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Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Father’s Day, Seminole!

From five-star flips to under-the-radar Canadian finds, FSU’s week in recruiting and roster evaluation has been anything but quiet. Let’s break it all down:

🛡️ 5⭐ CB on Commitment Watch
FSU surges for elite cornerback Chauncey Kennon after his official visit, with a Crystal Ball now pointing toward the ‘Noles. If they land him, he’d be just the second five-star signed under Mike Norvell.

💥 Rosario Visits Hoops Program
Top-30 national basketball prospect Kohl Rosario hit campus — the highest-rated prep player hosted by new head coach Luke Loucks so far. The Malik Monk comparison? A bold one.

📍 7 New Official Visitors on Deck
The next wave of blue-chip recruits is already in Tallahassee — including a potential Oklahoma QB flip, two five-stars, and a few big defensive linemen.

🦵 Janikowski Finally Gets Hall of Fame Nod
It’s about time. Seabass headlines the latest College Football Hall of Fame ballot. No one kicked — or partied — like him.

🍁 FSU Offers Canadian RB Fortin
After missing on top RB Carsyn Baker, FSU pivoted to Charles Fortin — a big-bodied back from Quebec with some intriguing upside.

🧨 Castellanos Will Define the Norvell Era
Can Gus Malzahn unlock the full potential of Tommy Castellanos? If not, it could be a wrap for the Norvell regime in Tallahassee.

Let’s dive in 👇️ 

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🛡️ 5⭐ Cornerback Trending Toward the Noles 🛡️

Florida State may be on the verge of landing one of the top defenders in the entire 2026 class, with elite CB Chauncey Kennon trending toward Tallahassee following his official visit this weekend.

🔥 Who is Kennon?

⭐ Chauncey Kennon (5⭐ CB, Sarasota Booker)
• No. 27 overall prospect and No. 2 CB nationally
• Logged Crystal Ball prediction to FSU after weekend visit
• Previously visited Florida, Miami, and Georgia
• LSU visit coming next before July 6 commitment
• 33 tackles, 16 PBUs, 6 TDs (offense) last season

🔍 Scout’s Take:
Kennon is long, physical, and instinctive — a 6'1" corner with verified athleticism (4.5 40-yard dash, 6’2” high jump) and elite ball skills. Compared to Trayvon Mullen by 247’s Andrew Ivins, he projects as a press-man nightmare with NFL upside.

📈 Why it matters:
If FSU lands Kennon, he’d become just the second five-star signee under Mike Norvell (joining Hykeem Williams) and mark a major defensive recruiting milestone.

📅 Commitment Date: July 6

👉 Read the full scouting breakdown and Crystal Ball buzz here.

💥 FSU Hosts 4⭐ SG Kohl Rosario for Official Visit 💥

New head coach Luke Loucks is wasting no time chasing top talent — bringing four-star shooting guard Kohl Rosario to campus last weekend for an official visit. Rosario is the highest-rated high school prospect FSU has hosted since Loucks took over in March.

🌟 Why It Matters:
• Rosario is a top-30 national recruit with recent offers from Duke, UNC, Kansas & more
• He’s being pushed by multiple schools to reclassify to 2025 and enroll early

🏀 What Stood Out:
• “A lot of energy... attention to detail was good. They’ve got a strong culture,” Rosario said
• He was impressed by the coaches’ NBA ties and deep Florida State connections

🎥 Player Comparison:
Loucks compared Rosario’s role to NBA guard Malik Monk, showing how he’d fit in FSU’s up-tempo system through film breakdown.

🛫 Next Stops:
Rosario will visit Baylor, Duke, Kansas, and Texas A&M this month — but the ‘Noles made a strong first impression in a crowded race.

👉 Read more on Rosario’s recruitment here.

📍 7 More Recruits Arriving for Early-Week Official Visits 📍

As one wave of official visitors wraps up, Florida State is welcoming another batch of top-tier talent to Tallahassee starting Sunday — including a potential flip at quarterback and multiple five-star playmakers.

🔥 Names to Know:

💥 Jaden O’Neal (4⭐ QB, Oklahoma commit)
• FSU pushing to flip the strong-armed No. 14 QB nationally
• Already camped and visited multiple times
• Arizona also in the mix

🌟 Derrek Cooper (5⭐ RB, Chaminade-Madonna)
• One of the nation’s top athletes; Miami trending
• Visiting FSU after stops at Bama, UGA, Auburn, and Miami
• Next up: Ohio State

🚀 Calvin Russell (5⭐ WR, Miami Northwestern)
• 6'5" two-sport star with deep basketball ties
• Miami, Florida, LSU, Oregon all in the race
• Decision expected July 5

📈 Madden Williams (4⭐ WR, Texas A&M commit)
• Committed to the Aggies but visiting FSU again
• Recent visits: Washington, Arizona State
• 50 catches, 851 yards, 13 TDs last year

🛡️ Keysaun Eleazer (3⭐ Edge, Southeast Raleigh)
• 6'5" frame and strong motor
• Visited FSU in March; previously at Stanford, Tennessee, GT, NC State

🎯 Katrell Webb (3⭐ Edge, Collins Hill)
• Former camp attendee and offer in 2023
• Recent visits: Miss. State, Stanford, Purdue, Indiana

🧱 James Johnson (4⭐ DL, Miami Northwestern)
• Elite DL prospect with visits to UGA, Miami, Florida
• FSU offered last August after a visit
• Syracuse and Texas are also in the hunt

👀 Bottom Line:
This group brings serious star power. With multiple flip candidates and elite targets, it’s a huge stretch for FSU to shape the 2026 class.

👉 Full breakdown and visit schedule here.

💥 Janikowski Nominated for College Football Hall of Fame 💥

Sebastian Janikowski, the most electrifying kicker in college football history, is finally up for enshrinement in the College Football Hall of Fame — and it’s about time.

A two-time Lou Groza Award winner and cornerstone of FSU’s 1999 national title team, Janikowski was as much a spectacle as he was a weapon. Whether booming 55-yarders or launching kickoffs through the end zone like a missile, “Seabass” turned routine special teams moments into jaw-dropping events.

🦵 The Janikowski Effect:
• Only two-time Groza Award winner
• First-round NFL Draft pick (and still the only kicker to leave college early)
• 3-for-3 with a 54-yarder vs. Florida in 1999
• 20-year NFL career after dominating in Tallahassee
• Once had “international rules” under Bowden

From splitting duties as a freshman to doing the Gator Chomp in Gainesville after a 54-yard bomb, Janikowski’s career was as legendary as it was unconventional.

It’s not a question of if he belongs — it’s why he isn’t already in.

👉️ Why his College Football Hall of Fame nomination feels long overdue

🍁 FSU Offers Canadian RB Charles Fortin 🍁 

Florida State became the first program to offer 2026 running back Charles Fortin — a 6-foot-1, 210-pound bruiser originally from Montreal who recently worked out in front of Mike Norvell and RB coach David Johnson at FSU’s summer camp.

The timing is notable. Just days earlier, top RB target Carsyn Baker committed to Florida, and FSU continues to fend off other schools for current commit Amari Thomas. With longshots remaining at the top of the board, the Seminoles are clearly reshuffling.

Fortin isn’t yet ranked by 247Sports but shows solid size and movement on tape. He lists a 4.60 40-yard dash and now plays at Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy in Quebec after time at Bishop McNamara (MD). The offer appears to be both a bet on upside — and a precautionary move as FSU shores up its future at RB.

🔍 Why this under-the-radar offer could matter more than it looks →

🧨 Tommy Castellanos Could Make—or Break—FSU’s 2025 Season 🧨

It’s simple: If quarterback Tommy Castellanos thrives in his reunion with Gus Malzahn, Mike Norvell likely buys himself more time. If not, the Norvell Era may be on borrowed time.

Castellanos, who previously worked with Malzahn at UCF, has the tools — but will need to clean up key areas to lead a functional offense in Tallahassee.

🚨 3 Areas That Must Improve:

1️⃣ Sack Rate Woes
• Ranked 147th nationally in Sack Rate (10.7%) in 2024
• Took sacks on 63.6% of pressures on 3rd-and-short — dead last in FBS
• Decision-making, OL breakdowns, and overextending plays all played a role
🔍 Bottom Line: Sacks kill drives. Castellanos must protect himself and the sticks.

2️⃣ Rediscovering His Run Game
• Led CFB in QB rushing yards (622) on designed runs in 2023
• Usage, effectiveness, and YPC cratered under BC’s system in 2024
• Pull concepts & horizontal motion were nearly abandoned
🔁 Malzahn must re-implement power/counter runs to unlock his explosive traits.

3️⃣ Deep Ball Development
• Adjusted Completion % on 20+ yard throws jumped from 32.9% → 37.1%
• NFL Passer Rating on deep throws more than doubled
• Even removing an FCS game, Castellanos leapt from 143rd → 33rd in FBS deep rating
🚀 If he maintains this deep-ball efficiency in 2025, it opens up the entire offense.

🎯 What’s at Stake:
With Malzahn dialing up deep shots often and an offense that thrives on QB mobility, Castellanos is either going to flourish as a Top 25 FBS QB—or take the Norvell regime down with him.

👉 Read the full QB scouting report from Noles247 here.

And that’s a wrap!

That’s it for today’s edition of The Chief Brief — where five-star buzz, legendary legs, and quarterback make-or-break seasons collide.

If Chauncey Kennon commits, if Tommy Castellanos delivers, and if Janikowski finally gets his Hall of Fame jacket… it could be a wild few months for Seminole Nation.

Until next time —
stay sharp, stay dialed, and as always:

Go Noles 🍢

– Chief