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Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Saturday, Seminole!

Big moves, big hires, and big storylines shaping Florida State this week:

🥍 Lacrosse building a winner from Day 1 – FSU lands national champion Rachel Clark as the newest member of its inaugural staff.

🏈 Recruiting stays red hot – The ‘Noles are making a push for LSU commit DeAnthony Lafayette and await a key decision from OT Da’Ron Parks.

🔥 Summer standouts emerging – Insiders rave about new weapons on offense like Squirrel White and Ousmane Kromah, while the defense looks deeper with Jayson Jenkins trending toward an impact role.

📖 Norvell & Malzahn: Full circle – How a grad assistant opportunity in 2007 with Gus Malzahn set Mike Norvell on the path to FSU—and now they’re reunited to spark the offense.

From the field to the recruiting trail, we’ve got you covered on everything Seminoles as camp inches closer.

Let’s dive in. 👇

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🥍✨ FSU Lacrosse Adds National Champion Rachel Clark to Inaugural Staff ✨🥍

Florida State women’s lacrosse is wasting no time building a championship-caliber culture. Head coach Sara Tisdale announced the hiring of 2024 national champion Rachel Clark as an assistant coach, rounding out the program’s inaugural staff ahead of its first season in the spring.

💥 Why Clark Is a Big-Time Hire

• 2025 ACC Attacker of the Year & four-time First-Team All-ACC selection

• Member of Team USA, winning national & ACC championships

• Set Boston College’s single-season record with 106 goals, finishing her career with 311 goals & 380 points

• One of only four players nationwide with 75+ goals & 20+ assists in 2024

💥 What She Brings to Tallahassee

• NCAA Tournament veteran with a knack for big-game moments (21 postseason points in 2024)

• Prior coaching experience with youth and elite-level programs, focusing on individual player development

• Recruiting connections and firsthand ACC experience that will help attract top talent

🎯 Big Picture
Clark joins Tisdale and associate head coach MacKenzie Plaskey in building Florida State’s first-ever women’s lacrosse program. With a national champion and All-American pedigree now on staff, FSU is signaling it intends to compete with the ACC’s elite right out of the gate.

👉 Full breakdown of Clark’s hire + what it means for FSU lacrosse here.

🏈🔥 FSU Still in the Mix for LSU Commit DeAnthony Lafayette 🔥🏈

LSU may have secured a verbal commitment from four-star pass rusher DeAnthony Lafayette just two weeks ago, but his recruitment isn’t closed—and Florida State is making things interesting.

💥 Where Things Stand

• Committed to LSU over Oklahoma and other SEC powers

• Still in touch with OU, who finished second in his recruitment

• New FSU offer last week has his attention

• Georgia Tech also remains in light contact

💬 Lafayette on FSU’s Pitch

💥 Upcoming Visits

• Plans to return to LSU for at least one game this fall

• Expected to check out Oklahoma again

• A likely FSU visit is now on the table, though not yet scheduled

🎯 Big Picture
While Lafayette says he’s “100% confident” in LSU, he’s clearly still exploring his options. FSU’s late offer—and its appealing JACK linebacker role—could give the Seminoles a shot to flip one of Florida’s top defensive prospects before signing day.

👉 Full update on Lafayette’s recruitment + how FSU plans to stay in the race here.

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🏈🔥 FSU Summer Standouts: Offense Showing Promising Signs Ahead of Camp 🔥🏈

With preseason camp just a week away, Noles247 checked in with team insiders to see who’s making noise for Florida State’s offense after summer workouts.

💥 WR Squirrel White is Back

• Tennessee transfer Squirrel White is reportedly full go after rehabbing a lingering knee injury.

• Described as a “home-run threat we’ve never had under Norvell,” with speed even faster than Pokey Wilson.

• His ability to stretch the field could open up running lanes and add a new vertical dimension to the offense.

💥 Freshman Buzz

• RB Ousmane Kromah is drawing rave reviews—called “a freak” and “a beautiful-looking player”—but coaches are tempering expectations until pads come on.

• WR Jayvan Boggs is a “silent assassin” who consistently gets open; not a game-changer yet, but has impressed enough to potentially leapfrog veterans.

• TE Chase Loftin continues to flash athleticism as a flex TE/WR hybrid.

💥 Veteran RB Depth

• Gavin Sawchuk could carve out a real role this season.

• Kam Davis has reshaped his body and is trending up heading into camp.

💥 Tight End Room

• Randy Pittman has emerged as the “dirty work” guy who sets the tone with effort and toughness.

• Coaches like all four scholarship TEs, each expected to have a defined role.

💥 Offensive Line Outlook

• Optimism around the individual talent, but the focus is on how the pieces mesh together.

• C Luke Petitbon and OT Micah Pettus lead the way among starters.

• Key depth pieces: Andre Otto and Jacob Rizy—the latter coming off a strong rehab.

• Big prove-it year for Lucas Simmons and Jonathan Daniels to secure backup spots.

• New name to watch: Josh Raymond, a redshirt freshman transfer who’s picked up the system quickly.

👉 Full offensive summer scoop + what it means heading into camp here.

🏈🔥 FSU Defensive Summer Standouts: New Faces, Untapped Potential & Key Health Updates 🔥🏈

With preseason camp a week away, Noles247 insiders shared what they’re seeing on the defensive side of the ball—and it’s a mix of optimism, intrigue, and a few lingering questions.

💥 DE Jayson Jenkins Trending Toward an Impact Role

• Tennessee transfer Jayson Jenkins continues to impress with his work ethic and recovery.

• Still on track to return within the first month of the season.

• Staff raves about his NFL-level ability and relentless push to get back to full strength.

💥 Defensive Line Outlook

• Darrell Jackson locked in as a starter; insiders say he has the tools to become one of FSU’s most talented DTs ever—if he puts it all together.

• Daniel Lyons favored to start next to Jackson inside; coming off a strong summer after missing most of spring.

• James Williams stepping into a bigger every-down role after being mostly a pass-rush specialist.

• Deamontae Diggs viewed as the most consistent pure speed rusher off the edge.

• Potential depth impact from Amaree Williams (transitioned from offense this spring) & Jaden Jones (finally healthy after long-term knee recovery).

💥 Linebacker Rotation

• Expect 5–6 linebackers to rotate depending on opponent/scheme.

• Core five: Elijah Herring, Justin Cryer, Omar Graham, Blake Nichelson, Stefon Thompson.

• Cryer & Thompson highlighted as locker room leaders and tone-setters.

💥 Secondary Shakeup

• Top CB trio: Jeremiah Wilson (standing out with an edge), Ja’Bril Rawls (healthy after minor summer injury), Quindarrius Jones.

• Safety rotation: Earl Little Jr. at Rover, Edwin Joseph at field safety, Shyheim Brown at boundary.

• KJ Kirkland & Conrad Hussey are next in line for rotational reps.

• Joseph & Little Jr. earning praise for their mindset & upside—Little especially being groomed as a future star.

💥 Coaching Impact

• New analyst Zach Arnett has been a big addition, bringing deeper insight into Tony White’s 3-high safety system and helping streamline defensive installs.

🎯 Big Picture
The defense is healthy, deeper, and versatile heading into camp, but there’s a clear emphasis on unlocking untapped potential—especially along the D-line. Jenkins’ return, Jackson’s consistency, and Diggs’ edge speed could define how disruptive this group becomes in 2025.

👉 Full defensive summer scoop + what it means for camp here.

🏈✨ How Mike Norvell’s Big Break Came From Gus Malzahn ✨🏈

Before he was Florida State’s head coach, before the ACC titles and top-10 rankings, Mike Norvell was just another young assistant trying to catch a break in the college football world. That break? It came in 2007, thanks to none other than his now-offensive coordinator, Gus Malzahn.

💥 The Backstory

• Norvell was fresh out of Central Arkansas, where he played WR and spent one season as a GA.

• Malzahn had just landed at Tulsa as offensive coordinator, needing a new graduate assistant after Rhett Lashlee briefly stepped away from football.

• A mutual connection—a UCA alum—recommended Norvell, setting up the interview that would change his career.

💥 The Leap of Faith

• Malzahn needed a GA who could grind, signal plays, and learn fast.

• Norvell, nervous but determined, told him exactly what he wanted to hear:

• He turned down an actual position coach job at UCA to take the GA spot—knowing it was a path to grow under one of the sport’s sharpest offensive minds.

💥 The All-Nighter Before Spring Ball

• Hired on a Friday with Tulsa’s spring practice starting Tuesday, Norvell got Lashlee’s playbook and locked himself in a classroom for days.

• He even stood in front of a mirror practicing Malzahn’s signals so he wouldn’t look lost on Day 1.

💥 First Practice, First Compliment

• Norvell blended in so seamlessly at Tulsa’s first spring practice that staffers assumed he had played for Malzahn before.

• He and Malzahn would go on to help Tulsa post record-breaking offensive numbers over the next two seasons.

🎯 Big Picture
That mad dash to impress Malzahn 18 years ago set Norvell on the path that would eventually lead him to running his own powerhouse program—and now, the two are reunited at FSU looking to create even bigger offensive fireworks.

👉 Full story on Norvell & Malzahn’s early connection + how it shapes FSU’s 2025 offense here.

And that’s a wrap!

Next week, the spotlight shifts fully to preseason camp as the ‘Noles officially hit the practice fields and prep for the Alabama showdown at Doak. Expect more insider buzz, injury updates, and recruiting dominoes to drop in the days ahead.

Until then, stay locked in. One month out from kickoff—let’s make it count.

— The Chief Brief Team