the past two seasons.

• It’s not just talent; it’s physicality, cohesion, and effort.

• FSU improved in 2025 compared to 2024, but still isn’t close to the standard required to contend.

🔄 Why Staying with Norvell Was the Right Call

• Henshaw believes firing the head coach would not have solved the core issues.

• Points to North Carolina and Florida as cautionary examples of expensive coaching churn without real progress.

• Emphasizes that outsiders don’t fully understand internal problems, and Norvell now must change how he operates.

🛠️ Change Has to Be Real; Not Cosmetic

• Major changes must start with offseason structure, practice intensity, and accountability.

• “I don’t want to hear how great practice is if the team plays poorly on Saturday.”

• The message: if the process doesn’t force winning habits, it’s broken.

💪 Tough Teams Are Built, Not Bought

• Recruiting toughness matters as much as star ratings.

• Henshaw prefers evaluating players on how they respond when losing, not just highlight reels.

• Discipline, hustle, and physicality are controllables — and non-negotiable.

🎯 Where the Portal Money Must Go

• Quarterback is priority No. 1 — period.

• Without a real QB, Henshaw says the entire staff’s future is at risk.

• After QB: invest heavily in offensive and defensive lines, then retain key roster pieces.

• Other positions can be filled more affordably.

🎄 The Christmas Wish

• Henshaw’s holiday message was simple:
  “Santa Claus, please bring Florida State a real quarterback.”

• Toughness starts with the QB; mentally, emotionally, and physically.

• Consistency at the position is the foundation for everything else.

👉 Why It Matters:
This wasn’t nostalgia or excuse-making, it was a blunt diagnosis. Florida State doesn’t need slogans or splashy changes. It needs a tougher identity, a clearer process, and above all, a quarterback who can stabilize everything. Until that happens, nothing else truly sticks.

Read more here

🧠 Holiday Portal Theory: How FSU (and Everyone Else) Should Build Rosters in 2026 🧠

A leaked Slack debate turns into one of the smartest conversations about the future of college football roster construction.

🎁 The Setup

• Tomahawk Nation “accidentally” shared a private Slack discussion between writers Jon Marchant and Matt Minnick.

• The goal: spark smarter conversations at holiday tables and maybe even inside football buildings.

• The topic: what the transfer portal should actually be used for going forward.

📉 The Old Model Is Dead

• Programs no longer sign 25 high school players and patch with a few JUCOs.

• CFP teams now show wildly different roster construction paths.

• The portal isn’t a supplement anymore; it’s a strategy choice.

🚨 Marchant’s Rule: Only Take Starters

• Portal players should be proven starters, not projections.

• Developmental bets through the portal are unsustainable long-term.

• The portal should reduce risk — not create more of it.

📈 Minnick’s Counter: Multi-Year, Incentive-Heavy Deals

• Favor multi-year transfers (Verse, Benson, Duce model).

• Lower base NIL, higher upside through incentives.

• Build team-based escalators: win totals, shared bonuses, collective success.

🤝 Team Over Stats

• Incentives shouldn’t reward empty production.

• Winning 10 games should trigger bonuses for everyone — not just stat leaders.

• Forces buy-in and filters out “max-value-every-year” mercenaries.

🧾 Different Contracts for Different Players

• High school recruits = development assets.

• Portal players = known commodities.

• Treat them differently in structure, guarantees, and expectations.

🎯 Use Transfers for Exactly What They’ve Already Proven

• Portal eval should mirror NFL free agency logic.

• Don’t sign a player then ask him to be something he’s never been.

• If you loved what he did at his old school, that’s what you’re buying.

👉 Why It Matters:
The next edge in college football won’t be who spends the most, but who structures deals smartest, minimizes volatility, and builds rosters that actually function as teams. The portal isn’t going away but how you use it will decide who stabilizes and who keeps resetting every December.

Read more here

And that’s a wrap!

On Christmas, it’s fitting that this edition wasn’t really about wins or losses, it was about identity.

From Luke Loucks reminding everyone what “home” actually means…
to Seminoles still grinding through meaningful snaps in the NFL…
to George Henshaw cutting straight to the truth about toughness and quarterbacks…
to a portal conversation that quietly explains why some programs stabilize and others spin.

Florida State doesn’t need magic.
It needs alignment, discipline, and the right guy under center.

Enjoy the holiday, hug your people, and we’ll be back soon because the offseason decisions that matter most are just getting started.

— The Chief