In partnership with

Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Thursday, Seminole!

With spring sports heating up and football recruiting battles intensifying, there’s no shortage of action in Seminole Nation! FSU Baseball remains undefeated, Softball is ready to defend home turf, and Women’s Hoops is gearing up for a massive top-15 showdown. Meanwhile, recruiting momentum is building as the ‘Noles make waves with key 2026 targets.

🔥 In This Edition:

• ⚾ FSU Baseball stays perfect after a gritty road win over Jacksonville.

• 🥎 Softball hosts the Dugout Club Classic with five games in three days.

• 🏀 FSU Women’s Hoops faces No. 3 Notre Dame in a crucial ACC battle.

• ⛳ Luke Clanton eyes a PGA TOUR card at the Cognizant Classic.

• 🏊‍♂️ FSU Swimming & Diving competes at the Florida Invitational for NCAA qualification.

• 🎾 Men’s Tennis opens ACC play after a statement win over No. 9 Texas A&M.

• 🏈 Recruiting Buzz: The ‘Noles make major moves for Elijah Golden, Kamron Wilson, and Sean Johnson.

Let’s dive into all things Garnet & Gold! 🔥

The Daily Newsletter for Intellectually Curious Readers

If you're frustrated by one-sided reporting, our 5-minute newsletter is the missing piece. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you comprehensive, unbiased news—free from political agendas. Stay informed with factual coverage on the topics that matter.

Join for free today!

⚾ No. 7 FSU Baseball Stays Unbeaten with Road Win at Jacksonville

Florida State (8-0) kept its perfect start intact with a 9-6 victory over Jacksonville on Wednesday night, extending its season-opening win streak to eight games.

🔥 Key Moments:

• 💣 Brody DeLamielleure blasted his first career home run, a three-run shot in the fifth inning.

• 🎯 Evan Chrest (RHP) earned his first win as a Seminole with 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 K.

• 🔥 Chris Knier (RHP) locked down his first career save, striking out four in 1.2 scoreless innings.

• ⚡ Five Seminoles had multi-hit games, including Jaxson West (3 hits, 2 RBI) and Alex Lodise (3 hits, 2 runs scored).

⚾ Game Breakdown:

• FSU struck first with a run in the first inning before Jacksonville briefly took a 2-1 lead.

• The ‘Noles responded quickly, scoring in five different innings, including a pivotal three-run fifth.

• Knier’s clutch relief appearance in the eighth—back-to-back strikeouts with the bases loaded—kept FSU in control.

• Seminoles capitalize on errors: JU committed six errors, while FSU took advantage with smart baserunning and timely hitting.

🔜 What’s Next?

🏠 FSU returns home for a three-game series against Georgetown (Feb. 28 - March 2).

🔗 More on FSU Baseball’s road win and upcoming matchups here.

🥎 No. 8 FSU Softball Hosts Dugout Club Classic

The Seminoles are back home at JoAnne Graf Field this weekend, set to host five games in three days as part of the Dugout Club Classic. FSU will take on Florida Gulf Coast, Mercer, and Charleston in what promises to be an action-packed tournament.

🏆 Weekend Schedule:

• Thursday, 6 PM – vs. Florida Gulf Coast

• Friday, 3 PM – vs. Florida Gulf Coast

• Friday, 5:30 PM – vs. Mercer

• Saturday, 3 PM – vs. Mercer

• Saturday, 5:30 PM – vs. Charleston

📺 All games will be streamed live on ACCNX.

🔥 Key Storylines:

• Dominance at The Plex – FSU holds a combined 43-1 all-time record against the three opponents.

• Scorching Start – The Seminoles are 11-3 and ranked in the Top 10 nationally after an impressive undefeated run at the Clearwater Invitational.

• Powerhouse Offense – FSU ranks second in the ACC with a .361 team batting average, led by Kennedy Harp (.585, 4 HR, 22 RBI) and Isa Torres (.540, 3 HR, 11 RBI).

• Pitching Depth – Transfers Annabelle Widra (1.02 ERA) and Julia Apsel (1.83 ERA), along with freshman Jazzy Francik (2.75 ERA), are making an immediate impact in the circle.

• Familiar Faces – Former Seminole standouts Devyn Flaherty and Kalei Harding return to The Plex as part of Mercer’s coaching staff.

🔜 What’s Next?

FSU looks to keep the momentum rolling before heading into a loaded non-conference schedule.

🔗 More on FSU Softball’s red-hot start and the Dugout Club Classic here.

🏀 No. 11 FSU Women’s Hoops Set for Road Test at No. 3 Notre Dame

The No. 11 Florida State Seminoles (22-6, 12-4 ACC) hit the road for one final regular-season test, facing No. 3 Notre Dame (24-3, 15-1 ACC) on Thursday at 8 PM ET inside Purcell Pavilion.

📺 Watch: ACC Network
🎙 Listen: 96.5 The Spear | Seminoles.com | Sirius XM Channel 386

🔥 Key Storylines:

• Scoring Machine – FSU ranks second nationally in scoring (89.4 PPG), led by Ta’Niya Latson, the nation’s top scorer at 26.2 PPG.

• Defensive Force – Makayla Timpson leads the ACC and Power 4 players in blocks (91), averaging 3.25 per game.

• Series History – The Seminoles have one win against Notre Dame in 14 meetings, a 70-65 victory in 2022.

• Momentum Builder – FSU is coming off a 73-70 road win over No. 20 Georgia Tech, with Sydney Bowles (32 PTS) and Timpson (19 PTS, 16 REB, 3 BLK) leading the way.

🔜 What’s Next?

A win over Notre Dame would give FSU a massive résumé boost heading into ACC Tournament play.

🔗 More on FSU Women’s Basketball’s big matchup and postseason outlook here.

⛳ FSU’s Luke Clanton Eyes PGA TOUR Card at Cognizant Classic

Florida State junior Luke Clanton is set to compete at the Cognizant Classic at PGA National Golf Course from Feb. 27 - March 2 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

🏌️‍♂️ Clanton’s Path to the PGA TOUR
With 19 PGA TOUR University Accelerated points, Clanton needs just one more to earn his PGA TOUR Card. He can clinch it by making the cut this weekend.

📅 Tee Time & Pairing:

• Thursday, 7:07 AM ET – Clanton will be paired with former FSU star Daniel Berger.

• Other FSU Alums in Action:

  • Vincent Norrman – 7:40 AM

  • Cristobal Del Solar – 8:35 AM

🔥 Clanton’s Dominance

• The world’s No. 1 amateur won the Watersound Classic last week, leading FSU to a team victory over six ranked opponents.

• He fired rounds of 66 & 67 to finish 10-under, helping the ‘Noles win by nine strokes.

📺 How to Watch:

• ESPN+ – 6:45 AM ET

• Golf Channel – 2:00 PM ET

• Sirius XM – 12:00 PM ET

🔗 More on Clanton’s PGA TOUR pursuit here.

🏊‍♂️ FSU Heads to Florida Invitational for NCAA Last-Chance Meet

The No. 18/25 Florida State swimming and diving team will compete at the Florida Invitational from Feb. 27 - March 1 in Gainesville, Florida. This three-day meet is a final opportunity for Seminole swimmers to improve their NCAA qualifying times ahead of March’s championships.

📅 Schedule & Events:

• Prelims – 9:30 AM ET | Finals – 4:00 PM ET

• Events include freestyle, medley, breaststroke, backstroke & relays.

🔥 FSU’s Momentum:

• Coming off an impressive ACC Championships (Feb. 18-22), the ‘Noles totaled 21 top-eight finishes.

• Freshman Michel Arkhangelskiy won gold in the 100 backstroke and silver in the 100 butterfly.

• FSU also placed second in the 100 medley relay.

📲 How to Follow:

• Live Results – Meet Mobile

• Updates – Twitter/X, Instagram & Facebook

🔗 More on FSU’s push for NCAA qualification here

🎾 Defending ACC Champion FSU Men’s Tennis Opens Conference Play

The defending ACC champion Florida State men’s tennis team begins conference play at home this weekend, hosting Boston College and new ACC member SMU at the Scott Speicher Memorial Tennis Center.

📅 Match Schedule:

• 🆚 Boston College – Friday, 4:00 PM (Military Appreciation Match 🇺🇸)

• 🆚 SMU – Sunday, 12:00 PM

🔥 Seminoles Riding High After Statement Win

• FSU shocked No. 9 Texas A&M on the road with a 4-2 victory, marking the program’s biggest road win in over a decade.

• Corey Craig clinched the match with a thrilling comeback tiebreaker win.

🏆 ACC Weekly Awards Sweep
FSU swept all three ACC weekly honors for the first time in program history:

• 🏆 ACC Player of the Week – Corey Craig

• 🏅 ACC Freshman of the Week – Jan Sebesta

• 🎾 ACC Doubles Team of the Week – Joshua Dous-Karpenschif & Erik Schiessl

📊 Series History:

• FSU is 21-0 all-time vs. Boston College and has won 20 straight in ACC play.

• First meeting with SMU since 2003, with the series tied 1-1.

🔗 More on FSU’s ACC title defense here.

🏈 FSU Making Inroads in DMV with 2026 DB Sean Johnson

Florida State is expanding its recruiting reach in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) region, gaining traction with Archbishop Spalding (MD) defensive back Sean Johnson in the 2026 cycle.

🔥 FSU Among Schools Recruiting Johnson Hardest
The 6’1”, 175-pound defensive back received an FSU offer in January, and he listed the Seminoles among the programs making the strongest push, alongside Wisconsin, Michigan State, Maryland, and NC State.

👀 FSU’s Connection with Johnson

• FSU safeties coach Evan Cooper discovered Johnson on the recruiting trail last month and has built a strong relationship with the Maryland native.

• Defensive coordinator Tony White has also been in contact with Johnson, reinforcing FSU’s interest.

• Johnson praised Cooper’s recruiting approach, saying:

🏈 FSU’s Pitch

• Primary Position: Safety (but FSU sees him as a versatile defensive back)

• Distance Not a Factor: Johnson is open to leaving the DMV for the right fit.

📅 Spring and Summer Visit Plans
Johnson has an official visit to FSU locked in, along with trips to Wisconsin, NC State, and Penn State. He plans to make a silent commitment after spring visits but will wait until after his official visits to announce publicly.

🔗 More on FSU’s pursuit of Johnson here.

🏈 FSU Cracks South Florida EDGE Kamron Wilson’s Official Visit Schedule

Florida State continues to strengthen its South Florida recruiting pipeline, landing in Miami Southridge EDGE Kamron Wilson’s official visit schedule for the summer.

🔥 Wilson’s Stock Is Rising
The 6’4”, 215-pound pass rusher put up video-game numbers in 2024, recording:

• 118 total tackles

• 32 tackles for loss

• 17 sacks

His breakout season skyrocketed his recruitment, drawing attention from dozens of Power Four programs.

👀 FSU’s Persistent Push Pays Off
FSU wasn’t originally on Wilson’s official visit list, but the staff’s recent recruiting efforts led him to bump NC State and schedule a trip to Tallahassee on June 20-22.

🏈 FSU’s Pitch to Wilson

• Position Fit: Being recruited as a JACK linebacker—a key hybrid role in FSU’s defense.

• Coaching Connection: Several Seminoles staffers, including Terrance Knighton, Greg Moss, Evan Cooper, and Justin Crouse, are in frequent contact.

• Family Focus: Wilson praised Knighton’s effort in recruiting both him and his parents, a key factor in his decision-making process.

📅 What’s Next?

• Wilson is planning spring break unofficial visits, including FSU and Ole Miss.

• A final commitment decision is expected soon after his Tallahassee official visit.

🔗 More on FSU’s pursuit of Wilson here.

🏈 FSU Jumps Into the Mix for 4⭐ DL Elijah Golden

Florida State wasn’t on Elijah Golden’s radar heading into last weekend. Now, after a quick pivot by the coaching staff, the Seminoles are in the conversation for the elite 2026 defensive lineman.

🔥 How It Happened:
Golden, a 6’3.5”, 260-pound standout from Sarasota (FL) Cardinal Mooney, dominated the Under Armour Next Camp in Orlando last weekend. Before the camp, he told reporters that Florida, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma were leading the charge in his recruitment.

That changed Monday when FSU defensive line coach Terrance Knighton extended an offer to Golden, which he had been waiting on for a long time.

📢 Golden on the FSU Offer:

• “They want me to be a part of the program. My reaction was pretty good.”

• “I’ve been waiting on this offer for a long time. I am definitely trying to get up for a visit.”

• “Florida State is a great school for academics and football.”

👀 Scouting Report:
Golden, originally from Virginia, is ranked No. 208 overall and No. 20 among defensive linemen (On3 Industry Rankings). His violent hand usage and ability to disrupt plays make him one of the most intriguing pass rushers in the 2026 class.

📅 What’s Next?
Golden is keeping his options open and will visit FSU if his schedule allows. With the ‘Noles now in the mix, they’ll work to make up ground quickly in this recruitment battle.

🔗 More on FSU’s pursuit of Golden here.

And that’s a wrap!

From dominant performances on the field to major moves on the recruiting trail, the ‘Noles are making noise across the board.

🏆 What’s Next?

• Baseball & Softball defend home turf this weekend.

• Women’s Hoops takes on No. 3 Notre Dame in a crucial ACC showdown.

• Spring Football is around the corner, with key 2026 recruits keeping FSU in their top lists.

• Luke Clanton’s PGA TOUR pursuit continues at the Cognizant Classic.

Stay locked in with The Chief Brief for all things FSU. Until next time—Go ‘Noles! 🍢🔥