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Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Sunday, Seminole!

The portal clock is ticking — and for the first time in a while, Florida State isn’t standing still while it runs. This edition is about structure, urgency, and who’s actually steering the ship as January 2 approaches.

Here’s what we’re breaking down today:

🧠 FSU Finally Installs a True Front Office 🧠
John Garrett’s return as GM — plus the addition of Taylor Edwards — signals a real shift in power, process, and accountability as FSU separates coaching from roster control.

🔁 The Portal Board Comes Into Focus 🔁
Quarterback, trenches, skill spots — early names are emerging across the roster, and the mix shows where FSU plans to spend, swing, and stabilize.

⚙️ What the New GM Role Actually Means ⚙️
This isn’t a title change. It’s a governance change. Garrett reports to Michael Alford, not Mike Norvell — and that matters more than any single portal addition.

🚪 A Cost of Instability Shows Up Early 🚪
Freshman WR Jayvan Boggs’ exit is another reminder: in today’s game, upside waits for no one — especially when clarity comes late.

Let’s get into it.

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📰 FSU Set to Bring Back John Garrett as Football GM 📰 

Florida State is turning to a familiar evaluator to run its football front office at a critical inflection point.

🔥 Who It Is

• John Garrett is expected to return to Florida State as the program’s next General Manager.

• Garrett previously served as FSU’s Director of Scouting (Offense) in 2022–23, a stretch that produced a 23–4 combined record.

• Most recently, he was Duke’s General Manager of Personnel, where he helped assemble a roster that won the ACC Championship this past season.

🧩 Why He Emerged as the Choice

• Florida State conducted a full interview process after former GM Darrick Yray departed for UCLA.

• Multiple candidates were considered, but sources indicate Garrett clearly separated himself during the process.

• The hire signals a preference for experience and continuity over experimentation.

📋 What Garrett Will Oversee

• Roster construction across scouting, recruiting, and the transfer portal.

• Helping reshape FSU’s football infrastructure after two consecutive losing seasons.

• Serving as a key organizational bridge between the coaching staff, administration, and personnel strategy.

🏈 A Resume Built for This Role

• 30+ years of coaching and evaluation experience at the college and NFL levels.

• Former head coach at Lafayette College.

• Previous stops include Oregon State, Richmond, Virginia, and multiple NFL franchises.

• Comes from a deep football lineage as the son of longtime NFL coach Jim Garrett and brother of former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett.

Why It Matters
Florida State didn’t chase novelty here — it chose familiarity, structure, and proven evaluation at a moment when portal decisions will define the next era. If Garrett can replicate the clarity he brought during FSU’s 2022–23 rise, this move could quietly stabilize everything else that follows.

👉 Read more: Why John Garrett emerged as FSU’s top GM candidate — and what his return means for the Seminoles’ roster build

📋 FSU Adds Taylor Edwards as Executive Director of Player Acquisitions 📋

Florida State continues building out its football front office with another major personnel hire.

🔥 Who He Is

• Taylor Edwards is expected to join Florida State as Executive Director of Player Acquisitions, per multiple sources.

• Edwards most recently served in a high-ranking personnel role at Miami Hurricanes, where he was hired in January and worked across recruiting and roster management.

• His new role at FSU mirrors responsibilities he held at Miami, signaling a direct plug-and-play hire.

🧠 Why This Hire Matters

• This move further formalizes Florida State’s shift toward a modern, NFL-style front office structure.

• Edwards will work in tandem with new GM John Garrett, strengthening FSU’s ability to evaluate, acquire, and retain talent across high school recruiting and the transfer portal.

• The timing is critical with portal decisions looming and roster turnover accelerating.

🛠️ A Resume Built in Personnel Departments
Edwards brings a decade-plus of experience across the Southeast and Power Conference programs:

• South Carolina Gamecocks — Director of Player Personnel (2021–23)

• Maryland Terrapins — Director of Recruiting Operations

• Arkansas Razorbacks — Director of Recruiting

• Alabama Crimson Tide — Player Personnel Assistant under Nick Saban

• Earlier stops at UAB Blazers, Samford Bulldogs, and Jacksonville State

🎓 Background

• Alabama native (Pleasant Grove)

• Undergraduate degree from the University of Montevallo

• Master’s degree in sport and fitness administration from Troy University

👉 How Taylor Edwards fits into FSU’s revamped front office — and what his arrival says about the Seminoles’ portal strategy

🏈 Portal Board Taking Shape: Early Names to Know Across the Roster 🏈

With the transfer portal opening January 2 and a new GM expected to be in place, Florida State’s offseason focus is sharpening quickly. Here’s an early look at the players generating real buzz inside FSU’s portal board — not a full list, but the names surfacing first as interest builds.

🔥 Quarterback Watch

• Colton Joseph (Old Dominion) — Long viewed as a top FSU target, though Georgia Tech has recently gained traction; competition is real.

• Anthony Colandrea (UNLV) — Recently linked to FSU; experienced dual-threat with three years as a starter and a natural Gus Malzahn fit.

🏃 Running Back

• CJ Baxter (Texas) — Former FSU commit; injuries slowed him the past two seasons, but mutual interest exists as FSU evaluates multiple RB options.

🎯 Wide Receiver

• Corey Scott (West Florida, D2) — Highly productive; FSU has been in contact, though no offer yet.

• Iverson Hooks (UAB) — 72 catches, 927 yards, 7 TDs in 2025; FSU among several Power Four programs showing interest.

🧩 Tight End

• Kylan Fox (UCF) — Strong relationships with Malzahn, Norvell, and Thomsen; significant mutual interest.

• Brayden Loftin (Kansas State) — Older brother of FSU TE Chase Loftin; reliable blocker with upside and expected mutual interest.

🧱 Offensive Line

• Shadre Hurst (Tulane) — One of the top guards in the portal; FSU interest is strong, but competition and cost will be high.

🛡️ Defensive Line

• Michai Boireau (Florida) — SEC starter at nose tackle; potential Darrell Jackson replacement, likely commanding near seven figures.

• John Walker (UCF) — Former Norvell/Haggins recruit; high mutual interest and national competition.

⚡ Edge

• Chaz Coleman (Penn State) — Explosive freshman production; Ohio State may loom large, making this a difficult pull.

🧠 Linebacker

• Tristan Exline (UT Permian Basin, D2) — Productive, visit possible; likely an in-person eval candidate.

• Tavion Wallace (Arkansas) — Strong prior ties to FSU; Florida and Kentucky also in play with early January visits expected.

🔒 Defensive Back

• Jaquez White (Troy) — One of the top-graded G5 corners; FSU and Georgia Tech both squarely involved.

• Nehemiah Chandler (South Alabama) — Florida native with strong PFF grades; mutual interest and early-January visit potential.

👉 Full list, intel, and ongoing updates at the source

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🧠 Inside the GM Shift: How John Garrett Reshapes FSU’s Power Structure 🧠

Florida State’s expected hire of John Garrett isn’t just a name change — it’s a separation of powers that shifts how the program operates at the top.

🔄 From Executor to Architect

• Former GM Darrick Yray ran scouting and recruiting for Mike Norvell, executing the head coach’s vision.

• John Garrett’s role is different: he will oversee the entire football front office and report directly to Athletic Director Michael Alford.

• Norvell and Garrett will work together, not in a top-down chain of command.

🏗️ An NFL-Style Front Office Model

• FSU is shifting toward a pro-style structure where roster management is a year-round operation, not an add-on to coaching duties.

• Garrett will handle player acquisition, retention, NIL/revenue-sharing strategy, and roster construction.

• This frees Norvell to focus on coaching, staff leadership, and player development — not daily personnel triage.

🎯 Why Garrett Fit the Moment

• FSU prioritized both NFL and college experience, not one or the other.

• Garrett brings nearly two decades of NFL experience plus deep familiarity with:

  • High school recruiting

  • The ACC landscape

  • Transfer portal valuation

• His prior FSU stint (2022–23) coincided with a 23–4 run, largely focused on portal evaluation and acquisition.

⚡ Immediate ACC Advantage

• Garrett’s two years at Duke gave him recent, hands-on exposure to the same ACC prospects FSU is targeting.

• Duke’s portal aggressiveness paid off:

  • Star QB Darien Mensah

  • ACC Championship appearance

  • 11 All-ACC selections in 2025

• Those evaluations now transfer directly back to Tallahassee.

⏱️ The Timeline — Explained

• Late November: FSU confirms Norvell’s return and signals restructuring.

• Early December: Consulting firm engaged; needs assessment and org redesign completed.

• Mid-December: Four GM candidates interviewed across college and NFL ranks.

• This past week: Garrett offered the role — the only candidate to receive an offer.

• Friday: Garrett accepted.

👥 More Moves Coming

• Garrett is expected to bring additional front-office staff with him from Duke.

• Several familiar names followed him to Duke in 2023; it’s unclear who may return, but more hires are anticipated.

👉 Why It Matters:
This isn’t a cosmetic fix. Florida State has finally separated coaching from roster governance. With Garrett reporting to Alford and owning the front office, FSU now hopes to have clarity, accountability, and a structure designed for the portal era — not the one that just ended.

👉 Full breakdown, sourcing, and additional staff notes at the source

🚪🌟 Freshman WR Jayvan Boggs Enters Transfer Portal 🌟🚪

Florida State is losing one of its highest-upside young players as true freshman Jayvan Boggs plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.

📌 The Essentials

• Former four-star recruit (No. 205 overall, No. 26 WR in the 2025 class)

• Florida native from Cocoa

• 9 catches, 103 yards, 1 TD in his lone season at FSU

🧠 Why This Matters

• Boggs wasn’t expected to be a finished product yet — he was a developmental bet with a high ceiling

• Teammates, including Duce Robinson, consistently pointed to his burst, ball skills, and competitiveness

• In the portal era, high-upside freshmen don’t wait through uncertainty or rebuild timelines

🔍 Big Picture

• This is another example of talent opting out early amid program instability

• Boggs will be one of the most intriguing young receivers available due to age, pedigree, and limited mileage

👉 For more on the departure of Boggs to the portal

And that’s a wrap!

This is the part where clarity either shows up — or it doesn’t.

FSU finally put structure in place.
Now we see how quickly it turns into action.

January will answer a lot of questions.

— Chief