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Yesterday’s Poll Results
Today’s Poll
Which retention win changes the outlook the most?
🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹
TGIF, Seminole! Today is the opening of the one and only portal period. With positions coaches signing on the dotted line and retaining some of our own studs, we’ve got a loaded edition for you.
🏀📉 FSU Women Fall at Syracuse 📉🏀
A late rally showed real fight, but early deficits proved too much as the Seminoles dropped another ACC road test in the Dome.
🧠🏈 FSU Finalizes Its New Front Office Model 🏈🧠
John Garrett officially steps in as GM, signaling a full NFL-style shift in how FSU builds, evaluates, and retains its roster.
📊🏈 Taylor Edwards Joins Player Personnel Leadership 🏈📊
A major addition with SEC and CFP experience as FSU continues stacking infrastructure behind the scenes.
🔥🏈 Duce Robinson Locks In for 2026 🏈🔥
FSU’s most explosive offensive weapon returns, stabilizing the passing game and raising the ceiling heading into next season.
🧠🏈 Ernie Sims Set to Take Over Linebackers Room 🏈🧠
A Seminole legend steps into a key coaching role during a critical defensive reset.
🔒🏈 Landen Thomas Reverses Course, Returns to FSU 🏈🔒
A huge retention win that prevents a total reset at tight end and lowers portal urgency at the position.
🦶🏈 FSU Punter Mac Chiumento Enters the Portal 🏈🦶
A quiet but meaningful departure after an efficient, low-volume season on special teams.
🧭🏈 Portal Primer: How FSU Is Positioned as the Window Opens 🏈🧭
With no spring window and a two-week January sprint, we break down the key targets, visit timelines, and pressure points that will define this cycle.
Is This The Next Billion-Dollar A.I Acquisition?
Google acquired Nest for $3.2 billion.
Amazon bought Ring for over $1 billion.
Each move was a calculated bet on the future of connected living.
Now, Apple is entering the smart home war—launching Face ID-powered smart locks and in-home displays hubs. As the giants race to dominate the $158B smart home market, one critical category remains wide open… and ripe for innovation:
Smart window shades.
It’s the most boring thing in your home—and the biggest opportunity. From apartments to offices to hotels, shades cover billions of windows—and yet, not one major player has owned this space. Until now – meet RYSE.
This startup is leading the charge in smart shade automation with patented technology that works with any window shade or blind—turning it smart in minutes.
And the traction is real:
💡 10 granted patents protecting their IP
📈 Over $15M in lifetime revenue
🚀 200% YoY growth
Just like how Ring reinvented doorbells and Nest reimagined thermostats, RYSE is defining the future of smart shades—and could be the next prime acquisition in a trillion-dollar ecosystem.
🏀📉 FSU Women Fall at Syracuse Despite Late Push 📉🏀
Florida State showed fight late but couldn’t erase an early deficit, falling 82–72 at Syracuse on Thursday night.
🔥 Standout Performances
Sole Williams led all Seminoles with 21 points, two shy of her career high
Emma Risch added 15 points on 4-of-? from three, spacing the floor all night
Allie Kubek chipped in 12 points, including a clutch late three
Jasmine Shavers fueled the defense with 5 steals, tying her career high, plus 10 points
🧠 What Made the Difference
Syracuse built separation early and controlled the game for most of three quarters
FSU forced 20 turnovers (16 steals) and cut the deficit to two points late, but couldn’t get over the hump
The Orange closed it out at the free-throw line in the final minute
⏭️ What’s Next
FSU drops to 5–10 (0–3 ACC)
The Seminoles return home to host Virginia on Sunday, Jan. 4 at 2:00 p.m. (ACC Network)
🏈🧠 FSU Formalizes Front Office Model with John Garrett as GM 🧠🏈
Florida State has officially put structure behind its offseason overhaul.
🔥 The Hire
John Garrett has been named General Manager of Player Personnel
Will work alongside Mike Norvell to lead roster construction under a new front-office model
📋 What Garrett Controls
Per FSU, the GM role will oversee:
High school recruiting strategy
Transfer portal acquisition and retention
Scholarship allocation
Long-term roster and personnel planning
This formalizes a clear split between football operations and on-field coaching.
🎯 What Still Belongs to Norvell
Player development
Game preparation
Culture
On-field performance
FSU emphasized that Norvell retains ultimate authority, including final say if football ops and the coaching staff disagree on a personnel decision.
🧠 Why This Matters
NIL, recruiting analytics, and player evaluation are now centralized into one framework
Designed to improve efficiency, alignment, and compliance in the modern portal/NIL era
Signals FSU is moving toward an NFL-style roster management model, not just reacting year-to-year
🏈📊 FSU Adds Taylor Edwards to Player Personnel Leadership 📊🏈
Florida State continues building out its new front-office structure with another key hire.
🔥 The Move
Taylor Edwards has been hired as Director of Football & Player Acquisition
Will work closely with GM John Garrett and Mike Norvell in a leadership role
Central focus: player evaluation, recruiting, portal acquisition, and retention
🧠 Why This Matters
Edwards is a 13-year personnel veteran with deep SEC and regional experience
Most recently served at Miami, helping assemble a CFP semifinal roster
Previously led personnel/recruiting efforts at South Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, and Alabama
📈 Track Record That Stands Out
South Carolina (2021–24):
29 wins, three bowl trips
2024 team won nine games with four ranked wins
Multiple All-Americans and record-setting freshman honors
Maryland: Helped land a Top-20 recruiting class
Arkansas: Part of a Top-25 recruiting haul
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🏈🔥 Duce Robinson Returning for Senior Season at FSU 🔥🏈
Florida State just locked in one of the most important pieces of its 2026 offense.
🔥 The News
Duce Robinson announced he will return to Florida State for his senior season
Forgoes the 2026 NFL Draft after a dominant first year in Tallahassee
📊 A Historic 2025 Season
Robinson didn’t just produce — he rewrote expectations:
First-team All-ACC (most votes of any player)
Biletnikoff Award semifinalist
56 catches, 1,081 yards, 6 TDs
FSU’s first 1,000-yard receiver since 2019
14th 1,000-yard season in program history
📈 Elite Efficiency & Explosiveness
19.3 yards per catch (2nd in ACC)
Ranked 9th nationally in receiving yards
Five 120-yard games — most among P4 receivers
ACC leader in:
20+ yard catches (17)
30+ yard catches (12)
40+ yard catches (6)
💥 Signature Performances
vs. East Texas A&M:
5 catches, 173 yards, 2 TDs
82-yard TD (FSU’s longest play of 2025)
160 yards in one quarter — most nationally in 2025
Big games vs. Clemson, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech
Averaged 102.8 yards per game in ACC play — best in the conference
🧠 Why This Changes Everything
FSU isn’t just getting a proven WR1 back, it’s retaining the most explosive receiver in the ACC at a time when offensive continuity matters most. Robinson’s return stabilizes the passing game, raises the ceiling of the offense, and gives the Seminoles a legitimate conference-defining weapon heading into 2026.
🏈🧠 Ernie Sims Expected to Take Over as FSU Linebackers Coach 🧠🏈
Florida State is set to keep things in-house at linebacker — and lean into Seminole DNA.
🔥 The Move
Ernie Sims is expected to be promoted to primary linebackers coach, replacing John Papuchis
Promotion has been confirmed by multiple sources
Sims joined FSU in April 2024 and has quickly risen through the staff
🧭 Coaching Path to This Moment
2024: Defensive analyst at FSU
2025: Assistant linebackers coach
Prior stops:
UCF (2023) — coached Jason Johnson to First-Team All-Big 12 (114 tackles)
USF (2020–22) — linebackers coach, later interim DC
FAU (2018–19) — strength & conditioning, then football operations
🧠 Why This Makes Sense
Proven LB development background
Familiar with Tony White’s defensive structure
Already embedded in the program during a major defensive reset
Maintains continuity during portal season
🌟 Seminole Legend Credentials
Tallahassee native (North Florida Christian)
No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2003
FSU career:
27 wins, 2 ACC titles
First-Team All-American (2004)
200 tackles, 21 TFL, 7 sacks
No. 9 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft
Eight-year NFL career (Lions, Eagles, Colts, Cowboys)
623 tackles, multiple impact seasons
Returned to FSU to earn his degree in 2018
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🏈🔒 TE Landen Thomas Reverses Course, Will Return to FSU 🔒🏈
Florida State just avoided a complete reset at tight end.
🔥 The News
Landen Thomas is now expected to return to Florida State for the 2026 season after previously announcing plans to enter the Transfer Portal
Source confirmed to Noles247
🧠 Why This Is Big
FSU was on track to lose all of its 2025 tight end production
Thomas’ return stabilizes a position that had quietly become a portal must-fix
Keeps a former blue-chip talent in-house during a critical roster rebuild
📊 Thomas at FSU
2025 Season
Played in all 12 games
3 catches, 35 yards, 2 touchdowns
2-yard TD vs. Kent State
25-yard TD vs. Pitt
2024 (True Freshman)
Played in all 12 games, started final seven
14 catches, 173 yards, 1 TD
Added a 2-point conversion vs. Florida
First career catch: 20-yard TD at SMU
🧬 Development Context
6’4”, 234 lbs
Former Top247 prospect
Flipped to FSU from Georgia in the 2024 class
Will have three years to play two
🔍 Big Picture
This doesn’t eliminate the need for portal help at tight end — but it dramatically lowers the urgency. Instead of starting from zero, FSU now has a known, developed piece to build around while supplementing the room strategically.
🏈🦶 FSU Punter Mac Chiumento Enters Transfer Portal 🦶🏈
Florida State is losing its starting punter after a standout, low-volume season.
📌 The Basics
Mac Chiumento, redshirt junior punter, is entering the NCAA Transfer Portal
One year of eligibility remaining
Graduated from FSU in spring 2025 (Economics)
📊 2025 Snapshot
Starting punter and FSU Special Teams MVP
27 punts total (fewest in program history)
44.0 yards per punt
13 punts inside the 20
6 punts of 50+ yards
Just 1 touchback
Also handled holding duties
🧠 Context That Matters
FSU punted only 28 times all season — and did not punt in three games, the most by any team nationally over the past 20 years
Chiumento was efficient, reliable, and largely untested due to offensive production
His departure creates a quiet but real offseason need at a specialist position
🏈🧭 Portal Primer: How FSU Is Positioned as the Window Opens 🧭🏈
With the transfer portal officially opening January 2–16, Florida State is set up to be one of the most active programs in the country and the early board is already taking shape.
This cycle is different by design. With the spring portal window eliminated, this is the offseason window. Add in a newly installed front-office structure and a clear sense of roster urgency, and FSU’s approach is aggressive, targeted, and time-sensitive.
🔥 How the Portal Works (2026 Rules Snapshot)
Window: January 2–16 (two weeks only)
Exceptions:
Coaching changes → 15-day window
CFP teams playing Jan. 12+ → 5 days after final game
No spring window — all movement happens now
Every visit, offer, and decision carries more weight than ever.
🔥 Quarterback: Still the Domino Position
FSU is expected to add at least one starting-caliber QB, with depth also a concern.
Names firmly in play
Colton Joseph (Old Dominion) — Early favorite, but Georgia Tech momentum has complicated things
Anthony Colandrea (UNLV) — Three-year starter, dual-threat profile fits the Malzahn mold
Monitoring
Mason McKenzie (Saginaw Valley State) — Fast-rising small-school QB drawing P4 attention
QB remains the position most likely to dictate the pace of the entire portal cycle.
🏃 Running Back: Volume, Explosion, Options
FSU is casting a wide net here.
Top names
CJ Baxter (Texas) — Former FSU commit; injuries cloud recent tape, but mutual interest exists
Peyton Lewis (Tennessee) — Speed back with home-run ability; visits trending elsewhere for now
Cam Cook (Jacksonville State) — Nation’s leading rusher (1,659 yards), heavy competition expected
Depth and durability are the priorities.
🎯 Wide Receiver: Production + Return Value
This board blends upside with special teams impact.
Key targets
Corey Scott (West Florida) — D2 standout (1,000+ yards), Power Four interest rising
Iverson Hooks (UAB) — 72–927–7 season; FSU among many suitors
Xavier Townsend (Iowa State) — Familiarity with Malzahn/T. Harris Jr.; return-game value stands out
Expected visit early in the window
🧩 Tight End: Familiarity Matters
Kylan Fox (UCF) — Strong Malzahn/Norvell ties, high mutual interest
Brayden Loftin (Kansas State) — Reliable blocker, family connection to FSU
This position feels selective rather than volume-based.
🧱 Offensive Line: A Must-Hit Area
One of FSU’s clearest needs.
High-priority targets
Shadre Hurst (Tulane) — One of the top guards in the portal; competition will be fierce
Ben Murawski (UConn) — 6’7”, 335 lbs, 75.7 PFF; visit expected
Bryant Williams (Louisiana) — 11-game starter; FSU viewed as well-positioned
OV expected Jan. 3–4
🛡️ Defensive Line & Edge: Power and Disruption
Interior
John Walker (UCF) — High mutual interest, deep FSU ties
OV expected Jan. 3
Michai Boireau (Florida) — SEC starter, expensive, interest unclear
Ezra Christensen (New Mexico State) — Productive G6 DT, stiff competition
Edge
Chaz Coleman (Penn State) — Flashed elite upside; Ohio State looms large
🧠 Linebacker: Experience Is the Theme
FSU needs instant contributors.
Names to watch
Mekhi Mason (Louisiana Tech) — Trending hard; elite tackler with coverage ability
Chris Jones (Southern Miss) — 133 tackles in 2025; Ole Miss visit scheduled
Keaton Thomas (Baylor) — All-Big 12 vet; Jacksonville native
Robert Woodyard (Auburn) — 80.1 PFF grade; SEC-tested
🔒 Defensive Back: Visits Will Tell the Story
Corners
Jaquez White (Troy) — One of the top G5 CBs; mutual interest
Nehemiah Chandler (South Alabama) — 77.4 PFF; plans to visit FSU Jan. 2
Bo Mascoe (Rutgers) — Two-year starter; early contact only so far
And that’s a wrap!
FSU just formalized an NFL-style roster model, the portal window is only two weeks (Jan. 2–16), and the early board is already loaded with names that can swing the entire 2026 season.
This isn’t a slow-burn offseason anymore — it’s a sprint.
And the first few visits are going to tell us exactly how real this new “front office” era is.
Have a safe New Year’s weekend, enjoy the reset… and buckle up — because portal season starts now.
— Chief
