Welcome to The Chief Brief!

In this edition, we celebrate the remarkable achievements of Florida State athletes on and off the field.

From breaking records and qualifying for the Olympics to excelling academically and securing top NFL draft prospects, FSU continues to shine.

🏃‍♀️ Olympic Qualifiers: Former Seminoles Lauren Ryan and Linden Hall have qualified for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, continuing FSU's legacy of excellence in track and field.

🏊‍♂️ Academic Honors: Seventeen FSU swimmers and divers have been named Scholar All-Americans by the CSCAA, showcasing their dedication both in the pool and in the classroom.

🏅 Academic and Athletic Excellence: FSU student-athletes have excelled academically, with 289 named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll, setting new records for GPA and APR.

🌟 NIL Partnership: Rising golf star Luke Clanton has joined The Battle’s End NIL collective, further enhancing his collegiate career at FSU.

🏈 Top NFL Prospects: FSU defensive ends Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr. are ranked among the top seven draft-eligible prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft by Phil Steele, highlighting FSU's strength in producing top-tier defensive talent.

🏈 Recruiting Big Board: Stay updated on FSU's recruiting targets with our comprehensive big board, featuring top prospects across various positions.

🏃‍♀️ Former Seminoles Lauren Ryan and Linden Hall Qualify for 2024 Olympics 🏃‍♀️

Lauren Ryan's Achievements:

• 10,000 Meters: Broke a 21-year-old national record with a time of 30:35.66 at The Ten in San Juan Capistrano, California.

• 5,000 Meters: Qualified by finishing second at the Australian National Championship.

• World Championships 2023: Placed 34th in the 5,000 meters.

• FSU Career (2019-22):

  • Two-time All-American

  • All-South Region in cross country

  • Holds indoor 5,000 (15:40.40) and outdoor 5,000 (15:30.00) program records

  • Set school record in the 3,000 meters (8:47.88), fourth-fastest in NCAA history

Linden Hall's Journey:

• 1,500 Meters: Qualified for her third Olympics.

• Commonwealth Games 2018: Placed fourth in the 1,500 meters.

• National Records: Holds records in the 1,500 meters (4:00.86) and the mile (4:21.40).

• Olympics 2020: Placed sixth in the women's 1,500 meters final.

• FSU Career (2012-15):

  • Three-time All-American

  • Contributed to the 2014 ACC indoor and outdoor team titles

FSU's Olympic Legacy:

• Ryan and Hall are the 59th and 60th Seminoles with ties to FSU track and field to compete in the Olympics.

• Five Seminoles will be in Paris, including Jeremiah Davis (USA), Adriaan Wildschutt (South Africa), and Kimberly Williams (Jamaica).

• Track and field events at the Paris Olympics will take place from August 1-11 at Stade de France.

Check out the full details here

🏊‍♂️ FSU Swimmers and Divers Honored as Scholar All-Americans 🏊‍♀️

Academic Excellence:

• The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) selected 17 Florida State student-athletes as Scholar All-Americans.

• Both the men's and women's teams earned Scholar All-America honors for Spring 2024, maintaining cumulative GPAs above 3.0.

Head Coach Neal Studd's Statement: "We had a great year in the pool and in the classroom," said FSU head coach Neal Studd. "These 17 achieved academic excellence while competing at the highest levels of our sport. I am very proud of both teams and of the work they put in this year."

First-Team Scholar All-America:

• Criteria: GPA of 3.5 or higher and participation in the national championship.

  • Maddy Huggins

  • Maysa Ratiu

  • Phoebe Griffiths

  • Sarah Evans

  • Tommaso Baravelli

  • Mason Herbet

  • David Vargas

  • Peter Varjasi

  • Jesco Helling

Second-Team Scholar All-America:

• Criteria: GPA of 3.5 or higher and meeting a "B" time standard for the national championship or qualifying for a diving zone meet.

  • Jessica Buntman

  • Julia Mansson

  • Kayleigh Clark

  • Sophie Freeman

  • Sydney Cole

  • Vivian Johnson

  • Sam Bork

  • Jaka Pusnik

🏅 FSU Student-Athletes Excel in Academics and Athletics 🏅

With all sports fully complete and the awards all distributed, we now know the total numbers on FSU’s Academic and Athletic performance.

Here are some highlights:

Nine Five-Time Honorees:

• Vic Allen (Women's Tennis)

• Cole Anderson (Men's Golf)

• Maddie Anderson (Beach Volleyball)

• Ryan Fitzgerald (Football)

• Devyn Flaherty, Kaley Mudge, Emma Wilson (Softball)

• Rachel Johnson (Women's Cross Country)

• Peter Varjasi (Men's Swimming)

ACC Academic Honor Roll:

• 289 Seminole student-athletes were named to the 2024 ACC Academic Honor Roll.

• Recognizes student-athletes with a GPA of 3.0 or better for the 2023-24 academic year.

Key Highlights:

• Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford praised the dedication of the student-athletes.

• FSU's athletic department set new records for semester GPA and cumulative GPA.

• The department earned a school record Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989 for 2022-23.

Team Achievements:

• Six teams had 20 or more honorees on the ACC Academic Honor Roll.

• Baseball team had 20 players named, including ACC Player of the Year James Tibbs III.

• Women's Golf team had a department-high GPA of 3.829.

• National Championship-winning soccer team earned a cumulative GPA of 3.375.

Notable Individual Achievements:

• Lottie Woad (Women's Golf): 2024 ACC Golfer of the Year, Augusta National Women's Amateur winner.

• Beata Olsson (Soccer): Named to the Honor Roll for the first time, starred in the National Championship game.

• Vic Allen (Women's Tennis): Graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA, led FSU to four NCAA Tournaments.

Read more here

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🌟 Luke Clanton Joins The Battle’s End NIL Collective 🌟

Emerging Talent

• Name: Luke Clanton

• Sport: Golf

• Achievements:

  • Placed in the top 10 of back-to-back PGA Tour events as an amateur

  • Key member of FSU golf team that reached NCAA Match Play Finals

  • Finished tied for second in individual stroke play at NCAA Finals

Announcement Details

• Date: Thursday evening

• Platform: The Battle’s End YouTube page

Collegiate and Amateur Success

• Rank: Second in the World Amateur Golf Rankings

• Recent Performances:

  • T-41 at the U.S. Open

  • T-10 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic

  • T-2 at the John Deere Classic

Future Goals

• Staying in School: Clanton has expressed his desire to continue his education and lead the Seminoles to a national championship.

• Professional Ambitions: While there is speculation about turning professional, Clanton remains committed to his collegiate goals.

Community Response

• Broad Support: The announcement received a positive reaction from members, fans, and athletes.

• Notable Welcomes: All-ACC football players Pat Payton and Shyheim Brown welcomed Luke to the TBE Family on Instagram.

Check out the full details here

🏈 Florida State Defensive Ends Projected as Top NFL Draft Picks 🏈

Recent Success

• Florida State has produced first-round defensive ends in two of the last three NFL Drafts.

Phil Steele's Preseason Evaluation

• College football expert Phil Steele ranks two FSU defensive ends in the top seven draft-eligible prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Top Ranked Defensive Ends

1. Patrick Payton

   • Position: Redshirt Junior

   • Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 254 pounds

   • Ranking: No. 5 on Steele’s list

   • Performance:

     • 2022 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year

     • 2023 Season: 44 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, and 10 pass breakups

     • Career: 75 tackles, 20.5 for loss, and 12 sacks in 27 games

2. Marvin Jones Jr.

   • Position: Georgia Transfer

   • Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 257 pounds

   • Ranking: No. 7 on Steele’s list

   • Background: Five-star prospect from high school, looking for a breakout season

Comparative Analysis

• Ohio State: Slightly ahead with J.T. Tuimoloau (No. 4) and Jack Sawyer (No. 6).

• Texas A&M: Nic Scourton (No. 3) and Shemar Stewart (No. 21).

FSU’s Defensive Legacy

• Jared Verse: 2024 first-round selection by the L.A. Rams

• Jermaine Johnson: 2022 first-round selection by the New York Jets

Potential Impact

• If Steele's predictions hold true, FSU could have the best defensive end tandem in the country, enhancing their defensive reputation and contributing significantly to the team's success.

Check out the full details here

🏈 Florida State Recruiting Big Board: Targeting Top Talent 🏈

QUARTERBACK

• Need: 1

• Committed: 1

• 4-star QB Tramell Jones Jr. (Jacksonville, FL)
  Secured his commitment after an official visit in June.

RUNNING BACK

• Need: 1-2

• Committed: 0

• Targets:

  • 4-star RB Byron Louis (Plantation, FL)

  • 4-star RB Ousmane Kromah (Leesburg, GA)

• Changes:

  • Removed: 4-star RB Alvin Henderson (Auburn), 4-star RB Iverson Howard (Maryland)

WIDE RECEIVER

• Need: 2-3

• Committed: 1

• 4-star WR CJ Wiley (Alpharetta, GA)

• Targets:

  • 5-star WR Kaliq Lockett (Sachse, TX)

  • 4-star WR Daylan McCutcheon (Lovejoy, TX)

  • 4-star WR Vernell Brown (Orlando, FL)

  • 4-star WR Dallas Wilson (Tampa, FL)

  • 4-star WR Malik Clark (Rock Hill, SC)

  • 4-star WR Koby Howard (Hollywood, FL)

• Changes:

  • Added: 4-star WR Malik Clark, 4-star WR Koby Howard

  • Removed: 5-star WR Caleb Cunningham, 4-star WR Joshua Moore

TIGHT END

• Need: 1-2

• Committed: 1

• 4-star TE Chase Loftin (Omaha, NE)

• Changes:

  • Removed: 5-star TE Elyiss Williams (Georgia), 3-star TE Hollis Davidson (Auburn)

OFFENSIVE LINE

• Need: 4-5

• Committed: 2

• 5-star iOL Solomon Thomas (Jacksonville, FL)

• 4-star iOL Peyton Joseph (Warner Robins, GA)

• Targets:

  • 5-star OT Josh Petty (GA)

  • 5-star OT Ty Haywood (TX)

• Changes:

  • Removed: Several 3-star and 4-star targets

DEFENSIVE END

• Need: 2-3

• Committed: 1

• 4-star Edge Javion Hilson (Cocoa, FL)

• Targets:

  • 4-star Edge Jared Smith (AL)

• Changes:

  • Removed: Several 3-star and 4-star targets

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

• Need: 2-3

• Committed: 2

• 4-star DT Myron Charles (Port Charlotte, FL)

• 4-star DT Kevin Wynn (Greene County, GA)

• Targets:

  • 5-star DT Justus Terry (GA)

  • 3-star DL Jeramiah McCloud (FL)

• Changes:

  • Removed: 3-star DT Jarquez Carter

LINEBACKER

• Need: 2-3

• Committed: 1

• 4-star LB Ethan Pritchard (Sanford, FL)

• Targets:

  • 4-star LB TJ Alford (FL)

  • 4-star LB Tavion Wallace (GA)

  • 4-star LB Ty Jackson (FL)

• Changes:

  • Removed: Several 3-star and 4-star targets

CORNERBACK

• Need: 2-3

• Committed: 1

• 4-star CB Zae Thomas (Plantation, FL)

• Targets:

  • 4-star CB Ben Hanks (FL)

  • 4-star CB Tony Williams (FL)

  • 4-star CB Onis Konanbanny (SC)

  • 4-star CB Jaboree Antoine (LA)

• Changes:

  • Added: 4-star CB Onis Konanbanny, 4-star CB Jaboree Antoine

  • Removed: Several 3-star targets

SAFETY

• Need: 1-2

• Committed: 1

• 3-star DB Max Redmon (Cardinal Newman, FL)

• Targets:

  • 4-star S Jordan Young (NC)

  • 4-star S Ladarian Clardy (FL)

  • 4-star S Bryce Fitzgerald (FL)

• Changes:

  • Added: 4-star S Ladarian Clardy, 4-star S Bryce Fitzgerald

  • Removed: Several 4-star targets

Stay tuned for more updates on the Florida State Recruiting Big Board as the Seminoles continue to build a powerhouse class for 2025.

Read more here

And that’s a wrap!

That's all for this edition of The Chief Brief! Stay tuned for more updates and stories about our amazing Seminoles.

Remember to keep the FSU spirit alive and support our athletes as they continue to excel on and off the field.

Go Noles!