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Yesterday’s Poll Results
Today’s Poll
What’s the bigger recruiting concern long-term?
🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹
Happy Thursday, Seminole.
Today’s edition is about momentum — where it’s building, where it’s being tested, and where it needs to hold.
There are tangible wins here: a long-awaited ACC home victory, national recognition across Olympic sports, and proof that Florida State talent still carries weight on the biggest stages. At the same time, the margins remain thin — whether it’s portal roster construction or early recruiting battles already drawing rival pressure.
Here’s the one-glance rundown before you dive in:
🏀 A needed breakthrough at home
FSU men’s basketball grinds out its first ACC home win, leaning on defense, bench production, and timely composure to close out Cal.
🏐 Standards upheld in volleyball
Four Seminoles earn All-ACC Academic honors, reinforcing that performance and discipline continue to travel together in the program.
⛳ National spotlight on Seminole golf
Tyler Weaver lands on the Ben Hogan Award Watch List, while Brooks Koepka makes a headline return to the PGA Tour — with multiple Noles in the field.
🏈 Portal math under the microscope
FSU’s offensive line overhaul earns a solid B — not flawless, but functional — as the staff stacks options to stabilize the trenches.
🧲 Recruiting pressure arrives early
FSU positions itself well with elite EDGE Santana Harvey, while moving quickly to steady four-star DB Mekhi Williams as rival attention ramps up.
Let’s get into it.
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🏀🔥 Noles Hold Off Cal for First ACC Home Win 🔥🏀
Defense, paint dominance, and timely answers sealed it.
Florida State men’s basketball edged California Golden Bears 63–61 Wednesday night at the Donald L. Tucker Center, picking up its first ACC home victory of the season.
🔥 Who Led It
Chauncey Wiggins: 18 points (13 in the first half; 3 threes)
Robert McCray V: 11 points, 4 assists; scored 7 after halftime
Lajae Jones: 8 rebounds, clutch FT + game-sealing board
📊 How FSU Won
Paint points: 32–14 advantage (16 each half)
Bench points: 15–6 (FSU bench has outscored every ACC opponent)
Held Cal to 23 first-half points — their fewest in a half this season
Weathered a late Cal lead, responded immediately
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU showed composure and physicality when it mattered — the exact formula this team needs to stack wins. The result moves the Noles to 9–12 overall, 2–6 ACC, and sets the tone heading into the next home test.
🏐🎓 Four Seminoles Earn All-ACC Academic Honors 🎓🏐
Excellence on the court — and in the classroom.
Four Florida State volleyball players were named to the All-ACC Academic Team, recognizing production, consistency, and academic achievement.
🔥 Honorees
Delaney Ewing — 3.60 GPA
Played every match; 143 kills, team-high 121 blocks
Kyleene Filimaua — 3.26 GPA
Team-leading 443 kills (8th-most in FSU history)
Second Team All-ACC; AVCA Southeast Region HM
Nenu Kpea — 3.60 GPA
Freshman standout: 195 kills, 117 blocks
One of just four FSU freshmen in 10 years with 100+ blocks
Johanna Sova — 3.70 GPA
Appeared in 21 matches; 28 kills, 44 blocks
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU volleyball continues to pair high-level performance with real academic standards — a reflection of program culture, not coincidence.
⛳⭐ Tyler Weaver Named to Ben Hogan Award Watch List ⭐⛳
Another Seminole golfer squarely in the national spotlight.
Florida State men’s golf standout Tyler Weaver was named to the 2026 Ben Hogan Award Watch List, one of just 35 players nationally — and 17 juniors — to earn the preseason recognition.
🔥 Why Weaver Made the Cut
Ranked No. 11 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings
Finished 4th at the Jones Cup (2-under, 142)
Winner of the 2025 Cabo Collegiate, earning a PGA Tour start
Competed in multiple elite events, including the U.S. Open (4th among amateurs) and Walker Cup
📊 Elite Company
One of seven ACC golfers on the list
FSU has produced two Ben Hogan Award winners:
Luke Clanton (2025)
John Pak (2021)
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⛳🏆 Brooks Koepka Returns to the PGA Tour 🏆⛳
A Seminole legend steps back onto golf’s biggest stage.
Florida State alum Brooks Koepka will tee it up on the PGA Tour this week, becoming the first player to return after leaving for LIV Golf four years ago.
🔥 Seminole Résumé
At FSU (2009–2012):
ACC Freshman of the Year (2009)
Three-time All-ACC
ACC Co-Player of the Year + Player of the Year (2012)
Five major championships (four from 2017–19; U.S. Open again in 2023)
Inducted into the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022
📺 Back in Action
Makes his PGA Tour return at the Farmers Insurance Open
Thursday, 12:32 p.m. ET on ESPN
🧠 Still Connected to FSU
Remains close with FSU coach Trey Jones
Played U.S. Open practice rounds with current Seminole Tyler Weaver this past summer
👀 More Seminoles in the Field
Hank Lebioda (12:54 p.m. ET)
Luke Clanton (2:11 p.m. ET)
🏈🧱 Portal Report Card: Offensive Line Gets a Necessary Reset 🧱🏈
Quantity met quality — with some risk baked in.
With 104 of 105 roster spots filled, Florida State used the transfer portal aggressively to rebuild its offensive line, adding five starters to stabilize a unit that had to change.
📊 The Additions (At a Glance)
Xavier Chaplin (Auburn) — experienced LT, bounce-back candidate
Chimdia Nwaiwu (Stephen F. Austin) — raw, long, high-upside swing piece
Nate Pabst (Bowling Green) — steady, durable, low-variance starter
Bradyn Joiner (Purdue) — interior flexibility; better at guard than center
Paul Bowling (Troy) — young, strong floor player with developmental limits
Each transfer started in 2025. Three have multi-year eligibility.
🧠 The Verdict
Pre-Portal Need: Extreme
Strategy: Blend veterans with developmental upside
Strength: Experience, versatility, sheer numbers
Concern: Most vets are buy-low, not ascenders
Overall Grade: B
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU didn’t land sure things — it stacked options. That’s the right move when elite portal linemen aren’t choosing Tallahassee. If Chaplin rebounds and Joiner slides inside effectively, this group can stabilize quickly. If not, the margin stays thin.
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🧲🔥 EDGE Santana Harvey Puts FSU Near the Top 🔥🧲
Early traction, real relationships, serious competition.
Four-star EDGE Santana Harvey is moving quickly through a crowded recruitment — and Florida State has positioned itself well early.
🔥 Why FSU Is in the Mix
6’5”, 225 lbs with elite length and upside
30+ scholarship offers already
Ranked No. 30 EDGE in the 2027 Rivals Industry Ranking
Recent campus visit left a strong impression
“I’m really high on Florida State,” Harvey said, citing time spent with Nick Williams and the program’s track record developing defensive ends.
📈 Relationship Momentum
Williams followed up the visit with a school stop
Official visit to Tallahassee expected
Clear development pitch resonating early
⚔️ Who Else Is Pushing
Georgia Bulldogs remains a major contender
Clemson, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas A&M also involved
Decision timeline: late June / early July
🧲⚔️ Recruiting Watch: FSU Moves to Steady Mekhi Williams ⚔️🧲
Rival pressure arrives early in the 2027 cycle.
Florida State is aiming high with its 2027 recruiting class, but early commitments are already drawing attention — especially from rivals.
One name to know: four-star safety Mekhi Williams out of Ruskin, Florida.
🔥 What Sparked the Noise
Williams has been committed to FSU since March 2025
Mario Cristobal visited Williams earlier this week
A social post featuring Miami’s hand sign raised eyebrows
Miami’s NIL reputation only adds to the tension
📍 FSU Responds
Mike Norvell met with Williams on Tuesday
Clear message: Florida State is staying active and present
This is about maintenance, not panic
🧠 Why It Matters
Early commitments don’t mean quiet recruitments — especially in rivalry territory. Williams is a priority piece in FSU’s 2027 class, and this one could require attention all the way to signing day as Miami Hurricanes keeps pushing.
In modern recruiting, momentum never rests — and neither can you.
And that’s a wrap!
Florida State keeps finding ways to move forward — stacking wins where it can, earning national respect where it counts, and managing pressure where it has to.
But nothing here is coasting.
Momentum has to be protected.
Depth has to be tested.
And recruiting never sleeps.
We’ll keep sorting what’s sustainable from what’s situational — clearly, honestly, and without the noise.
See you tomorrow.
— The Chief 🏹
