🏹 February 7th - The Chief Brief 🏹

Dominance, Decisions & A New Era

Author

The Chief
February 07, 2025

Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

Which FSU player had the best performance this week?

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🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

TGIF Seminole! From dominant wins on the court to high-profile recruiting battles and NFL stardom, Florida State is making waves across every sport.

🏀 FSU Women’s Basketball continues its record-breaking season, notching its seventh 100-point game while Ta’Niya Latson & Makayla Timpson keep dominating.

🥎 FSU Softball opened the season in Puerto Vallarta, splitting its first two games—Kennedy Harp is already making her mark at the plate.

🎾 Men’s Tennis preps for a Top-20 showdown against Alabama, looking to extend their winning streak at home.

⚾ Baseball is set for 8 nationally televised games, including matchups against Miami, Florida, Virginia, and UNC.

🏐 Beach Volleyball is making a major conference move in 2026, joining the highly competitive MPSF.

🏀 FSU Basketball’s future is in the spotlight as Leonard Hamilton announces his retirement—who will take over? The coaching hot board is heating up.

🏆 Jared Verse is officially the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year! The former Seminole put up monster numbers in his first season with the Rams.

🏈 FSU remains in the hunt for key recruits with four-star OL Graham Houston naming the Seminoles in his final four and scheduling an official visit to Tallahassee.

🔜 What’s Next? The ‘Noles are just getting started. Stay locked in for more top-tier action! 🔥

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🏀 No. 22 FSU Women’s Basketball Dominates Virginia, Sets Another Scoring Record!

The Seminoles are on fire! 🔥 No. 22 Florida State (19-4, 9-2 ACC) crushed Virginia 101-68 on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to six straight games and notching their seventh 100-point game of the season—the most in program history and the most in the nation.

🎯 Key Performers:
✅ Ta'Niya Latson – 27 PTS, career-high 12 AST, 5 REB (5th double-double this season)
✅ Makayla Timpson – 18 PTS, 8 REB, career-high tying 8 blocks
✅ Amaya Bonner – 12 PTS, 2 3PT
✅ O’Mariah Gordon – 15 PTS

💥 Game Highlights:
🔸 FSU started strong with an 8-0 run and never looked back.
🔸 Latson took over in the 3rd quarter (11 PTS, 4 AST), pushing the lead to 40 points!
🔸 FSU drained 10 three-pointers, including three from Carla Viegas.
🔸 11 different Seminoles scored in the dominant performance.

⏭️ What’s Next?
The ‘Noles return home Sunday for a Top-25 showdown vs. No. 14 NC State (18-4, 10-1 ACC) at 2 PM on The CW.

🥎 FSU Softball Splits Opening Day in Puerto Vallarta

The No. 5 Florida State Seminoles (1-1) kicked off their 2025 season in Mexico on Thursday, bouncing back from a 9-6 loss to No. 4 Oklahoma State with a 7-1 win over Northern Colorado.

🔥 Game 2: FSU 7, Northern Colorado 1

🔹 Kennedy Harp (4-for-4, 3 RBI) powered the Noles' offense.
🔹 Freshman Jazzy Francik impressed in her collegiate debut (6 IP, 0 ER, 4 K).
🔹 FSU struck early, scoring four runs in the first two innings and tacking on three more in the seventh.

⚡ Game 1: No. 4 Oklahoma State 9, FSU 6

🔹 Jaysoni Beachum & Kennedy Harp both launched two-run homers in the late innings.
🔹 Harp finished the day 6-for-7 at the plate, continuing her red-hot start.
🔹 The Noles’ comeback fell short after OSU’s five-run push in the fifth and sixth innings.

⏭️ What’s Next?
FSU takes on Louisiana Tech today at 2 PM (FloSports). Can the Noles keep the bats rolling?

🎾 No. 15 FSU Men's Tennis Prepares for Top-20 Showdown vs. No. 18 Alabama

Florida State men’s tennis (7-2) is set for a top-20 battle against No. 18 Alabama this Saturday at 1 PM at the Indoor Tennis Courts.

🔥 Match Preview
✅ FSU has won four straight regular-season meetings vs. Alabama.
✅ Last year, Antoine Cornut-Chauvinc sealed a 4-3 road win with a dominant third set.
✅ The Seminoles are 6-0 at home in 2025, including a 4-0 sweep of Florida last week.

🎾 Players to Watch
🔹 Jamie Connel (No. 27) – Leads FSU with 14 singles wins, clinched the UF sweep.
🔹 Corey Craig (No. 15) – Returning from injury, undefeated (2-0) in 2025.
🔹 Bulte/Rihane (No. 4 doubles team) – One of the nation’s best pairs.

🏆 FSU remains in the ITA Top 15 for the 7th straight week—can they extend their dominance over Alabama? Be there Saturday to find out! 🎾🔥

⚾ Florida State Baseball Announces 2025 National TV Schedule

Florida State baseball, ranked No. 6/9 in the preseason polls, will have eight nationally televised games during the 2025 regular season.

📺 Key TV Matchups:
🔹 March 20-21 – 🆚 Miami (ACCN)
🔹 April 4 – 🆚 No. 14/16 Wake Forest (ACCN)
🔹 April 8 – 🆚 No. 10 Florida (ESPN2)
🔹 April 17-18 – 🆚 No. 2/3 Virginia (ACCN & ESPN2)
🔹 April 27 – 🆚 Louisville (ACCN) – Baseball & Softball Doubleheader
🔹 May 15 – 🆚 No. 6/8 North Carolina (ACCN)

🏟️ Streaming:
All ACC home & road games will be available on ACCNX (43 total).

🏐 Florida State Beach Volleyball Set to Join MPSF in 2026

Florida State beach volleyball is on the move! Starting in 2026, the Seminoles will join the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) alongside LSU, South Carolina, and Texas, bringing the league to 11 teams.

🔥 FSU’s Beach Volleyball Journey:
🏆 7x CCSA Champions (since 2016)
🏖️ Final season in CCSA set for 2025
🌍 MPSF Competition: FSU will battle powerhouse programs like USC, UCLA, Stanford, and Cal.

📅 What’s Next?
🏐 2025 Season Opener: Feb. 21 at the Beach Burg Invitational in Mississippi.

Coach Brooke Niles on the move: "To be the best, you have to compete against the best."

🏀 The Hamilton Era Nears Its End: What’s Next for FSU Basketball?

With Leonard Hamilton officially announcing his resignation at the end of the season, Florida State basketball is at a critical crossroads. The program that once went toe-to-toe with ACC giants in the late 2010s has seen a steady decline in recent years, and now, the focus shifts to what comes next.

📉 The State of FSU Basketball

✅ 23 Years Under Hamilton – The longest-tenured ACC coach has left a lasting legacy.
✅ 2020: The "What-If" Year – FSU was primed for a Final Four before the pandemic canceled the NCAA Tournament.
✅ Since 2021? A Decline. – Three straight losing seasons, no tournament appearances, and an ACC ranking that’s far from the elite status Hamilton built.

Now, the Seminoles sit at 14-9 (5-7 ACC) in what’s considered the weakest Power 5 conference this season, making an at-large NCAA Tournament bid highly unlikely.

🔥 The Four Pillars of FSU’s Coaching Search

The Seminoles must get this hire right to avoid falling further behind in a changing college basketball landscape. Here’s what matters most:

1️⃣ Recruiting Rebuild

FSU’s high school recruiting has cratered.
📉 2025 Class: Ranked 95th Nationally
📉 No. 46 in 2024 | No. 54 in 2023 | No. 19 in 2022 | No. 10 in 2021

Hamilton built a program that developed NBA talent, but the Seminoles have missed out on in-state stars for years. Before Dwayne Wimbley Jr. committed in 2025, FSU had not signed a Florida high school prospect since Scottie Barnes in 2020. That cannot continue under the new regime.

🚨 Names to Watch for 2026: Five-star prospects Toni Bryant & Caleb Gaskins are in FSU’s backyard, but relationships need to be built ASAP.

2️⃣ Roster Retention & Transfer Portal Strategy

Keeping Jamir Watkins & Malique Ewin could be the biggest win of the offseason.

🏀 Watkins (18.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 35% 3PT) – All-ACC talent, but will be moving on to the NBA Draft.

🏀 Ewin (14.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG) – The most valuable piece for the next coach. Dominant big men are commanding $2M+ in NIL deals (see Kansas State’s Coleman Hawkins & Washington’s Great Osobor last year). If Ewin leaves, replacing him in the portal won’t be cheap.

Beyond those two, Taylor Bol Bowen (40% from 3, elite defense) and Daquan Davis (promising freshman PG) are key pieces worth keeping.

🔑 FSU needs to nail the portal – The ‘Noles cannot afford a total reset and must bring in impact transfers quickly.

3️⃣ Who’s on the Coaching Hot Board?

FSU hasn’t had to make a coaching hire in 23 years, and the options range from program legends to young up-and-comers.

🟢 Top Tier Candidates
🔥 Will Wade (McNeese State) – A proven winner who crushed recruiting at LSU. Would FSU overlook his NCAA baggage?
🔥 Sam Cassell (Boston Celtics Asst.) – FSU legend with NBA coaching experience. But is he willing to leave the pros?
🔥 Luke Loucks (Sacramento Kings Asst.) – Former FSU PG & rising NBA coaching star. Would be a bold hire similar to BYU landing Kevin Young.

🔵 Intriguing Options
📌 Dennis Gates (Missouri) – The dream hire, but his $4M salary & $10M+ buyout likely make him unattainable.
📌 Bryan Hodgson (Arkansas State) – Young, aggressive recruiter with deep grassroots ties. Could land top-tier talent immediately.
📌 Bucky McMillan (Samford) – Modern offensive mind, plays fast, and has won everywhere he’s coached.

❌ Longshots / Unlikely Hires
🚫 Alan Huss (High Point) – Strong offensive coach, but limited experience at the high-major level.
🚫 Tony Bennett (Virginia) – Speculated by some, but unlikely to leave UVA despite their current struggles.

⏳ What’s the Timeline?

🔹 March 12-16 – ACC Tournament (Last ride for Hamilton?)
🔹 March 24 – Transfer Portal Opens (Critical for roster retention)
🔹 April – FSU should have its new coach in place before spring workouts.

The right hire could have FSU contending for an NCAA Tournament bid in 2026. The wrong one? A complete rebuild that could take years.

🏆 Jared Verse Named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year!

Florida State’s Jared Verse continues to rack up accolades in the pros! The former Seminoles defensive end was officially named the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after a dominant season at outside linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams. The honor was announced Thursday night at the NFL Honors event during Super Bowl week.

🔥 Verse’s Impactful Rookie Season 🔥
✅ Led all rookies in QB hits (18), pressures (77), and hurries (56).
✅ Ranked second among rookies in tackles for loss (11).
✅ Finished fifth in sacks (4.5).
✅ Tied for second in hurries & fourth in pressures among all NFL defenders.
✅ Played all 17 games (16 starts) for a Rams squad that made the playoffs.

💪 Full 2024 Stats
📊 66 total tackles (11 for loss)
📊 4.5 sacks
📊 2 forced fumbles
📊 2 fumble recoveries
📊 2 passes defensed

Verse was also named the Pro Football Writers of America 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year back on January 21st, cementing his status as one of the league’s top young defenders.

🏈 4⭐ OL Graham Houston Names FSU in Final Four, Sets Official Visit

Buford (Ga.) offensive lineman Graham Houston, one of the top 2025 OL prospects, is down to four finalists—and Florida State is still in the mix.

🔥 Houston’s Final Four 🔥
✅ Florida State
✅ Florida
✅ Georgia
✅ Ole Miss

The 6’5, 285-pound lineman has over two dozen offers but will officially visit each of his finalists before making his decision before his senior season.

📅 Official Visit Schedule
🗓️ May 30 – Ole Miss
🗓️ June 6 – Georgia
🗓️ June 13 – Florida
🗓️ June 20 – Florida State 👀

Why FSU?

Houston has been on Mike Norvell’s radar since before his sophomore year, and his family likes Florida State. He also has a strong relationship with OL coach Herb Hand, who recruited him at UCF before bringing that connection to Tallahassee.

🔊 Houston on FSU:
"Coach Norvell is a good coach, and FSU has been recruiting me for a long time. Then Coach Hand is there now, and he recruited me at UCF before he started recruiting me at FSU, so I know he really wants me."

Decision Timeline

Houston says his official visits will be the deciding factor, with coaching relationships and program fit playing the biggest roles.

And that’s a wrap!

The ‘Noles are making noise everywhere—from dominant wins on the court to key recruiting battles and major program moves. With NFL honors, national TV showdowns, and a coaching search that could reshape FSU basketball, the action isn’t slowing down.

🔜 Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to cast your vote in today’s poll!

💬 What’s on your mind, ‘Nole Nation? Reply with your thoughts or drop a comment—your takes could be featured in the next edition!

🍢 Until next time, keep the Spear sharp and the war chant loud! 🔥🏹

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