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Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Thursday, Seminole! Signing Day is officially complete and we’ve got you covered below:

🧠 Front-Office Shakeup on Deck 🧠
Former Eagles exec Jake Rosenberg pops up courtside with AD Michael Alford as FSU starts kicking the tires on a modern, NFL-style front-office overhaul.

🏀 Dawgs Bite Back, Irish Up Next 🏀
FSU women hang around but can’t close against 10–0 Georgia, and now turn the page quickly to a high-stakes ACC opener vs No. 18/19 Notre Dame at the Tucker Center.

🏈 QB Search Becomes Priority No. 1 🏈
With 2025 in the books and Castellanos unlikely to return, FSU quietly begins vetting transfer options (including Old Dominion’s Colton Joseph) as the staff faces a simple mandate: get a real QB1 or get left behind.

🧾 Signing Day Delivers Star Power & Trenches 🧾
The Noles lock in all 32 signees to hold a top-15 class headlined by blue-chip defenders, legacy skill talent, international OL help, and a four-star QB in Jaden O’Neal to anchor the 2026 haul.

📉 What Worked, What Didn’t in 2025 📉
From WR development, young defensive standouts, and Darrell Jackson’s dominance to Norvell’s CEO experiment, the Malzahn offense, portal misses on defense, and shaky special teams, we sort through what’s actually worth building on — and what has to change fast.

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🧠 Former NFL Exec Jake Rosenberg Seen with AD Alford as FSU Eyes Front-Office Overhaul 🧠

Florida State’s promised administrative shakeup appears to be underway — and a high-level NFL mind is now in the building.

🔥 Rosenberg on Campus

• Former Philadelphia Eagles VP Jake Rosenberg was spotted courtside Tuesday with AD Michael Alford.

• Rosenberg now runs The Athlete Group, a consulting firm focused on modernizing front-office operations for college programs.

• He is expected to meet with select FSU staffers Wednesday to evaluate current structures and processes.

💼 What This Could Mean for FSU

• Rosenberg previously helped Florida and Oklahoma, playing a key role in Oklahoma’s move toward an NFL-style personnel model.

• His potential role at FSU is not yet defined, but program sources confirm he’s being considered as part of the department’s promised upgrades.

• Administration vowed “significant changes” when announcing Mike Norvell’s retention — and front-office restructuring has long been expected as part of that plan.

Read more here

🏀 FSU Falls to Georgia, Unable to Slow 10–0 Bulldogs 🏀

The Noles battled but couldn’t sustain the runs needed to topple undefeated Georgia, dropping an 80–60 decision Wednesday night at the Tucker Center.

🔥 Bright Spots in the Loss

• Solé Williams led with 13 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds — continuing her breakout stretch.

• Allie Kubek added 11 points, hitting 3 threes.

• Jasmine Shavers scored 10, while Pania Davis posted 9 points and a team-high 9 rebounds.

💨 Sparks, But Not Enough

• FSU opened the third quarter on a 6–0 run, cutting into the deficit.

• The Noles trimmed Georgia’s lead to 59–51 early in the fourth, but the Bulldogs responded and pulled away late.

• Early effort on the glass kept FSU close, with Davis logging 7 first-half rebounds.

👉 What’s Next: FSU opens ACC play Sunday vs. No. 18/19 Notre Dame (2 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra).

🏈 FSU Begins QB Search as 2026 Hinges on Finding “The Guy” 🏈

With Mike Norvell returning for 2026, one truth looms over everything else: Florida State must upgrade at quarterback.

🔥 Castellanos Unlikely to Return

• Neither Norvell nor Tommy Castellanos sounded optimistic postgame about a 2026 reunion.

• His waiver for an extra year remains uncertain — and even if granted, momentum suggests a split is likely.

• Despite flashes (2,760 yards, 15 TDs; 557 rushing yards), FSU went 0–5 on the road and routinely fell behind early — a fatal flaw for the offense.

💨 Why QB1 Is Everything
Norvell with Jordan Travis as QB1: 29–9.
Norvell without Travis: 9–25 (6–25 vs real competition; 1–13 on the road).
The math is not subtle — this program simply does not function without high-level QB play.

⭐ The Internal Candidate: Kevin Sperry
Both Gus Malzahn and Castellanos spoke highly of the freshman:

• “He didn’t look like a true freshman.” — Malzahn

• “Best freshman I’ve seen.” — Castellanos
  Sperry has poise, arm talent, and mobility — but just 17 career pass attempts. Betting the program’s turnaround on potential alone carries major risk.

💼 Portal Movement Begins
Multiple sources confirm FSU has begun vetting transfer quarterbacks.

• One early name: Old Dominion’s Colton Joseph, expected to enter the portal after a strong 2025 season.
  This signals FSU is preparing for a future without Castellanos — and not ready to hand the keys solely to a rising sophomore.

👉 Why It Matters:
FSU saved millions by keeping Norvell. If 2026 is going to be a bounce-back, the administration must now invest aggressively in securing a proven QB1. No decision this offseason carries more weight.

Read more here and here

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🏈 Signing Day Surge: FSU Locks In 32 Signees, Holds at No. 14 🏈

The Early Signing Period delivered exactly what Florida State needed: no late collapses, key wins on the trail, and a deep, balanced 2026 class.

🔥 Class Snapshot

• 32 total signees after entering the day with 29 commitments.

• No. 14 nationally in the Composite rankings.

• Staff kept every commit in the boat and added three more (including a late flip off the carousel).

• Mike Norvell: this group is loaded with “accolades, experience and success,” and full of multi-sport athletes from championship high school programs.

⭐ Headliners & Blue-Chip Spine ⭐

💎 Defensive Cornerstones

• CB Chauncey “Chuck” Kennon – Consensus top-3 corner in the country, elite speed, shutdown traits, and big-time track background.

• DL Earnest Rankins – Top-150 type interior disruptor from Georgia with offers from Alabama/OSU/UGA.

• DL Franklin Whitley – 6’6” former hoops standout turned four-star pass rusher with huge upside.

• Edge Jaemin Pinckney – Flip from USF on Signing Day; 15 sacks as a senior, two-time first-team All-State.

⚡ Offensive Playmakers

• WR Devin Carter – Legacy wideout (son of Dexter Carter), verified speed, multiple All-American games, and a major re-flip from Auburn back to FSU.

• WR Jasen Lopez – Video-game production (four straight 1,000-yard seasons, 59 TDs) and will also play hoops in Tallahassee.

• WR EJ White – Dynamic “do-everything” athlete (2,225 passing yards, 916 rushing yards, 48 total TDs as a senior) who stayed loyal amid a heavy NC State push.

• RB Amari Thomas – Back-to-back seasons near 1,900 rushing yards, 34 TDs, and legit track speed.

🧠 QB of the Class

• QB Jaden O’Neal – Four-star, No. 1 player in Oklahoma per ESPN, accurate multi-stop HS résumé (California + Oklahoma), 29 TDs as a senior and 27 as a sophomore.

🧱 Trenches Reloaded: OL & DL Overhaul 🧱

💪 Offensive Line Wave
FSU attacked OL numbers and diversity in a big way:

• International bookends:

  • OT Nikau Hepi (New Zealand / NFL Academy) – 6’7”, 370, former Auburn commit.

  • OL Luke Francis (London / NFL Academy) – 6’5”, 325, one of only two UK-born Noles ever.

• Florida/IMG pipeline:

  • Mike Ionata, Steven Pickard Jr., Jakobe Green, Mike Ionata (legacy), all with strong run-game pedigrees.

• Immediate help:

  • JUCO OT Steven Moore – No. 10 JUCO tackle nationally; 6’5”, 310 and enrolling in January.

🛠️ Defensive Line & Edge Room Reload

• Blue-chips + depth across the front:

  • Headliners: Rankins, Whitley, Pinckney, Cam Brooks (high-production edge with 27 career sacks).

  • High-upside rotational pieces: Judah Daniels, Damaad Lewis, Wihtlley Cadeau, Chris Carbin (11 sacks as a senior).

  • JUCO impact edge: Jalen Anderson, the No. 1 JUCO edge in the country with 9.5 sacks in 2025.

👉 Net: FSU rebuilt both lines with a blend of long-term upside and plug-and-play bodies — critical after heavy OL graduation and DL attrition.

⚡ Skill Talent & Speed Everywhere ⚡

🎯 Wide Receivers & Tight Ends

• WR group is deep and varied: Devin Carter, Jasen Lopez, Brandon Bennett, Darryon Williams, Jonah Winston, EJ White (as an athlete), all with verified speed or high-end production.

• TE room gets two big additions:

  • Xavier Tiller – Top-5 tight end nationally, red-zone weapon with 19 career TDs.

  • Corbyn Fordham – Legacy tight end and former Ohio State commit, reliable hands and multi-year production at Bolles.

🏃‍♂️ Backfield & Second Level

• RB Amari Thomas – Feature-back profile with video-game efficiency (12+ YPC in 2024).

• LB core:

  • Blue-chip centerpiece Izayia Williams, plus tackling machines Noah LaVallee, Karon Maycock, and Daylen Green.

🔒 Secondary

• Corner / safety stack:

  • Chuck Kennon, Tre Bell III, Jordan Crutchfield, EJ White (as needed) — long, physical, and all with ball production and two-way backgrounds.

📈 Signing Day Drama, Flips & Retention 📈

🔥 Key Wins Down the Stretch

• Held the line on:

  • EJ White amid a serious NC State flip attempt.

  • Xavier Tiller, who saw Georgia Tech and others push late.

• Flips & Late Adds:

  • Jaemin Pinckney – flipped from USF on Signing Day.

  • Steven Pickard Jr. and Steven Moore – both committed on the eve of or during the window and signed quickly.

  • Daylen Green and Amari Thomas – circled back to FSU after prior commitments elsewhere.

👉 Why It Matters: In a year where on-field results raised more questions than answers, FSU still closed with a tough, nationally respected class — heavy on speed, legacy ties, multi-sport athletes, and line-of-scrimmage reinforcements. This group won’t fix 2026 by itself, but it gives the program a real talent base to pair with whatever answers they find at quarterback and in the portal.

Read more here and here and here

🏈 What Worked (and What Didn’t) in FSU’s 2025 Blueprint 🏈

The season fell way short of Norvell’s “fast fix” promise, but it did reveal some real building blocks — and some glaring structural problems FSU has to fix immediately.

🔥 What Worked: Wide Receiver Room Finally Pops

• Tim Harris Jr.’s group went from liability to strength, with Duce Robinson, Micahi Danzy, and Lawayne McCoy combining for 2,048 receiving yards — the first time since 2015 that three Noles cleared 2,000+ yards together.

• FSU’s PFF team receiving grade jumped from 60.8 (125th nationally) to 73.0 (51st), a massive one-year leap.

💪 What Worked: Betting Big on the OL (Short-Term)

• Portal-heavy, high-experience OL gave FSU an offense that lived in the 86th percentile nationally in Line Yards and fit well with the inside-zone scheme.

• Luke Petitbon stabilized the middle and helped power the ACC’s top rushing attack… even if FSU now has to replace essentially the entire starting unit again.

🌱 What Worked: Young Core Emerging

• On offense, Danzy and McCoy flashed as real weapons, while backs Ousmane Kromah and Sam Singleton graded out as FSU’s top non-QB offensive players per PFF.

• On defense, the Desir twins gave FSU legit freshman juice up front (24 and 21 pressures) and validated the “take more DL and let the hits emerge” strategy.

🧱 What Worked: Retaining Darrell Jackson

• Paying to keep Jackson out of the draft was one of the few high-dollar trench bets that clearly hit.

• Only two players in the country posted better PFF run-defense grades, and his two-gap dominance made life easier for the young DL around him.

🧠 What Didn’t: Norvell as Full-Time CEO

• The shift from play-caller to CEO didn’t deliver: recruiting communication remained sloppy, travel decisions (like the Stanford turnaround) backfired, and the team faded down the stretch.

• A lifeless performance at Florida — in a must-respond moment — is a brutal data point for his ability to push buttons and manage the whole operation.

⚠️ What Didn’t: Castellanos & the Malzahn Offense

• Castellanos was electric in wins (197.5 passer rating) but fell off a cliff in losses (125.2) and on the road (118.0, 91st nationally). No road wins, no first-quarter road points all year.

• Malzahn’s scheme raised the floor from 2024 but felt hollow in big spots: only 93 total road points, 51st among P4 teams in road scoring, and too volatile to build a contender around — especially with another revamp looming.

🤷‍♂️ What Didn’t: RB Rotation by Committee

• Six backs played real snaps, but usage never made sense — especially giving Kromah just 72 carries despite clear pop and major investment.

• Instead of building rhythm for the best options, FSU kept shuffling and never found a true identity on the ground outside of QB run game.

🔧 What Didn’t: 3–3–5 Fits & Defensive Portal Misses

• The new 3–3–5 had a few hits (Jackson, the Desirs, Ja’Bril Rawls, Ashlynd Barker pre-injury) but too many pieces didn’t fit or never popped.

• Of nine defensive transfers, only two were real plus players — and mostly as high-end reserves. Several big-ticket adds underperformed badly relative to All-ACC expectations.

📉 What Didn’t: Special Teams

• Special teams were a pure liability, grading out 120th nationally by FEI — flipping field position and hidden yards against FSU instead of for it.

👉 Why It Matters: The 2025 season proved FSU has real young talent and a few staff wins — especially at WR and in parts of the trenches — but the program can’t run it back structurally. Fixing QB, rethinking the offensive vision, tightening roster evals on defense, and cleaning up Norvell’s CEO operation aren’t tweaks; they’re the only path to a real 2026 turnaround.

Read more here and here

And that’s a wrap!

Today’s edition had a little bit of everything — front-office chess moves, roster building on Signing Day, honest evaluations of what worked (and what didn’t) in 2025, and a clear roadmap for the decisions that will define FSU Football’s future.

The offseason is about to accelerate. From staff restructuring to the quarterback search to portal additions, the next few weeks will shape the entire 2026 campaign. We’ll be here every morning to walk you through it — clearly, concisely, and with no sugarcoating.

Thanks for reading The Chief Brief. Stay locked in. Big moves are coming.

🍢 See you tomorrow, Chief. 🍢