Forwarded this email from a friend? Subscribe at the button below

Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy hump day, Seminole!

Florida State continues to dominate across all fronts — academic excellence, recruiting momentum, and the trenches.

🏌️‍♀️ Woad & Williams earn Academic All-District honors as FSU golf cements its place among the NCAA’s elite — on and off the green.

🥎 Torres & Harp make FSU history with back-to-back Academic All-America nods, leading a softball program that’s crushing it at the plate and in the classroom.

🏖️ Beach volleyball adds three more Academic All-District honorees, including Elite 90 winner Carra Sassack, as Durish and Koenig train for Team USA.

🦁 Legacy linebacker Noah LaVallee commits to FSU, joining his brother and strengthening the ‘Noles’ linebacker pipeline.

💥 Four-star DT Tico Crittendon pledges to the Garnet and Gold — canceling his Tennessee visit and adding to Coach Knighton’s growing D-line stable.

🌀 Edge rusher Katrell Webb raves about the FSU brotherhood and is trending toward the ‘Noles ahead of a final decision.

It’s a big week for big wins — and more fireworks could be on the way.

Let’s get into it ⬇️

Shop Cornbread Hemp products for daily wellness, moments of delight, & everything in between.

The good life looks different for everyone, so Cornbread crafts products that make well-rounded wellness easy and accessible. Their Three R’s—Relief, Relaxation, and Revelry—support your physical, mental, and social well-being, inside and out. Their premium hemp products from beverages and gummies, to topicals and tinctures, come from a brand that offers:

🌿 Full Spectrum Hemp — The cornerstone of our wellness offerings

🌱 All-Natural Ingredients — No synthetics, artificials, or additives

🌾 Kentucky-Grown — Honoring 250 years of hemp heritage

🛠 Vertically Integrated — Quality assurance from seed to shelf

👨‍👩‍👧 Family-Owned — Built on trust, values, and integrity

🤝 Exceptional Customer Experience — Hospitality meets high standards

🏌️‍♀️ Woad & Williams Earn Academic All-District Honors 🏌️‍♀️

Florida State women’s golf continues its dominant run — on and off the course — with Lottie Woad and Kaylah Williams named to the 2025 CSC Academic All-District team. It’s the second time both Seminoles have earned the prestigious academic nod, and Woad is now a finalist for Academic All-America honors.

🎓 Academic Excellence:
• Both athletes helped FSU to a program-best 3rd-place NCAA finish and first-ever ACC title
• Each maintains a GPA above 3.50 and has earned multiple Academic Dean’s/President’s List distinctions
• Woad: Academic All-America finalist; multiple WCGA and ACC academic honors
• Williams: WGCA All-American Scholar (3x); 7× Dean’s List selection

⛳ Career Highlights:
• Lottie Woad
→ No. 1 golfer in FSU history (70.42 career avg)
→ 5× First-Team All-American | 2024 Augusta National Amateur Champion
→ Top-10 NCAA finishes in 2024 (2nd) & 2025 (8th)
→ 2024 ACC Golfer of the Year

• Kaylah Williams
→ Top-20 all-time stroke average at FSU
→ 7 career match play wins (tied for school record)
→ 4× NCAA Championship participant
→ Graduated with degree in psychology

🏆 Bottom Line:
Woad and Williams are the definition of student-athletes — delivering on the course, in the classroom, and in the program’s history books.

👉 Full list of academic honors and golf achievements here.

🥎 Torres & Harp Named Academic All-Americans 🥎

Florida State softball continues to set the standard — not just on the field, but in the classroom — as Isa Torres and Kennedy Harp were named CSC Second Team Academic All-Americans on Tuesday. FSU was the only ACC school to earn multiple selections.

📚 Historic Achievement:
• First time in program history with back-to-back seasons of multiple Academic All-Americans
• Torres and Harp are the 11th & 12th Seminoles ever to earn the prestigious honor
• Follow last year’s honorees: Devyn Flaherty and Kaley Mudge

💥 On the Field:
• Isa Torres:
→ .436 AVG (FSU record) | 95 hits (3rd-most in program history)
→ 9 HR | 45 RBI | Consensus First Team All-American (NFCA, SA, D1Softball)
→ 3.56 GPA | Major: Media & Communications

• Kennedy Harp:
→ .412 AVG | 9 HR | 49 RBI | 15 SB | 10 triples (2nd-most in FSU history)
→ FSU record: RBI in 10 straight games
→ 3.78 GPA | Major: Digital Production

🔑 Bottom Line:
Torres and Harp lit up the stat sheet while earning elite academic recognition — a rare combination that underscores FSU’s national standing in softball excellence.

👉 Full stats and academic profile breakdown here.

🏖️ 3 FSU Beach Volleyball Stars Earn CSC Academic Honors 🏖️

Florida State beach volleyball’s excellence extends beyond the sand — as Alexis Durish, Audrey Koenig, and Carra Sassack were named to the CSC Academic All-District Team on Tuesday. All three now advance to the national Academic All-America ballot, with results to be announced July 8.

📚 Academic Elite:
• Minimum 3.50 GPA + sophomore standing required
• Sassack earned the NCAA Elite 90 Award — highest GPA across all participants at the NCAA Beach Championship

🏐 Court Dominance:
• Durish & Koenig (Court 1):
→ 24–9 record | AVCA First-Team All-Americans
→ CCSA Co-Pair of the Year | All-CCSA & All-Tournament Honors
→ Currently training with the USA Beach Collegiate National Team
→ Will represent Team USA at the World University Games in Germany

• Carra Sassack:
→ 21–13 overall | 15–11 on Court 3
→ Elite 90 Award winner | Junior from Cumming, GA

🔑 Bottom Line:
With national accolades on and off the court, FSU’s beach program continues to define what it means to be a student-athlete — and July 8 could bring even more honors their way.

👉 Full CSC criteria and All-America voting timeline here.

🦁 Legacy LB Noah LaVallee Commits to FSU 🦁

Florida State landed a familiar name on Tuesday as three-star linebacker Noah LaVallee committed to the Seminoles over Ole Miss — joining his older brother, Caleb, in Tallahassee.

👨‍👦 Family Ties:
• Younger brother of FSU LB Caleb LaVallee, who transferred from UNC this offseason
• First offered by FSU in April 2024 — a long-term target for the staff

🧠 Scheme Fit:
• DC Tony White envisions LaVallee as a versatile chess piece in the 3-3-5
• “I could play really any position,” LaVallee said of his fit in FSU’s defense

📈 Class Impact:
• Second LB commit in the 2026 class, joining Karon Maycock
• FSU is still pushing for 5⭐ Xavier Griffin and 4⭐ targets DQ Forkpa, TJ White, and Rodney Colton Jr.

📊 Rankings Snapshot:
• 3⭐ LB | No. 131 LB nationally | ‘85’ grade from 247Sports

🔑 Bottom Line:
With strong bloodlines, scheme versatility, and early loyalty to FSU, LaVallee brings both upside and continuity to the linebacker room — and gives Mike Norvell another foundational piece on defense.

👉 Read more about LaVallee’s commitment and defensive role here.

💥 4⭐ DT Tico Crittendon Commits to Florida State 💥

Florida State’s momentum on the defensive front continues as four-star composite defensive lineman Tico Crittendon announced his commitment to the Seminoles, fresh off an official visit to Tallahassee.

🔴 Why It Matters:
• 6’4”, 300 lbs | No. 40 DL nationally (Composite)
• Picked FSU over Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas Tech
• Planned OV to Tennessee this weekend is now expected to be canceled

🧱 D-Line Brotherhood:
• “The thing that stood out to me was the way they just came together, on some real brotherhood stuff.”
• Crittendon praised the authenticity of the FSU locker room and bond among D-linemen

📈 Recruiting Impact:
• Third DL commit in two weeks for Coach Terrance Knighton, joining James Carrington and Wihtlley Cadeau
• FSU’s 2026 class now up to 14 total commits

📊 Stats & Rankings:
• 2023: 25 tackles | 15 TFLs | 1 sack (MaxPreps)
• No. 336 overall in the nation | 4⭐ Composite prospect

🔑 Bottom Line:
Crittendon’s pledge gives FSU another SEC-caliber body in the trenches and solidifies one of the most impressive D-line hauls in the 2026 cycle so far. The Brotherhood sells — and it’s working.

👉 Read more on Crittendon’s commitment and what it means for FSU’s front seven here.

🌀 3⭐ Edge Katrell Webb Nearing Decision After FSU Official 🌀

Florida State may be closing in on another key defensive commitment, with three-star edge rusher Katrell Webb expected to announce his decision in the coming days — and the Seminoles appear to hold the edge.

📍 What’s the Latest:
• Took official visit to FSU over the weekend
• Finalists: FSU, Purdue, Indiana
• Canceled other planned visit after FSU trip
• Decision expected within a week

🗣️ Why FSU Made an Impression:
• “This is really uncomparable — the family feeling you get down here at FSU.”
• On Coach Norvell: “He told me if I want to be great, this is the place to be.”
• Has longstanding ties to Malzahn and Hand from UCF days
• Spent time with current players like Amaree Williams and Shamar Arnoux

💼 The Fit:
• Projected as a “Jack” LB/DE hybrid — stand-up edge
• Familiar with the scheme: “I know I would get picks, sacks for sure. It’s similar to what I play at my school.”

🔑 Bottom Line:
Webb raved about the brotherhood, his relationships with the staff, and the development opportunity at FSU. If the Noles stay on him this week, signs point to another defensive win on the 2026 trail.

👉 Full breakdown of Webb’s visit and what’s next in his recruitment here.

And that’s a wrap!

The trenches are stacking, the GPA is climbing, and the commitment list keeps growing. As the July decision wave nears, Mike Norvell’s staff is building momentum at just the right time — and fans are cautiously buzzing.

Stay locked in, stay hydrated, and maybe clear some space on your July 4th calendar... we’ve got fireworks on the way.

See you tomorrow.

– The Chief Brief