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How do you feel about Isa Torres transferring to Texas?
🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹
Happy Saturday, Seminole!
Florida State landed one of its biggest recruiting wins of the summer on Friday, and the trail is still buzzing heading into a massive final camp weekend. Meanwhile, a difficult but honest conversation is happening around FSU softball and the Seminoles are already responding with moves that should excite the fanbase.
Buckle up. There's a lot to cover today.
📋 In Today's Chief Brief:
🏈 Carolina WR Majay Thompson Commits to FSU 🏈 — Florida State pulls off a late recruiting win, flipping the race away from Georgia, Alabama, and Wake Forest to land one of the Southeast's most electric receivers.
🥎 Isa Torres' Father Says the Quiet Part Out Loud 🥎 — Why the transfer to Texas was really about winning, not money, and what it means for Lonni Alameda going into 2027.
🥎 FSU Softball Adds Tennessee Transfer Ella Dodge 🥎 — The Seminoles keep rebuilding the portal roster, landing a high-production infielder who brings WCWS experience to Tallahassee.
🛡️ Foreman vs. Louisville: A Battle FSU Must Win This Weekend 🛡️ — The Seminoles are hosting commit Jemari Foreman on his official visit with the Cardinals making a serious late push.
⭐ Ta'Shawn Poole Heads to Georgia — What That Means for FSU ⭐ — The top-5 safety is making one final stop before his decision. Crystal Ball still favors the Noles, but nothing's signed yet.
🏈 Sunday's Seminole Showcase Camp: Who's Coming 🏈 — Florida State wraps up summer recruiting with an enormous visitor list, headlined by several four-star prospects across multiple positions.
👀 Two More Visitors Head to Tallahassee This Weekend 👀 — Four-star safety Phoenix Evans calls his unofficial visit one of his best ever, and three-star LB CJ Ohuabunwa makes his official visit official.
Let's dive in. 🍢
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Florida State pulled off one of the summer's best late-game recruiting flips on Friday, landing three-star wide receiver Majay Thompson out of Shelby (N.C.) Crest after a recruitment that appeared headed elsewhere just weeks ago.
📰 The Commitment Story
Thompson chose Florida State over finalists Georgia and Wake Forest, with Alabama heavily involved through most of the process.
Just weeks ago, the race looked like Alabama vs. Georgia, with Wake Forest surging late on the strength of a strong NIL package.
Thompson took an unofficial visit to FSU in the spring, then returned for his official visit the weekend of June 12th — and that sealed it.
He credited coaching stability as the deciding factor: Tim Harris recently became co-offensive coordinator with a contract extension, and Norvell made clear he's not going anywhere.
Thompson (6-1, 188) carries an 88 rating from 247Sports and ran a 4.44 in the 40 with a 120.5-inch broad jump which is upper percentile testing across the board.
He posted 53 catches for 865 yards (16.3 per catch) and three touchdowns as a junior. Yes, that's right… 16.3 yards per catch for a slot receiver.
He's built as a YAC weapon: shifty after the catch, hard to square up in space, and effective in the quick passing game and on jet sweeps.
He's also got real value as a returner from day one, which gives FSU a path to immediate playing time before his route running fully develops.
🏹 How He Fits
Thompson becomes FSU's 11th commitment in the 2027 class and joins four-star Sean Green as the second wide receiver pledge.
He's described by scouts as a "tightly-wound inside receiver" so think gadget weapon in FSU's quick-passing offense, not a perimeter burner.
The ceiling is higher than the three-star rating suggests: if his route running and catch-point consistency catch up to his athleticism, he becomes one of the more dynamic playmakers in the class.
He plans to enroll in January 2027 as a midyear, giving FSU's staff time to develop him early.
Why It Matters: FSU held off Georgia and Alabama (!) two programs that rarely lose recruiting battles when they want someone. The key detail in Thompson's commitment is what he said about his only question going into his official visit: coaching stability. He got that answer, and it was enough to flip him. That's a credit to Tim Harris' growing reputation and Norvell's ability to sell his future at FSU in one-on-one conversations. Add a 4.44 speed weapon to this class, and the 2027 wide receiver room is already shaping up to be one to watch. 🍢
The dust has settled on the Isa Torres transfer, but her father's candid interview with Horns247 gave it one final twist worth discussing — and it's a more honest conversation than most programs want to have about why elite players leave.
🗣️ What Joe Torres Actually Said
Torres' father told Horns247 that the decision came down to Texas' "winning culture" and standards, not just proximity to home in Austin.
Texas is the back-to-back defending national champion in softball. Florida State hasn't been to the Women's College World Series since 2023, and hasn't won a title since 2018.
Isa Torres spent three years in Tallahassee and never advanced past Super Regionals. This past May, FSU lost in the Tallahassee Regional as a heavy favorite.
Her father's tweet after the transfer said it all: "Only thing left is a trip to OKC." That's not a financial statement. That's a championship statement.
💚 What This Doesn't Mean
Joe Torres was effusive in his praise of Coach Lonni Alameda — "Winning and leading starts at the top and I can't thank God enough for allowing our family to be part of your tribe."
This isn't a story about bad culture or poor coaching. FSU under Alameda is one of the most respected programs in the country.
It's a story about the competitive ceiling — and the brutal reality that in today's transfer portal era, players have the power to chase rings wherever they think they can get them.
FSU has already moved quickly, landing Stetson first baseman Nicole Edmiaston and Tennessee transfer Ella Dodge (more below) from the portal.
🍢 What Lonni Alameda Does Now
2027 is the year that matters. Alameda has a chance to prove the doubters wrong and get this program back to Oklahoma City where it belongs.
The portal additions show this staff isn't waiting around. They're rebuilding aggressively and betting on a bounce-back season.
Torres won't be cheered when she plays against FSU going forward — that's just how fandom works. But her years in Tallahassee were outstanding, and the program benefited from having her.
Reality Check: Isa Torres didn't leave because Lonni Alameda is a bad coach. She left because Texas has been to OKC and won it. That's a hard truth, but it's the right one. The good news is that Alameda is a proven recruiter and a proven developer of talent and now she has a chip on her shoulder and a roster to build around. 2027 could look very different. 🍢
While the Torres conversation was still being processed, FSU softball got to work — and Ella Dodge from Tennessee is the second portal addition of the offseason and a legitimate get.
📊 Who Is Ella Dodge?
Dodge is a redshirt sophomore infielder (2B/3B) from Bradenton (Fla.) Lakewood Ranch, a Florida homecoming.
As a sophomore at Tennessee she started 64 games, hitting .285 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs. More importantly, Tennessee went to the WCWS both seasons she was there.
As a redshirt freshman she slashed .244/.345/.481 with 7 HRs. Consistent power from both sides of the roster — and two more seasons of eligibility remaining.
She plays second and third base, giving Alameda flexibility across the infield in 2027.
🏹 What This Means for the Rebuild
Dodge joins Stetson first baseman Nicole Edmiaston as the Seminoles' two confirmed portal additions post-Torres and post-Beachum.
She visited FSU in recent days and committed quickly — Alameda's staff moved fast once she entered the portal June 13th.
A Bradenton native returning home with WCWS experience, power production, and two years left: that's exactly the profile FSU needed.
The Rebuild Is On: FSU lost two of its best players in the same offseason. Instead of flinching, Alameda went to work and pulling an SEC-caliber infielder with postseason experience from the portal is a real response. 2027 is looking more interesting by the day. 🍢⚾
Jemari Foreman has been committed to Florida State since September. Now the Seminoles need to make sure he stays that way.
⚠️ The Louisville Threat Is Real
Foreman is one of just two official visitors FSU is hosting this weekend, which is a positive; he gets the full focus of the staff.
Louisville officially visited Foreman earlier this month, and the Cardinals are pushing hard. Jeff Brohm's program has been more consistent than FSU over the past few years, and they're making that case.
Safeties coach Evan Cooper will have nearly one-on-one time with Foreman this weekend. That's the kind of intentional focus that closes recruitments.
💛 What FSU Has Going for It
Foreman committed to FSU right after the Seminoles beat Alabama last September; meaning the program sold him on its ceiling, not its current floor.
He recorded 10 interceptions last season at Plantation High School. That kind of playmaker is someone you fight hard to keep.
FSU tradition, proximity to home in South Florida, and the relationship with Coach Cooper all remain strong factors.
Keep an Eye On This: Commits flip during official visits. It happens. FSU is down a safety commit it can't afford to lose heading into the dead period. This weekend is as important as any recruiting moment FSU has had all summer. The good news: two visitors, full attention, and Evan Cooper doing what he does. 🍢
The Crystal Ball still leans FSU. But four-star safety Ta'Shawn Poole's decision to take a final official visit to Georgia is exactly the kind of late twist that keeps recruiting Twitter awake at night.
📊 Where Things Stand
Poole (93 grade, No. 4 safety in 2027) visited FSU last weekend as one of the Seminoles' top priorities and walked away with two Crystal Ball predictions in FSU's favor.
Tennessee had been viewed as the main competition coming out of that visit, but the Bulldogs have now filled the void, scheduling Poole for an official visit.
Poole had previously canceled an official visit to Miami before the Georgia trip materialized.
He has not set a decision date, so the timeline remains open.
👀 Why This Still Leans FSU
FSU's Tony White scheme at the Rover position is an ideal fit for Poole's size and athleticism; scouts project him as a potential day-one contributor.
With Earl Little Jr. departing, FSU has a clear and compelling role to offer at one of the defense's most important positions.
Two Crystal Ball predictions is meaningful; insiders don't put their names on predictions lightly.
Georgia is a late entrant which can work in their favor (closer, no letdown visit) or against them (relationship isn't as deep).
Recruiting Reality: If FSU lands Poole, it's one of the biggest wins of the summer. A top-5 safety who slots into a need position immediately. Georgia's push is real and it deserves respect. But right now, Florida State is the team to beat. One more week. 🍢
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Florida State wraps up its summer recruiting with Sunday's Seminole Showcase Camp, and the visitor list is one of the biggest of the entire summer. This is the final major opportunity before the dead period.
🔥 The Headliners
4-star RB Dalen Powell (2028) is one of the most coveted names on the list — a prospect FSU would love to establish a relationship with early.
4-star Edge Christopher Sanon (2028) and 4-star Edge Tristian Henderson (2028) both make their way to campus at a position where FSU is actively recruiting.
4-star LBs Shamar Evans, Deshawn Simmons, and Ryan Peterson — all 2028 — are expected. That's an exceptional linebacker haul in a single day's camp.
4-star CB Izayah Vickers (2028) also visits, giving the defensive backs room a chance to make an impression on a top cornerback in his class.
📌 Also Worth Watching
Princeton Umanmielen (2027 Edge) and Kaden Woodie (2027 LB) attend with no FSU offer yet — camp performance could change that quickly.
4-star OT Nation Farmer (2028) and 4-star iOL Ryan Walls (2028) give the offensive line staff a chance to evaluate elite trench prospects before recruiting quiets down.
Existing FSU commits Logan Flaherty (QB, 2027), Connor Winn (TE, 2027), and Chayse Brown (ATH, 2027) are also expected — a good sign for class cohesion.
King Fuller (2028 ATH) attends without an FSU offer, which means Sunday could get even more interesting if he turns heads.
Final Impression Opportunity: Summer camps are where multi-year relationships get started. FSU hosting this many 2028 prospects in a single day — especially with four-star linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs — is a sign the staff is thinking well beyond the 2027 cycle. Whatever happens this weekend, Sunday's camp list shows a program that's recruiting at a high level heading into the dead period. 🍢
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Beyond the camp on Sunday, FSU has two more visit stories worth tracking this weekend; an unofficial from one of the country's top 2028 safeties, and an official from a 2027 linebacker the Seminoles want.
🏈 Phoenix Evans Calls FSU Visit "One of My Best"
Four-star safety Phoenix Evans (90 grade, No. 5 safety in 2028) out of Bradenton IMG Academy made an unofficial visit to FSU on Thursday and was effusive afterward.
"Florida State stood out a lot today," Evans said. "They truly made me feel like a big priority for them."
He connected strongly with safeties coach Evan Cooper and defensive assistant Juwan Dowels describing their bond as genuine, not just recruiting-polished.
His glowing review of Coach Norvell was notable too: "He's very supportive, honest, and energetic. He's a great head coach and a big people's guy."
Evans went alone without his parents and is eager to bring them back. When a recruit says that, it means something.
He's visited Oregon, UCLA, Auburn, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Clemson, and Georgia Tech this summer and FSU is standing out in that field.
Three-star LB CJ Ohuabunwa (2027, 6-foot-0.5, 205 lbs) is making his official visit to FSU this weekend after briefly being removed from the schedule earlier in the week before being added back.
He's a Georgia product (Norcross, Greater Atlanta Christian School) who unofficially visited FSU in January and received his offer in May.
As a junior he recorded 124 tackles, 8 TFLs, 2 sacks, 4 pass breakups, and an interception; high-production at a position FSU is actively filling in 2027.
FSU already holds commitments from LBs Jernard Albright and Olrick Johnson III in the class. Ohuabunwa's decision is expected soon between FSU, Louisville, Kansas, and Virginia Tech.
Visit Season Closing Strong: Phoenix Evans doesn't commit to a school after one unofficial visit, but a 2028 IMG safety saying FSU is one of his best visits. After touring Oregon, Notre Dame, and Clemson, is a real recruiting win. Keep an eye on this one. And if Ohuabunwa chooses FSU, it gives the Seminoles a third linebacker commitment in a position group that needed replenishing. Busy weekend. 🍢
And that's a wrap!
As always, thank you for making The Chief Brief part of your Saturday.
Florida State football added a 4.44 weapon to its 2027 class, softball is rebuilding aggressively after painful departures, and the recruiting trail is buzzing heading into one final massive weekend before the dead period hits. This is what the summer is supposed to feel like.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Seminole Nation. We'll be back tomorrow with everything that happened.
Go Noles,
– The Chief
